The answer to this question depends on who you ask, what you plan to do when you get there, and the precautions you’re willing to take while you travel. Some of the advice that you would give to a friend traveling in any U.S. city, including yours, would be the same advice you would follow when traveling around Thailan🎶d.

As is so often the case, some of your biggest fears—the threat of terrorism, for instance, or street crime—might be greater than your fear of crossing the road wh𓃲en the latter, statistically, would be a much more realistic threat.

Informing Yourself Before You Travel

The State Department is one of the best and most thorough sources of information 😼on how safe it is to travel to . It issues Travel Alerts and Travel Warnings for the parts of the world that pose any perceived threat to citizens traveling there.

As of July 24, 2023,🌄 the State Department issued a:

• Level 1 travel advisory to Thailand as a whole. This means that travelers should exercise normal precautions.
• Level 3 for the provinces of Yala, Pattani, Narathiwat, and Songkhla. This means that travelers should reconsider travel to these areas because of civil unrest and violence largely directed at Thai government officials. Areas of particular interest include Chana, Thepha, Nathawat, and Saba Yoi.

Any U.S. traveler in Thailan✨d can get in touch with the American Citiz✅en Services Unit of the U.S. Embassy:

• In Person: 95 Wireless Road in Bangkok
• By Phone: +66-2-205-4000
• By Email: acsbkk@state.gov

The American Citizen Services Unit in Bangkok also had an X (formerly Twitter) account, , but it wasܫ deactivated in October 2024.

Some Firsthand Observations

Amy Rinehart, a 28-year-old American who lived and worked in Bangkok for two ye🍨ars, says that she felt absolutely safe on the streets of that country wherever she went, including “the mountains in the north, the beautiful beaches in the south and even in the organized chaos that is the capital city of Bangkok.”

Just after Rinehart arrived, the military staged a coup in Thailand. She says that she hardly noticed: “In one part of Bangkok, there were military police everywhere; two stops away on the Skytrain, you wouldn’t knಌow anything was going on. The Thais are used to coups.”

And that’s not just the opinion of young travelers. Jennifer Stevens, executive editor of International Living, knows the older market, specifically folks considering retiring in Thailand. According to Stevens, “We feel very comfortable sending our readers to the parts of Thailand we recommend for retirement living. Places like Chiang Mai, Hua Hin, Koh Samui, and Phuket, for instance, we feel are quite safe. Thou𒅌sands of expats living in Thailand are at once very happy there and indifferent to the political situation.”

The advice she’d give to travelers to Thailand, she says, is the same she would give to someone going to Rome: Don’t stay out late in seedy parts of town, don’t carry all your money and your passport on your person, etc. Some of the more likely dangers of traveling in Thailand are the traffic, local﷽ laws that are difficult for U.S. ℱtravelers to understand, and the risks inherent in the country’s many outdoor activities.

The Traffic

“Pedestrians don’t have the right of way i﷽n Thailand,” says Rinehart, “and motorcycles, the most popular means of transport, weave in and out of traffic at a dizzying rate.”

ဣ According to information passed on to us by Kathleen Peddicord, founder and publisher of Live and Invest Overseas, the combination of heavy traffic and in𝄹ebriated drivers in some areas, like Phuket, poses a real threat.

And, “from a foreigner’s 💜perspective,” she says, “the main ‘danger’ is being overcharged by tuk-tuks (three-wheeled motor-powered bikes); metered taxis are a safer alternative.”

Outdoor Adventures

From zip lining to hik🧸ing, mountain biking, swimmi𒈔ng, and diving, visitors to Thailand can choose from a dizzying array of outdoor sports. Which they should, says Rinehart—but not without exercising some caution.

Some of the safety features of the sponsored adventures may not be quite up to the standards that U.S. folks are use🃏d to seeing. For instance, equipment may not be as safe, and first aid capabilities m💦ay not be all that great.

“Just do a little 𒀰digging before you sign on,” Rinehart says.

Watch What You Say About the Royal Family

For travelers from the U.S. who are used to the First Amendment of this country, it is difficult to comprehend how dire the results can be if you are accused by a Thai court of saying something that insults the royal family. In 2024, a man was sentenced to 50 years in prison for social media posts deemed damaging to the king.

The Bottom Line

Be especially alert and careful, but the odds are that your trip to Thailan🤪d will be safe as long as you exercise the kinds o🦂f caution that are necessary anywhere in the world. Heed the warnings of the U.S. Department of State.

Sign up 😼with the department’s so that the embassy or nearest consulate knows where to send you up-to-the-minute safety reports for Thailand, how to contact you if necessary, and so that it can help your family and friends get in touch with you in case of an emergency.

Thailand has a lot to offer travelers, no matter your budget. You can backpack Thailand on a limited budget, or you can live the luxurious travel life in fancy resorts on the beach.