Source: Freepik
Safety is a big concern when you are traveling to a place you are not familiar with, especially if you have never been to Bangkok before and only heard the name of this magnificent city from the media. You may think that Bangkok is not a safe place, or believe that Bangkok is a “sinful city”, driving with greed and lust which leads to criminal and fraudulent activities. As a Thai person who was born and lives here forever, honestly speaking Bangkok is not 100% safe, but it is quite safe for most of the tourist places you visit. From my observation, I feel like many concerns can be prevented or avoided. But many times, incidents happen because of the unawareness of how different the local settings can be from what you are used to. Let’s explore the 5 common safety concerns and my tips to keep you safe and have a blissful journey in Bangkok.
Taxi and TukTuk Scammed
Taxi scam is a very very common issue many tourists experience, which creates a bad impression about Bangkok, especially if you travel to the city for the first time. It starts with the taxi driver asking to charge you for a flat rate instead of using a taxi meter where the total charge is calculated by the distance. At first, you may think that the price is quite cheap compared to the cost of a taxi in your country, but in fact the actual price might not be as expensive as what the driver asked. For example, a taxi from MBK Center to the Grand Palace, should cost only around 200-400 Baht (around 7-14 USD) per single ride depending on the traffic. However, some drivers might ask for a flat rate which can go anywhere above 400 Baht (14 USD) or reject your request which is considered illegal. Similar events can also happen when you ask for a TukTuk ride, but it will be more difficult to know the real price as TukTuk normally does not have a taxi meter.
Source: Freepik
Local tips: These problems are easily solved nowadays by using ride hailing applications on your smartphone to precalculate the cost for you as well as matching the driver who is willing to take you to your desired destination.
In Thailand, the most popular application of this kind is Grab. They provide not only the ride hailing services, but also food delivery services as well. In case you are craving for your favourite food from a restaurant on the other side of Bangkok, you can always order and eat in your hotel! You can download the application from the link below. (The link will redirect you to Apple App Store for iOS or Google Play Store for Android)
Download Grab on App Store 
Download Grab on Google Play 
The other notable local application is Muvmi which is specifically an application for TukTuk ride. You can download the application from the link below and don’t forget to put the referral code HVSRJUZX for your first ride to support our website. (The link will redirect you to App Store for iPhone or Play Store for Android)
Download Muvmi on App Store
Download Muvmi on Google Play
The application Muvmi is a Thai application. It can be a bit complicated as you need to choose the area of service and the specific pick up point and drop off destination in that particular area of service. You are not allowed to choose the pick up point and drop off destination between the area of service. For the beginner user, I recommend always allowing the application to access your location, so it will automatically detect your current area of service. Moreover, the application has a limited operating hours which usually starts at 6:30 and ends at 22:00. In case you plan to use Muvmi at late night or early morning, please plan carefully.
Feeling Unsafe Around the Hotel
Bangkok is a diverse city, yet it is open for every locals to make money from their own property. A place you can stay varies from the high-end well known ultra luxury hotel in prime location to the very local flat on AirBnB. If you are not familiar with Bangkok and you are looking for a cheap place to stay, you may end up staying somewhere in the middle of a dark alley surrounded by slum communities. Not every street has a proper walkway with lights at night. Some streets on Google Maps may not seem far from the main road but the surrounding may be not walkable due to unpleasant things such as prostitution places, many street baggers around, or an area with mad dogs running around or an empty land nearby which becomes a dumpster.
Source: Freepik
Local tips: An area of low income residential or suburban is what you should avoid. Similar to many big cities in the world, low income areas are likely to have crime and underground activities. To determine the low income residential area can be difficult for tourists. My general advice to you is try to look at the map first and see how far between the property you are looking for and public transportation like BTS or MRT or the main road. If it’s over a kilometer, then it is likely to be a low income residential area where you can feel unsafe while walking.
I personally recommend any places with the price range around 3,000 THB a night or above (~98 USD) as it kind of guarantees the safe location as well as a walkable distance from the public transportation and the main road and better service quality of that place. However, everything also depends on your travel preferences as well. If you frequently visit Bangkok and you are a laidback person who prefers to spend quiet time only in your room after dark, then you may take a risk and try something a bit further away. But if you are a kind of person who would enjoy a night life inside the city, expected to be back to your room after midnight, or a shopaholic with multiple luggages, I still recommend a hotel or property which is above 3,000 THB per night as it fits your preferences more.
For the suburban area, it can be too quiet and empty where you can feel unsafe especially after 21:00. Most of the local residents living in the suburbs are driving cars and it is hard to see people walking on the street in this area. If you are the kind of person who wants to do night activities in Bangkok, this kind of area is the first thing you should cross out from your list. Not only is it empty after dark, but also difficult to find a taxi back home after midnight as it is too far away from places with night activities. Please keep in mind that the public transportation like BTS and MRT ends at near midnight and taxis might not be easy to find, even you try to call them on an application like Grab.
Hidden Prostitution
I am not going to deny the fact that there are many prostitution activities and places in Bangkok. Even though it is considered illegal, many times it is explicitly offered to the tourists and locals or hidden as an ‘extra’ part of a package for a popular activity like massage. It is definitely frustrating to be in the situation where you unintentionally end up being involved in a prostitution activity. If you want to stay away from those places and enjoy only the best part of Bangkok, here are my tips to avoid it.
Local tips: Whether it is explicit or not, a place which offers a prostitution always shares the same pattern – there will be options for you to choose who you want to receive the service from. If the place explicitly offers prostitution, you can tell it right away from the set up of that place before you enter. The most common settings you will see is a place with plastic chairs in front and ladies sitting side by side in a slightly revealing dress and does not look like they are just finished their working shift, tired or craving for food. This is the most common kind of prostitution you will see in Bangkok and you should avoid. Places for male prostitution is also have similar settings where you can easily notice as well.
For places like massage shops which do not explicitly offer a prostitution, this may be slightly difficult to detect and avoid. From the front, it may look like a usual massage shop. But again if they offer an option for you to choose the masseur you like, then it is likely to be a prostitution involved. You can also look at the pricing sheet. If the pricing says it does not include tip to the masseur and tip has to be directly paid to the masseur, then it is likely to be a prostitution. Tipping is not a culture here, so normally you do not have to give the tip to anyone. The masseur usually gets a slice of revenue from a massage program you choose, there should not be any extra tip required at the beginning, especially to be directly paid to the masseur.
You can always look up the information about the place you want to visit on the internet and see if it is involved in a prostitution or not. The last thing that you can do is to ask the staff directly about the no prostitution policy, but you have to be clear that you do not want it. Because Thai people can easily misunderstand you as they are very dedicated to cater to their customers. When you just ask, they might understand that you want it. I believe everyone understands if you are clear enough that you do not want it, especially in a touristic area where prostitution is potentially being offered behind the scenes.
Cannabis, Is It Still a Concern?
You may experience a weird smell like someone is burning grass while you are walking in Bangkok. Do not panic. It is a smell of cannabis from many many shops that open up recently around the city, especially in the tourist area. It does not make you feel high right away when you inhale it, but the smell can really disturb your nerves.
Many people consume cannabis to feel high, which may lead to the expression of unpleasant behavior to the surrounding people and making you feel uncomfortable or unsafe. If you are against the idea of cannabis consumption for leisure purposes, then congratulations. The regulation becomes more and more strict, focusing on limiting the use of cannabis for medical purposes only. According to the latest regulation implemented in mid-2025, a purchase of cannabis requires a medical prescription. The shop also requires an authorized license from the ministry of health and is very limited to drug stores or private clinics. For leisure uses of cannabis, it is likely that access to cannabis is getting harder for the leisure consumption. We can expect to see less and less cannabis shops around Bangkok. There should be less concern about this in the future.
However, if you want to experience some, then you need to read the tips below to make sure you are safe while consuming it.
Local tips IF you want to try:
During this transition period, there may be some shops still operating. The best way to do this is to find a shop that has certified medical personnel who can prescribe a dose or give proper advice. In case you could not find that kind of shop in your area and do not want to overconsume it, the general guide for you is to look into the THC amount when you consume cannabis. THC is the chemical in cannabis that causes the “high” feeling which leads to addiction. Make sure the product you want to consume always has the concentration of the THC less than 0.2%. Moreover, whether you take cannabis in the form of hemp, food or drinks, it always takes time from 30 minutes to 2 hours to feel something. It can be harmful to your body if you over consume it, better to start slow.
Can I Leave My Stuff Unattended? Is Theft and Pick Pocket a Big Concern in Bangkok?
Depends mostly on where you stay and where you visit.
Recently I have seen many trendy short videos depicting how safe Bangkok is by leaving their stuff in one spot and going somewhere for 15 minutes or half an hour. After they come back, their stuff is still there. Right, those videos look real to me and yes there are many cases where your stuff still stays the same. But, as a local, again, it completely depends on where you are and what time of the day you are filming it. Is it a local shopping mall? Is it crowded? Is it a wealthy area or poor neighborhood? For sure your stuff is likely to stay there if you intentionally drop them in a luxury shopping mall during a weekday afternoon where people are less crowded and in some videos the object is even being filmed! On the contrary, if you leave your stuff in a random street food stall in a crowded local area where they hired immigrant workers who cannot communicate both Thai and English as well as no proper training on how to do a good service, I am very sure your stuff is likely to get lost.
The theft may occur if you stay in a very very local hotel with poor staff management. Most of the time the person who stole your stuff is a maid or a staff member at the hotel who can access your room. However, if you stay in a chain hotel or 3-5 stars hotel, there should not be this problem.
Some acquaintances you invited to your room might steal some of your stuff as well, especially if they are involved with prostitution.
Pick pocket issues, it is not a renowned case in most of the tourist places in Bangkok as far as I know. But, it is good to assume that there is always a pick pocket in a crowded place in Bangkok like a night market, so you will be more careful on your stuff. You will never know who and when your pocket is being picked.
Source: Freepik
Local tips: Avoid being targeted by the thief. Try not to be glamorous or overdressed in a very local place like a 1-2 stars hotel or a night market. Avoid carrying branded bags or wearing precious accessories like gold necklace, bracelets or expensive watches to avoid being targeted. Avoid prostitution activities in your room. Hang the “Do Not Disturb” sign to let the hotel staff know you do not need cleaning on that day, so they will not enter your room while you are away.
About the renowned challenge, try not to leave your stuff unattended and it is not worth your time trying to redo this kind of challenge. Let’s stay on a blissful, not a hectic journey.
Bottom line
Understanding the local settings and context in each concerned topic is the best way to keep you safe and having your best experience in Bangkok. Always remember that Bangkok is a very diverse city. The location where you stay, what kind of place you visit, what kind of activity you choose to do, these highly reflects the safety level.
This article might not cover every safety concern you want to know and my tips might not 100% guarantee the result that you will never feel unsafe in Bangkok, but I hope it is a useful fundamental guide for you to plan your trip to Bangkok.
Feel free to share and comment if you experienced something different from this guide.
Have a blissful journey in Bangkok!
