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BRITISH CONSULAR INFORMATION SHEET
MOST VISITS TO THAILAND ARE TROUBLE FREE BUT VISITORS SHOULD NOT BECOME INVOLVED WITH DRUGS OF ANY KIND. POSSESSION OF EVEN VERY SMALL QUANTITIES CAN LEAD TO IMPRISONMENT OR IN SERIOUS CASES THE DEATH PENALTY.
SAFETY AND SECURITY
Travellers arriving at Bangkok airport should only use airport limousines or licensed taxis with yellow number plates from the official taxi rank. There is also a reliable airport bus service to the centre of Bangkok. Be wary of accepting food or drink from strangers as it may be drugged. Visitors should be especially vigilant when visiting the red-light districts of Bangkok and Pattaya. Visitors who take part in water sports and scuba diving in Thailand should be aware that rescue services are not always as comprehensive as they might be in the UK. Take particular care when swimming off the coast of Phuket. Strong riptides have resulted in a number of drownings. There have been attacks against ships in and around Thailand's waters. Mariners are advised to be vigilant and take appropriate precautions. TERRORISM We believe that Thailand is one of a number of countries where there is an increased threat to British interests from global terrorism. LOCAL TRAVEL The situation at and around the Thai/Burmese border remains unstable. Travellers wishing to visit remote or border areas should consult the local authorities for advice on the current situation. The two legal crossing points into Cambodia for foreigners are Aranyaprathet/Poipet and Koh Kong. Do not cross the Thailand/Cambodia border by any other surface route. The Preah Vihear temple on the Thailand/Cambodia border has reopened, although only accessible from the Thai side of the border. Visitors to Laos should be aware that there have been recent security incidents at the Lao border and within the country. Please refer to separate advice for Laos. LOCAL LAWS AND CUSTOMS Visitors should not become involved with drugs of any kind. Possession of even very small quantities can lead to imprisonment or, in serious cases, the death penalty. ENTRY REQUIREMENTS Entry to Thailand is normally refused to visitors holding passports with less than six months' validity. Overstaying visas without the proper authority is a serious matter and visitors can be held in detention until a fine is paid. HEALTH Medical treatment can be very expensive. Visitors should seek medical advice about endemic diseases before travelling. GENERAL Visitors should take particular care with their passports, as passport theft is common. Passports should not be given to third parties such as hotel owners, vehicle hire shops etc. There has been an increase in recent months in sophisticated gem swindles involving foreign tourists. There are no government gem shops. It is not possible to change Scottish or Northern Irish banknotes. It is essential that travellers take out full insurance cover for medical treatment and accidents, and it is advisable to have cover for unexpected losses such as cancelled flight, stolen cash, cards, passport or luggage. Travellers whose journey will involve overflight of Afghanistan should be aware that there are threats from military activity to civil aircraft overflying Afghanistan using routes G202, A454/A466, G668/V668, V838, V848 and V888. Some airlines continue to use these routes. Others including all British carriers, use alternative routes V876 and G500/V500, on which the threat is assessed as minimal. Travellers should check direct either with travel agents or airlines which routes other airlines are using. CONTACT DETAILS British Embassy, Wireless Road, Bangkok 10330, Thailand (tel: +66 2 253 0191; fax: +66 2 255 6051); e-mail: consular@bangkok.fco.gov.uk
British Diplomatic Missions in Thailand: contact details
For medical and inoculations advice, contact your GP. The Department of Health's Health Advice for Travellers website provides travel health information for people travelling abroad from the UK. The site advises on health risks around the world and how to avoid them, a country-by-country immunisation checklist and how to obtain medical treatment abroad. Travel Advice notices on this website are subject to Crown Copyright protection. Capture and republication of Travel Advice notices is not permitted. Any person who captures and republishes Travel Advice notices will be liable to prosecution.
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