Thailand

Is Thailand safe to visit?

Mostly, yes, with one big exception. Crime against visitors is low and the US State Department rates Thailand Level 1. But Thailand's roads kill about 32 people per 100,000 each year, according to WHO's 2019 estimate, one of the highest rates in the world. More foreign tourists are hurt on Thai roads than by any crime. We score Thailand 63, far below Singapore and above India.

Roads and motorbikes

Most Thai road deaths involve motorcycles. Rental scooters are cheap and rarely require a licence check, so tourists ride them on Phuket's hills, Koh Samui's ring road and the mountain roads around Pai and Mae Hong Son without experience. The FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary warns that riding without a valid licence can void your insurance, which leaves you with private hospital bills.

The most dangerous times are the holiday periods. During the Songkran water festival in April and around New Year, the government runs its "seven dangerous days" campaign because deaths spike with drink-driving.

Boats are a second transport risk. The FCDO reports fatal accidents on island ferries and speedboats caused by overloading, poor maintenance and rough monsoon seas. Look for life jackets before you board in Krabi, Koh Phi Phi or Koh Tao.

Borders: where not to go

Two areas are off limits under FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary advice.

• The Cambodian border. Thai and Cambodian forces fought with rockets and artillery in July 2025 and again in early December 2025. Crossings are closed, border temples are shut, and there are landmines. The FCDO advises against all but essential travel within 20 km of the border.
• The deep south. A separatist insurgency has run for two decades in Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat, with regular bombings and shootings. The FCDO also includes four districts of southern Songkhla and the Hat Yai to Padang Besar railway.

Tourist areas, including Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Phuket, Krabi and the Gulf islands, are not affected. The FCDO still says terrorists are likely to try attacks anywhere in Thailand, and Bangkok has seen political protests turn violent in the past.

Scams and theft

Thailand's petty crime is mostly about money. The classic Bangkok scam starts near the Grand Palace, where a well-dressed stranger says it is closed for a ceremony and sends you by tuk-tuk to a gem shop. In Phuket and Pattaya, jet-ski operators have charged tourists large sums for "damage" and held passports until they pay. Overnight buses from Bangkok's Khao San Road to the south have a long history of bags being rifled in the luggage hold.

Mass shootings are rare but have happened, including a gunman's attack on a nursery in Nong Bua Lamphu in October 2022 that killed 36 people, and a shooting by a teenager at Bangkok's Siam Paragon mall in 2023. The FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary also warns of sexual assault around full-moon parties on Koh Phangan and of methanol in cheap spirits.

Health, heat and floods

Dengue is common across Thailand, especially in the rainy season. Malaria is limited to forested border areas, and rabies is present in dogs and monkeys. Get any bite or scratch washed and seen quickly. Private hospitals such as Bumrungrad and Bangkok Hospital are excellent, but they want a payment guarantee before treatment.

From February to April, smoke from crop burning can push Chiang Mai's air quality into the hazardous range. Heat in April and May regularly passes 40°C.

Flooding is the main natural hazard. On 26 September 2026, after about 300 mm of rain, Bangkok declared all 50 of its districts disaster zones, and The Star reported tens of thousands of affected households and thousands of people in shelters. The 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami killed thousands on the Andaman coast, and Phuket and Khao Lak now have warning towers and evacuation routes. In March 2025, the Myanmar earthquake caused a high-rise under construction to collapse in Bangkok's Chatuchak district.

How to stay safe in Thailand

• Skip the scooter unless you are a licensed, experienced rider; use Grab or Bolt instead.
• Never leave your passport as a deposit for a bike or jet ski. Offer a copy.
• Wear repellent day and night in the rainy season.
• Avoid travel within 20 km of the Cambodian border and in the far south.
• Do not bring a vape, and do not take cannabis out of the country.
• Save 1669 for an ambulance and 1155 for the English-speaking tourist police. Our Bangkok page has city-level advice.

How we scored it

Road safety (28) is by far the weakest factor and pulls the score down. Violent crime (79) follows WHO's 2021 estimate of 4.4 homicides per 100,000Homicide rateThe number of people killed on purpose each year for every 100,000 residents. It is the most comparable crime figure between countries.More in the glossary, at the top of its band because the last national figure (2017) was lower; the old data are one reason confidence is medium. Conflict (70) reflects the Cambodian border fighting and the southern insurgency.