5 Things you should NEVER do in Phuket, Thailand

Phuket is known for beautiful beaches and crystal-clear water, but visitors who make seemingly innocent mistakes on the island can get a lot more than they bargained for.

Jet Ski and Parasailing Risks in Phuket

Every day, hundreds of visitors fall victim to the jet ski scam. I mean, who wouldn’t want to ride a jet ski in the crystal-clear waters of Phuket? The problem is that after your ride, you might return the jet ski only to be accused of damaging it. They may point to existing scratches or dents, insisting they were caused by you. Even if you argue that the damage was already there, they often have witnesses or photos to support their claim.

There have been reports of people being forced to pay around 20,000 Thai baht, which is around $600, for supposed damage to a jet ski that had been damaged long before they touched it. If you want to enjoy jet skis in Phuket, the best way to do this is by renting from reputable operators. Look for companies with good reviews online and a clear damage policy.

But honestly, the jet ski scam might be the least of your worries. Far worse things have happened with Phuket water sports, and one activity is by far the most dangerous on the island. It involves being tied to the back of a speedboat with a parachute. Just this week, a Saudi tourist had to be rescued from a tree after getting caught in it. Over the years, there have been numerous incidents of tourists either coming loose or damaging their parachutes in midair and falling to their deaths. I’d be very careful when engaging in water sports on Phuket beaches, especially when it comes to parasailing.

Smoking Cannabis in Public in Phuket

On 9 June 2022, Thailand officially decriminalized cannabis, completely changing drug laws that had previously been some of the strictest in the world. Pretty much overnight, thousands of cannabis dispensaries popped up all over the country. For a while, it felt like the green revolution had completely taken over Thailand, but things are more complicated than they first appear.

Despite being decriminalized, it is still illegal to smoke cannabis in public. Many visitors are either completely unaware of this or simply disregard the rule, and it is beginning to cause problems in the Thai media. In Phuket, the number of arrests for smoking in public has been on the rise, especially for people caught smoking on the beach. In fact, you’re not even supposed to smoke cigarettes on Phuket beaches, and violators can face a 25,000 Thai baht fine, around $700, and up to three months in prison.

This is a problem for a lot of tourists because you’re also not supposed to smoke in dispensaries, and most hotels have signs saying that smoking is banned there too. However, these are much safer options than openly smoking in public. One thing that is definitely not legal in Thailand is psychedelics. Recently, there have been reports of crackdowns on magic mushroom bars on the island, particularly around the Patong area, with tourists being arrested as soon as they leave the bars where they were sold. Now, I don’t know about you, but personally I can’t think of a much worse place to trip for six hours than a Phuket jail cell.

Riding Motorbikes Without Proper Protection in Phuket

There is one mistaken talent that kills over 200 foreigners every year and leads to thousands more hospitalizations, and it is especially problematic in Phuket. Thailand’s roads are among the deadliest in the world, with more than 20,000 deaths every year. Seventy-five percent of these deaths involve scooters or motorbikes. Despite these shocking statistics, only 51% of motorcycle drivers actually wear helmets, which leads many foreign tourists to falsely believe that the roads are safe and to skip a helmet too.

In the last month alone, scooter accidents in Phuket have taken the lives of two Frenchmen, a Russian, a Swede and two Britons. There have also been incidents where people have been left paralyzed or lost limbs. Even if these accidents don’t kill you, you can still be left in a very difficult situation. There was a case of a British man last year who lost control of his motorbike in Phuket. He sustained severe injuries and nearly died from blood loss. To save his life, his family back in the UK had to quickly raise almost 20,000 to make sure he could continue to receive medical treatment.

Even if you have medical insurance, it might not cover the cost of these accidents if you do not have a valid international driver’s licence, are found to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol, or are not wearing a helmet. Insurance companies may not cover you, leaving you in a race against time to raise the funds to save your life. In Phuket, you should never, ever ride a motorbike without proper protection.

Ignoring Phuket’s Sea and Beach Safety Warnings

When you think of Phuket, you probably imagine beautiful beaches and crystal-clear waters. However, there is a darker side to the island’s beaches. There can be powerful rip currents and unpredictable weather conditions, especially during the monsoon season. Many visitors who are unfamiliar with these dangers venture into the water unaware of the risks, which is why between 30 and 50 tourists drown in the seas around Phuket every year.

Every visitor to the island needs to be careful when swimming. Luckily, Phuket beaches are well guarded, with lots of lifeguards posted and visible signs telling you how safe the water is. The problem is that some tourists ignore these warnings and head into the water anyway. If you know you’re a weak swimmer, I would try to swim in the areas closest to the lifeguards.

Even if you’re not swimming, the dangerous waters can still be a huge problem. One of the most tragic incidents in Phuket’s recent history occurred when a tourist boat decided to ignore bad-weather warnings and went out to sea. The boat ended up capsizing, resulting in the drowning of 33 Chinese tourists. When visiting, you should never ignore the safety warnings regarding the ocean.

Tourist Crime and Bad Behaviour in Phuket

The people of Phuket are sick and tired of tourists coming to their island, starting fights, committing crimes and damaging the island’s reputation. In the past few months alone, over 400 tourists have been arrested, showing that the police are beginning to get serious about tackling tourist crimes. A special task force has been set up to tackle bad behaviour among tourists, and the number of arrests looks set to continue as the police enforce a zero-tolerance policy towards crime.

The task force was formed in response to several high-profile incidents, including one involving a Swiss man who made headlines after kicking a Thai woman who was on his property. This incident caught the media’s attention, and he was forced to apologize to the Thai media before being blacklisted from re-entering the country.

Phuket has long had a reputation as a wild party town where anything goes, but in recent years the government has been actively trying to change this perception. Honestly, I can kind of see why. If you look at some of the arrests over the last few months, they are quite simply unacceptable. There have been numerous assaults on taxi drivers by tourists who refused to pay, a British tourist who assaulted his friend with a gun, numerous cases of drug smuggling, people fleeing hospitals after racking up tens of thousands of dollars in bills, and two thieves who assaulted a police officer and tried to steal his gun. There has also been an increase in organized crime involving the Russian mafia.

Luckily for you, these incidents are completely avoidable if you follow some common-sense rules. You should never assault anyone, overstay your tourist visa, get caught doing drugs in public or refuse to pay your bills. It’s pretty easy not to get arrested, actually.