Thailand Myths Debunked
Myth #1: You Need All The Vaccinations
If you visit your doctor’s office and tell them you’re planning a trip to Thailand, doctors are likely to recommend a whole series of vaccinations: hepatitis, tetanus, Japanese Encephalitis. And my doctor recommended all of these vaccinations before I first came to Thailand.
I haven’t met anybody who has acquired Hepatitis B from drinking the water here. Actually, it is very rare to encounter any of these illnesses here in Thailand, especially if you’re coming to Bangkok or if you’re visiting any of the very developed areas in the South or Chiang Mai in the north. Really, your only riskier areas are probably going to be really, really rural.
The most unnecessary vaccine is actually Japanese Encephalitis, and it’s generally really expensive. I ended up getting one shot, but you’re required to get two shots for protection.
And you also don’t need malaria pills. Now I’ve been living here for almost seven years and I have yet to get malaria. Traveled all over the country. You can get prophylaxis pills for it, but I’ve heard stories from people who have taken them and you can get a little bit delusional, have crazy dreams. Frankly, given the risk, if you’re visiting more built-up areas of Thailand, it is not worth paying for and risking those side effects.
Myth #2: Thailand Is Dangerous
Thailand is actually a very safe country. You do not have things like street gangs, street violence. It’s very rare to encounter and you rarely find heavy crime here.
One of the things I notice is that Thais are very trusting. For example, if you go to a mall food court here in Bangkok or anywhere in Thailand, people will commonly leave their bags, leave their belongings at their table, and wander over to buy food, and they can’t see their bags. It is a trustworthy environment. People leave things sitting around all the time and there’s very little petty theft here in Bangkok.
It actually surprises me how little petty theft there is, given that there is a significant level of inequality here in the country. So I think there’s much less crime actually in Bangkok than I tend to encounter in Western countries. And I feel safe wandering around literally anywhere in Bangkok. And I can’t say that this is true for my own city of Toronto. I definitely can’t say it’s true when I’m traveling in the United States.
Here in Bangkok, you have such a mix of different environments. You’ve got all these modern condos, but then you also have smaller slum areas located right next to those. Everybody’s very friendly.
Myth #3: Street Food Is Dangerous
You can always find food here in Bangkok. You could walk around any corner and you’ll find a little restaurant. Food quality is actually going to be better when you come to these little restaurants because they’re serving local Thais every single day, and so you know that they don’t want to get anybody sick. The ingredients are going to be fresher.
So when you’re wandering around Bangkok, you actually want to be eating at these little restaurants that you’ll see a lot of Thais lined up at and visiting.
Myth #4: You Will Constantly Get Scammed
One that I commonly heard when I first came here to Thailand was how you always are getting scammed, and this is simply not true. If you visit certain tourist areas like Khao San Road, the strip around Asok and Nana, you’ll have a lot of scams. Of course, this is the same in any country with a large-scale tourism industry.
Go visit Paris, France around the Eiffel Tower there are a lot of scams there. When you get enough tourists visiting one place, of course you’re gonna have some scams emerge. But if you come out to real Thailand, you’ll notice people are very friendly and nobody is trying to scam you.
So you just have to be wary when you’re around places like Khao San Road. If somebody comes up to you, tries to bring you somewhere in a very touristy area, they’re a little bit overly friendly there’s a good chance it could be a scam. That’s no different in Thailand than in France, Greece, or my home country of Canada. We all have scams in specific tourist locations. And you just have to think about why somebody is coming up to you.
Myth #5: Khao San Road Is The Center Of Bangkok
Now this couldn’t be further from the truth. Khao San Road is a very famous backpacker street and it’s definitely somewhere you want to check out if you visit Bangkok. But it is not even close to the center of Bangkok.
The center of Bangkok is more in the Sukhumvit area and Sathorn Central Business District. These are other great areas of the city and they’re very, very different from Khao San Road.
If you’ve ever seen the movie The Beach with Leonardo DiCaprio, it depicts Khao San Road in the opening scenes as a dirty and chaotic place. It’s a little bit of a dirty and chaotic place, but it’s also a lot of fun. But it is not what most of Bangkok looks like. It is a tourist attraction.
Myth #6: You Can Barter For Everything
This is one that commonly embarrasses me a little bit as a foreigner living in Thailand, and this is the idea that you can barter or negotiate for anything.
Actually, recently you’ve had some TikTokers and YouTubers making videos walking around sticking a camera in people’s faces and attempting to barter for very small things like a smoothie, a sausage things that are already very, very inexpensive in Thailand.
It is not appropriate to barter and negotiate when you’re shopping for food. It’s a little bit insulting and embarrassing. Many of the shopkeepers will be friendly and agree to a slightly lower price, but you gotta remember: you’re here as a tourist. People do not earn as much money.
To come and try to barter for everything that’s really cheap it’s actually a term for Westerners that attempt to negotiate for everything and it’s called Farang Kino, which essentially means “bird cheap.” It just tells you that most of the people have encountered the barterers before. You should not barter.
Myth #7: It Rains All Day During Rainy Season
Here we are at the beginning of rainy season. People commonly think it rains every day, all the time, in rainy season. That simply is not true.
Thailand seasons are interesting. You have a rainy season, you have summer that is very hot. High season is typically around winter, where you have a lot of pollution from December up to around March. This is the height of pollution season here in Bangkok and the air can get pretty bad PM2.5 levels not very pleasant.
Actually, one of my favorite times of the year is the rainy season. Typically you get rain around 4 or 4:30 every day and it often lasts for about 40 minutes. Much of the time you are not getting much rain. It is cooler, and if you’re traveling, it’s a lot cheaper because it is not the high season.
So for travelers, it could be more sensible to come during the rainy season and simply relax a little bit inside when it does rain, and save yourself some money, enjoy the cooler weather here.
Myth #8: You Cannot Drink The Ice
Ice is added to virtually every drink. Ice is added to beer, coffee, tea. This is a very hot country; people love their ice. And you’ll often see groups of Thais drinking beer at a bar with a big bucket of ice.
You don’t have to worry about the ice at least here in Bangkok that’s usually made from filtered water. Now you may not want to drink ice with your beer, but don’t be worried about having ice in a smoothie or ice in a coffee.
Bangkok is a very modern city and believe it or not, the water is actually relatively safe. Now I have a friend who’s been living here for about 12 years, something of an interesting guy, and he was curious: would the water make you sick if you lived off of tap water in Thailand? Now all the recommendations are going to say you must drink bottled water. Well, he drank tap water for six months and did not notice any health impacts. Maybe he’s going to encounter some sort of lead poisoning later.
The same guy did decide to do an experiment and live off of crickets for a year. You meet some interesting people here in Bangkok. But his experiment does demonstrate that you’re not very likely to get too sick from the water. So don’t be overly concerned.
What Farang Means in Thailand
You will hear the word farang a lot while in Thailand. Many tourists think it is a bad word or that it is used to separate outsiders from local people. That idea is not correct. Farang, as Thai people pronounce the word, means foreigner. When people use it, they usually mean a foreigner and not a Thai person, without bad intentions.
You may hear the word while shopping or in other places. Most of the time it simply points out that someone is a tourist. It is normal to hear farang in Thailand, so it does not need to be treated as an insult.
Thai Food Is Delicious but Not Always Healthy
Thai food is delicious, and Thai people use the word aroy to describe food that tastes good. Small portions containing rice, eggs, or seafood can make a dish look healthy, and Thai food is filled with intense flavours and often contains vegetables.
Thai food is not healthy all the time. There are fried dishes, pork, chicken skin and legs, and other rich combinations. Coconut milk is also used in many dishes and may not help a diet. Thai food is excellent, but think about what is in the dish rather than assuming every meal is healthy.
The Land of Smiles Still Requires Respect
Thailand is called the Land of Smiles because Thai people are often helpful, friendly, and welcoming. That does not mean visitors can make a problem, make fun of people, or cross the line without showing respect and kindness.
Thai people are good and friendly, but if someone loses their temper after being treated badly, the situation can become serious. Respect and smile in return for kindness and hospitality, stay away from problems, and do not take friendliness for granted.
Thai Nightlife Is Not Only for Foreigners
Many people think Thailand’s nightlife spots and red-light districts are made only for foreigners and tourists. That is not true. Thai people also enjoy going to walking streets, pubs, bars, and red-light districts to drink and have fun.
On weekends, local people can be found in these places whether there are foreigners there or not. Tourists complete the scene, but Thai people also enjoy the nightlife and the parties.
Thailand Is Not Paradise for Everyone
Thailand can be a wonderful place to visit, and it may be possible to spend a short vacation or a couple of months here comfortably. That does not automatically make it the best place in the world to live or a paradise for everyone.
Living in Thailand can be easy and peaceful in many ways, but without enough budget or the ability to live in an Asian community, it can become difficult. Try real everyday life before making conclusions about paradise or heaven after a short trip.
Thailand Is Not Full of Scams
Thailand is not full of scams. Tourists can enjoy the country even without much experience, and local people often try to help visitors. Many problems described as scams are actually mistakes made by tourists who are not prepared or who repeat things they should not do.
People may try to make extra money if a visitor is easy to fool, so be wise in Thailand just as you would be in your own neighbourhood. Prepare before travelling and take responsibility for your decisions.
Do Not Judge People or Ignore Local Rules
Do not assume someone is poor because of their job, the transport they use, the food they eat, or the way they dress. People working in cleaning, housekeeping, waste collection, or other ordinary jobs may have their own house, cars, second businesses, and families to support. Many have graduated from university and have a good life. Do not judge a book by its cover.
Being a foreigner with money does not mean you can do anything in Thailand. Thailand offers comfort and fun, but rules are rules. Do not come to Thailand to do things that you could not do in your own country. Come in peace, respect people, have fun, and obey the local rules.
