What not to do in Thailand
1. Don't get caught with drugs
Penalties for being busted for drugs in Thailand are severe. Two years ago a British man, Julian Gilbey, was arrested for possession of 4.5kg of heroin. He was initially given the death sentence. This has now been commuted life imprisonment.
Briton sentenced to death in Thailand
From Reuters News- One Briton has been sentenced to death in Thailand and another to 33 years in jail on drug charges, a court official says. The Bangkok Criminal Court found Anthony Flannaghan, 33, guilty of possessing illegal drugs with intent to sell and sentenced him to death, said the official, who asked not to be identified.
The court jailed Stephen Wilcox, 39, who pleaded guilty to possession of drugs including heroin, methamphetamines, ecstasy, and marijuana, for 33 years and fined him 800,000 baht. "The first defendant denied all charges so he faced the death sentence, but the second defendant got a jail term because he pleaded guilty," the official told Reuters on Tuesday. "Both defendants have 30 days to appeal." Police arrested Flannaghan and seized an unspecified amount of heroin from him in April last year as he got off a bus in Bangkok from the southern province of Surat Thani.
Flannaghan said Wilcox had hired him to transport the drugs. Police then searched Wilcox's house on Samui island in the Gulf of Thailand and found 35 grams (1.2 oz) of heroin, 11 methamphetamine pills, 14 ecstasy pills and 30 grams (one ounce) of marijuana.
No Westerner convicted of drug offences in Thailand has ever been executed and their death sentences are usually commuted to life in prison.
2. Don't buy gems
There is an elaborate gem stone scam which swindles 15,000 tourists a year out of million of pounds. It starts with a taxi tour of Bangkok's temples and ends with tourists being duped into buying gemstones that are worth a fraction of the price. To avoid being conned, look for the Jewel Fest Club sign in jewelers which denotes that the jewels are checked for quality.
3. Don't go on a motorbike without a helmet
Every year the British Embassy in Bangkok deals with at least 200 near-fatal motorbike accidents. Of these, at least three-quarters are people who have hired motorbikes and not worn a helmet.
4. Don't travel without insurance
Don't hire taxis or book a sightseeing tour on the road (there is NO insurance)
Healthcare is expensive in Thailand. The cost of medical expenses and assisted flights back to the UK could exceed £30,000 pounds.
5. Don't use your passport as collateral
Every year more than a thousand passports are reported lost or stolen in Thailand. A British passport is a valuable commodity on the black market. Never give your passport to anyone as any sort of guarantee.
6. Don't lose your cool
However disastrous your holiday is, never, ever lose face in Thailand. One of the worst crimes in South East Asia is to lose your cool, raise your voice and stop smiling.