Question about travel to Mae Sot
May 22nd, 2016, 11:46 PM
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Question about travel to Mae Sot
Hello everyone!
We are supposed to travel to Mae Sot in the end of September for mission work. Lately I have been feeling uneasy as my 18 year old blonde hair blue eyed daughter will be travelling with me. (I am bias but am told regularly of her beauty) I am wondering what the current situation is like over there right now? I recently travelled and met a girl from Bangkok who said there are often car bombings up that way. Is there a concern for kidnapping? Most of our team is older. What are the concerns to be aware of for an 18 year old female travelling there? Thanks for any help anyone can offer for my concerns!
We are supposed to travel to Mae Sot in the end of September for mission work. Lately I have been feeling uneasy as my 18 year old blonde hair blue eyed daughter will be travelling with me. (I am bias but am told regularly of her beauty) I am wondering what the current situation is like over there right now? I recently travelled and met a girl from Bangkok who said there are often car bombings up that way. Is there a concern for kidnapping? Most of our team is older. What are the concerns to be aware of for an 18 year old female travelling there? Thanks for any help anyone can offer for my concerns!
May 23rd, 2016, 06:06 AM
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A long time since I visited Mai Sot but I remember it as a pretty and diverse place lots of ethnic minority people from both Thailand and Burma. Lots of NGOs in the area and I believe it has an increasing refugee problem. It is also known for people trafficking, notably Burmese slave labour. We had some friends at VSO that worked there for a year or so a few years ago and enjoyed their time there.
"Often car bombings up that way" I really doubt that is the case ( but could be wrong!) . Thailand does has its problems at the moment, as does any country operating under a military dictatorship. Corrupt police and officials being one of the big problems. That said, it still remains relatively safe and there are plenty of places in the world where I would worry about kids travelling that Thailand.
Thailand is full of beautiful blonde, blue eyed girls on backpacking trips who mostly travel without problems, so I doubt that she will be singled out in any way. Those that do get into trouble, usually, do so through their own stupidity. Drink, drugs, talking alone with strangers, accepting drinks and, most of all, riding motorbikes. The best travel defence is a healthy does of common sense along with a good talking to from Mom!
As you appear to be going with a "mission" or ngo, I would imagine that they up have a handle on the current state of affairs in the region. If not, perhaps you should be thinking about another organisation.
Few people here wil have visited Mai Sot so you could try Lonely Planet's Thorntree or https://www.travelfish.org/location/...nd/tak/mae_sot
On balance, keep your wits about you but I really wouldn't worry too much.
"Often car bombings up that way" I really doubt that is the case ( but could be wrong!) . Thailand does has its problems at the moment, as does any country operating under a military dictatorship. Corrupt police and officials being one of the big problems. That said, it still remains relatively safe and there are plenty of places in the world where I would worry about kids travelling that Thailand.
Thailand is full of beautiful blonde, blue eyed girls on backpacking trips who mostly travel without problems, so I doubt that she will be singled out in any way. Those that do get into trouble, usually, do so through their own stupidity. Drink, drugs, talking alone with strangers, accepting drinks and, most of all, riding motorbikes. The best travel defence is a healthy does of common sense along with a good talking to from Mom!
As you appear to be going with a "mission" or ngo, I would imagine that they up have a handle on the current state of affairs in the region. If not, perhaps you should be thinking about another organisation.
Few people here wil have visited Mai Sot so you could try Lonely Planet's Thorntree or https://www.travelfish.org/location/...nd/tak/mae_sot
On balance, keep your wits about you but I really wouldn't worry too much.
May 23rd, 2016, 12:21 PM
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Thank-you for the ongoing input! The girl from Bangkok who mentioned the car bombings is a surgeon there who moonlights in Mae Sot with the red cross when needed when there are incidents. My biggest and primary concern with my daughter to be honest is abduction. I couldn't find any articles or incidences that would indicate this would be a concern but that being said I couldn't find one article on any car bombings there either. Most of our group is much much older so therfor abduction (for the sex trade) is not a concern for the rest. Thank-you crellston for all of your feedback and I will check lonely Planet also and Kathie I appreciate the feedback as well 
!
!
