camarg

I'm traveling to Thailand in two weeks with friends on a guided tour. Most of our time is planned but there will be free time in Bangkok and Chaing Mai. Should two women, age 60, have any safety concerns about venturing out alone with a driver or on foot/public transportation, day or night? My friend is opposed hiring a driver, altho that could maximize use of our limited time. Any safety tips or cautions specific to Thailand? I don't want to be fearful but I do want to be prudent. Does anyone have a specific contact/company we could use for a driver or guide once we arrive or to try to arrange something beforehand. A referral would make it more comfortable. I realize it's late for advance reservations. I've seen names mentioned on this board but no specifics. Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

Kathie

I don't know where you are from, but I'm from Seattle, and Thailnd is safer than my home town. Use usual "common sense" but you'll find the Thai people warm and helpful.

In Bangkok, use the Skytrain and water taxis when you can. Taxis are fine, but you do have to contend with traffic, and some people complain that some drivers don't want to use the meter. You can hire a driver if you want, but I prefer to be more independent in Bangkok.

In CM, if you want to do almost anything you need a car and driver (visiting wats, shopping, etc) as there is no public transport. If you are just walking around town, you can use tuk-tuks. I used an excellent driver in CM in November. I'll have to go back to my trip report to find contact info for him.

Actually, the cautions I have for you are about your tour. Tours always include shopping stops. The places chosen for the shopping stops are chosen for the commission rate rather than the quality of their goods. The guides get a cut of everything you spend, so save your shopping for when you are alone.

Guenmai

I've been traveling alone...almost annually...24-plus countries...since I was 17. I'm 50-ish now. I haven't had any major problems. I just use a common sense rule of thumb like...don't walk down dark, unlit or partially lit streets at night, be careful who you get into a taxi with, try to take public transportation as much as possible to avoid having to get into a car with a possible undesireable driver,have someone recommend a driver or try out different drivers during the day and then when you find one you like ask if he can serve as a personal driver if you need him...I've done this a lot, select hotels on streets with decent lighting if you plan to go out at night, make sure locks are working properly on doors(I had a lock/doorknob that was nearly falling off in Chiangmai so I moved to a more secure hotel). I've been vacationing in Thailand, twice a year, since the 90s and have been fine. I did a three-week Singapore,Bali,Chinagmai,Bangkok trip that I planned myself and did totally alone back in the 90s. I understand your concern being female and I know that things can happen even if one is very cautious. Some things one has no control over...but overall...I've been fine.
I have many close male friends who travel a lot and recommend places to stay if they've been somewhere that I'm on my way to. However, most of the time the places they've recommended are places I wouldn't select. They aren't thinking from a female,safety point of view. I've checked out many of their places and some were quite nice and inexpensive, but not places/neighborhoods I'd feel comfortable or safe in while traveling alone. Happy Travels!

Kathie

Ok, here's my info from my trip report on a driver for Chiang Mai:

Transport: One of the problems in CM is the lack of public transport. Basically, your options are songthews, tuk-tuks and taxis. CM is spread out, and if you have a number of things you want to do in a day, you’ll need a car and driver. We found an excellent driver, Mr. Nakron Buthluang, who drives Taxi No. 75. You can reach him on his cell phone at 08-1884-5649. He charges 250 baht an hour. The trip to Doi Suthep is 800 baht. He drove us to Royal Flora and picked us up as well for 250 baht each way. He was great. His English was pretty good, we had no problems communicating. He was persistent in tracking down the little shops we wanted to visit. One was especially hard to find, but he persisted and did find it. He was born and raised in CM and he couldn’t stand the idea that there was a place he couldn’t find. I recommend him highly.

tweety817

I am a 62 yr old female and have travelled alone in Thailand both on a tour and solo. I never had any problems. I'm from NYC so I am always alert when walking and in crowds. There are pickpockets all over the world but I never had any sort of unpleasant experience. I plan on returning in August.

shelleyk

Hi Margaret-I found the contact for the driver we hired off the street in Chang Mai. The wife who speaks English is Ting. The phone number is 0898533544 and the email address is [email protected]. Her husband is a good driver. The car is old, but the A/C works.

camarg

Many thanks to all of you. As I expected, we will be fine. It is good, tho, to hear things first hand. Your suggestions are all great. The plan of "test driving" a driver should put any concerns to rest. Can't tell you how moved I am by the caring people who take time with these questions. I'm new to this site and WOW.

Guenmai

Have a great trip and if you have any other questions feel free to ask. Happy Travels!

Jomo225

Well if you want to come here in thailand and think it's a good idea for you to have some one to guide you well i can be available am male 25 yrs and fluent in english though am a foring here and have been here for eight months.You can write me at [email protected] to read you for more

harsha

Fluent in english?Alright!No soliciting please.

BradinBangkok

My mother: simpsonc510, went to Thailand by herself last month.

No problem.

bkkmei

hallo
as stated, common sense applies!

- don't wear loads of jewellery
- keep hold of your bag especially in crowded areas e.g. JJ market
- it's even useful to have a mobile phone handy e.g. if you need to get in touch with tourist police (1155) or your hotel for taxi translations!!

But really, there is no need to worry. Like BradinBangkok, my mother-in-law came over and travelled here and there by herself in Thailand too.

p.s. a few words of Thai will endear you to many!

glorialf

I am a 60 year old woman who has been going to thailand since 1985 and have never had a problem. That said, there are plenty of people who want to scam tourists and Bangkok and the other tourist areas are no different than big cities or tourist areas anywhere -- you need to use common sense.