Bangkok For Female Tourists: 10 Tips You Need To Know

Video #34 | May 3, 2018

In this video I’m going to go through 10 travel tips regarding Bangkok for female tourists. This advice is especially applicable for solo female travelers to Bangkok.

The video will be broken down into 2 sections:

– Bangkok for female tourists – It’s a great city to visit!
– 10 tips for female travelers to Bangkok [and especially solo female travelers to Bangkok].

Click on the following link to check out more on Important Advice For New Visitors.

#VIDEO TRANSCRIPT#

Welcome to the thirty-forth video of Bangkok Unmasked! The YouTube channel that helps you get the most out of your visit to Bangkok city! If you’re new here, please consider subscribing! In this video I’m going to go through 10 travel tips regarding Bangkok for female tourists. This advice is especially applicable for solo female travelers to Bangkok. Note. It’s better safe than sorry. Whatever you do, don’t forget to buy travel insurance before you leave home!

Let’s get started!

Bangkok For Female Tourists – It’s a Great City to Visit!

Over the years I have spoken with a good number of female friends from back home who didn’t think that Bangkok is a suitable place to visit. The reasons were varied. The two primary reasons though were safety and the fact the city seemed far more geared to men than women.

For what it’s worth, Bangkok a great place to visit for women. All of the women that I know who have made the trip love the city! Some of them love the city even more than my male friends! Popular activities include:

• Spas
• Retail therapy
• Ladyboy shows [Frankly I don’t get this, but I have been dragged to ladyboy shows more times than I can to remember]
• Checking out the amazing selection of street food
• Learning the basics of Muay Thai
• Thai cooking classes
• Ladies nights at all the top clubs in the city
• The temples
• Chao Phraya river cruises
• And so much more!

With the above said, I do have 10 tips for female travelers to Bangkok and especially solo female travellers to Bangkok.

Tip #1. Hide Your Cash

The are a lot of pickpockets in Bangkok and female tourists are easy prey. Make sure that you hide your wallet and cash somewhere which makes it very difficult for someone to grab it. Outside zipper or button pockets are easily accessible for a good pickpocket. Hide your cash in a mini pocket or zipper inside your clothing. I have heard of bras with a mini pocket inside them which are available at stores like H&M. You can also easily sew in an inside mini pocket to your shorts or jeans.

If you have a bag, place your wallet or cash inside one of the mini pockets within the bag. Also be sure to properly zip or buckle up the bag!

I would strongly advise against carrying expensive bags because of bag snatchers. You will become a target if you’re carrying something that stands out like LV or Prada for example. It’s very common for thieves on motorbikes to grab a bag and ride off at speed – this is often done by 2 man teams.

If you can, try to carry as few items as possible.

Tip #2. Cover Yourself Up

I know that Bangkok is hot and less clothes is more comfortable. And stylish. Here’s the thing; you don’t want to attract unwanted attention, or be disrespectful. Bangkok may seem like an open minded paradise but in actuality Thai people are extremely conservative.

If you go to a temple, or even certain government buildings and royal palaces, there are pretty strict dress codes in place. Females must cover their shoulders and legs below the knees. Absolutely no spaghetti straps or shorts. Wearing a sarong or long skirt wrapped around your shorts though is acceptable. Sarongs can be rented at the popular tourist temples, but it’s best to come dressed appropriately. An important note. If you are not dressed appropriately you will not allowed inside most temples.

P.S. Don’t forget to take off your shoes before entering the temple!

Tip #3. Don’t Walk Next To, Sit Next To Or [God Forbid] Touch Monks

Monks are strictly forbidden from being close to or touching a female. They are also not allowed to walk closely next to or sit next to females. This means that if there’s an empty seat next to them on buses, boats, the MRT or BTS you can’t sit there!

Also, monks are not allowed to receive offerings or gifts directly from females. If you’re going to make a food or gift offering to a monk, place it on the ground or tray in front of them or have a male hand the gift to the monk.

Tip #4. Don’t Go Anywhere Late At Night With No People

This one is kind of obvious. While Bangkok is pretty safe, after dark I wouldn’t walk down small alleys, streets, or walkways with no open stores on your own. If an area is dark and deserted I would pick another route or hail a taxi. Note. This especially includes beaches [obviously outside of Bangkok] and parks.

Tip #5. Bring Tampons

This is maybe one of the most important tips on Bangkok for female tourists. While it’s obviously something that not overly familiar with, according to female friends it’s extremely hard to find tampons. Most Asians apparently do not use tampons, and instead use pads. Note. Almost all other toiletry items can be found in Bangkok. The best places to stock up on toiletries are Boots and Watsons.

Tip #6. Weapons Like Pepper Spray Are Illegal

Frankly I think that it’s sensible for women to carry defensive weapons, like pepper spray for example. I’m afraid that if you do this you’ll be breaking the law. Owning pepper spray is punishable by 10 years in prison and a fine of THB1 million, according to the Hazardous Substance Act B.E. 2535.

The chances of you getting into trouble over this are small, but for what it’s worth if you don’t want to take the risk consider alternatives. I’d suggest a metal biro. You can inflict enough damage with one of these to make most attackers back-off. Check out one of the many YouTube videos on self defense for more details.

Tip #6. Use The Grab App For Taxi Booking

If you are going to use a regular taxi, always use the meter and do not negotiate a rate. However for convenience, ease of language barrier and a much better service, I’d strongly suggest that you use the Grab app for taxi booking. Grab is the single best way to use taxis in Bangkok for female tourists. Note. Grab is the Asian version of Uber.

Tip #7. Buy a prepaid Thai simcard

If you’re going to be in Bangkok for any length of time you’ll need to buy a prepaid Thai sim card. I’m an internet addict, so being offline is quite out of the question. Email, Line, WhatsApp, and Skype aren’t just nice to have. They’re a must have! I think for most Bangkok visitors it’s worth buying a sim card simply to have access to Google maps! Check out a video that goes through everything that you need to know about prepaid Thai simcards through the link above.

Tip #8. You can easily change currency in Bangkok

If you use credit card and debit cards to make all your purchases in Bangkok, you’re going to pay a fortune in fees. You’ll also get ripped off on the currency exchange rates.

You can convert your cash in your home country – before you arrive in Bangkok – to Thai baht but this will also lose you a lot of money! Converting currency in Bangkok will always get you more baht than in your home country. I know from bitter experience that British banks have horrible rates when you exchange GBP for THB. Even if you engage a Forex service at Bangkok Suvarnabhumi airport, which generally has far worse rates than what you can find in the city, you’ll be far better off. What I suggest is that at the airport you exchange enough money to last you for a day or two, and then exchange the remainder of your money at a currency exchange chain or an independent money changer in the city. Check out a video that goes through everything that you need to know about the best money exchange rates in Bangkok through the link above.

Tip #9. Social Dating Apps

Tinder, Skout, Badoo and MoreMate are a great way to meet with locals and expats in Bangkok. It goes without saying that you should use the same precautions as you would back home.

Tip #10. Obvious Scams

If an overly happy smiley local approaches you and wants to introduce you to a specific store or restaurant, don’t go! It’s almost certainly a scam.

There are a couple more videos that I have done which you might find of help. Check out Is Bangkok Safe? and What to bring to Bangkok? I suggest a pretty empty suitcase!. Links to both videos can be found through the ‘i-icon’ above.

Anyway…that’s it for this video. I hope that helps give you actionable advice on Bangkok for female tourists. [And especially solo female travelers to Bangkok]. Expect a new video next week.

For all you techies out there, this video was shot on a Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus, and edited using HitFilm Express.

Finally, please don’t forget to subscribe to this channel through the button below! Also, I’d like to hear from you if you have any questions regarding Bangkok For Female Tourists. Or maybe you have some tips that I missed. Please do reach out to me through the comments section of this video!

Thank you very much for watching. I’ll see you next week. Goodbye.