By Abi Brown-Stark 

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If like me you’ve found yourself lucky enough to travel around South East Asia and found yourself in Thailand you’ll know how many things the country has to offer culturally and socially! Between the locals you can meet and your fellow travellers, you can unlock incredible experiences and unique memories.

As with all trips there are certain precautions you can take to make sure that your experience is memorable for the right reasons. Long story short, in both of my separate trips to Thailand I have had to make claims on my insurance, once for a head injury and once for my water damaged phone. Whilst both of these instances have been very much a “me problem” and thankfully aided through my travel insurance I have seen plenty of other people get caught out by specific laws they were not aware of, or in some cases been legal in the country they’ve just travelled from only to get caught at the airport by authorities in the next. No matter how many countries you’ve visited or how long you’ve been travelling it is important to stay up to date and not make small mistakes that could cost you greatly.

When travelling to any country it is super important to check up on the local and national laws as they can be updated since your previous visits and some things that might be legal in one place could be illegal in the next. Here are some for Thailand specifically that you may have not heard of before:

Low strength cannabis is legal within Thailand however that does not mean you are legally allowed to bring it in or out of the country on you or in your luggage. Carrying large quantities or distributing it are also criminal offences and even trace amounts remaining on belongings or in your system can be picked up at airport security in best case scenario delaying your travel plans and worst case resulting in criminal charges.

Thailand is also famous for a lot of parties like the Full Moon in Koh Pha-ngan and Bangkok’s well known strips. On numerous occasions when I have been out with friends and other backpackers from our hostel we have been offered an array of let’s call them “party pills” and other drugs. Not only is it illegal to possess even small quantities of Class A drugs (some even with the death penalty in Thailand) but in every situation similar to this it is extremely unsafe to take or drink ANYTHING that you have not seen made/opened. This is particularly common in drinks from street vendors that catch you on your way from one place to the next. Sticking with your mates and taking other precautions like drinking bottled alcohol can help make the night fun and safe!

Another thing to be mindful of is that a lot of things that seem harmless or common elsewhere are actually illegal and could result in a hefty fine. It’s illegal to smoke in public and any form of e-cigarettes like vapes are banned. Key laws like having your identity on you as well might come up in popular tourist destinations. If you don’t have it on you at that time you’ll need to have access to it within 24 hours to present to a police station. One thing I always do no matter where I’m travelling to is having copies of my passport for instances like this if you want to have some proof of identification on you, but don’t want the risk of having valuables on you when out and about.

Some other laws that not everyone knows about are in regards to having the correct license when riding on moped/bikes and also social posts online with alcohol consumption or inappropriate clothing items can be considered illegal.

If you find yourself in a situation where yourself or another British national get in trouble abroad you should reach out to the nearest British embassy or Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) for further steps on how to navigate the situation. If you’re in. Situations where you can’t do it yourself you can request it to the authorities by which you have been detained.

They can be a useful tool to use before trouble arises by utilising their travel advice services and updates that can inform you of any potential risks leading up to and during your trips. For more information on Travel Aware updates and to check your next trip click here.

It might seem sometimes when you’re hearing all of these travel horror stories that it will never happen to you and whilst we all hope that is the case, it is important to be prepared and educated on how to act if the unfortunate situation is to ever arise to ourselves or someone we know. Sometimes the reassurance also helps me make the most of my trips knowing that I too am prepared for any and all scenarios.

Travelling can be an making opportunity to learn more about the world around you and even yourself, just remember to stay safe and be mindful of the local/national laws.

For more information visit the Gov.uk travel advice page for your destination.