Big Trouble in Thailand

There is so much stuff out there on the internet and in the media about tourists who get themselves into some sort of trouble in Thailand, but it doesn't seem to matter how many stories that come out of here, tourists just continue to keep getting themselves into trouble.
In most situations, the trouble that tourists get themselves into, can often be avoided with just common sense and by not behaving like a complete idiot.
There is certainly no shortage of tourists (mostly men) who seem to think that once they enter Thailand, they can behave however they like and everything will be just fine. Most of the time, tourists who misbehave can get away with it, but the ones that cross the line, often find themselves in big trouble.

It's a really good idea to always be on your best behavior whilst holidaying in Thailand, as the local Thai people and the police are always looking for a reason to get a tourist into trouble. Many Thai's (not all)  seem to think that tourists are an easy target to exploit for money and this way of thinking is pretty much true, tourists are an easy target and the Thai's that do the exploiting will continue to do so, as it's  fast and easy money for them and there are pretty much no repercussions.

If you were to go to the main touristy areas of Thailand, such as Bangkok, Pattaya, Phuket, Samui and Koh Phangan, you will no doubt see tourists behaving badly. Usually the tourists that behave badly, are very drunk, loud and obnoxious and although some of these people behave this way in their own country with no problems, behaving this way in Thailand could get you into serious trouble. Most of the time, the locals will put up with this behavior, as they see it everyday and know that there are cultural differences, but if you annoy the wrong person and don't know when to stop, you could find yourself badly beaten up.

It seems unbelievable, but there are many tourists who come to Thailand with the intentions of taking drugs. This is possibly one of the most stupid things you can do in Thailand, as the penalties for getting caught, are extreme and harsh. There are no lenient sentences for drugs and foreigners are certainly not immune. There are however, ways to get out of being sentenced to jail for just about any crime and this involves paying the authorities whatever price they ask for. If you have plenty of money, you have a good chance of not going to jail, but if you don't have any or stupidly refuse to pay up, then you will more than likely get the full sentence.

There are Full Moon Parties which are held monthly that are rife with drugs and most tourists feel that because thousands of others are also doing drugs at the same time, they are safe from getting caught. This is mostly true, as the chances of you being singled out are much smaller in large crowds, but it only takes once snitch and your a goner. Tourists get done for drugs at every Full Moon Party and there might only be a handful of them that are unlucky enough to get caught, but there are always some and you need to ask yourself is it worth the risk?

Some tourists try and get into selling drugs to extend their holidays, as they have run out of money and don't want to leave. This would be the dumbest thing you could possibly do in Thailand, as the penalties for getting caught selling drugs as a foreigner can be life, or the death penalty.
Don't ever think that just because you know some local people, you will be fine from getting caught, as sometime, somewhere, you will get snitched or scammed. Remember, if you are a foreigner, you will always be a target for getting rorted and this even applies if you are a resident expat.

Many male tourists come to Thailand with an attitude and have a tendency to look down on Thai people like they are above them and it's this kind of attitude which doesn't help with aggression towards tourists. Fights in the main nightlife districts regularly break out and there is often foreigners (or a lone foreigner) against a heap of Thai men.
It should be noted that fighting a Thai man is a situation that you do not want to find yourself in, as it is a no win situation in any circumstances. You might be a tough guy and a big man who can take out 5 guys, but if you try this in Thailand on a Thai man, you could end up badly beaten or even dead.
If you were stupid enough to start a fight, or just had no idea about how things are in Thailand, you will find out that fighting a Thai man is not a 1 on 1 fight and every available Thai man will just magically appear from nowhere to help out - no matter what the circumstances and they wont be helping you out.
It doesn't stop there either, as life in Thailand is cheap and even cheaper for a foreigner and weapons can and will be used. Even if you are in the middle of a busy tourist street such as Bangla Road or Walking Street, you are not safe from weapons being used on you if you start a fight.
The typical weapons that are sometimes used in fights, are glasses, bottles, knives, chairs and even guns!
If you and some of your friends were to somehow win a fight against a group of Thai men, another fight will later take place, as they will seek to get revenge on you and they will get their revenge, as they don't want to lose face, or be seen as losing in any way to a foreigner.
The best thing to do is, to just walk away from a fight or do anything to resolve it in the first place.
When a fight breaks out between a tourist and a Thai man, it is more often than not, the tourists fault for behaving badly, so just remember, to be on your best behavior whilst in Thailand.
It is highly unlikely for a Thai man to just start a fight with you for the sake of beating you up, there is usually an unpaid bill, a scam involved, or the tourist behaving like a complete idiot.

You can be on your best behavior whilst on holidays in Thailand and still get into trouble and when this happens, it is usually the result of being scammed or mugged. There are many scams that frequently happen in Thailand on a daily basis and as long as there are always unsuspecting tourists, these scams will just keep on happening. Unfortunately, the authorities don't care much for any of the known scams and they just continue to let them happen, as they actually make money from joining in on the scams. The corruption is rife and it runs from the top, right down to the very bottom.
Reporting a matter to the police can get you into trouble and they could either tell you to go away, or you could get jailed for false claims. Remember, if you are reporting an incident that involves you as a foreigner and a Thai person, then you are playing with fire. The whole situation could turn on you and it could end up costing you a heap of money or jail time.
Always remember that racism is rife in Thailand and the police are no exception, they will side with a fellow Thai under almost any circumstances.

If you are unfortunate enough to be involved in a scam, try and calmly negotiate your way out of it, or if you can't, then try and talk the scamming price down. Don't ever get aggressive and threaten the scammers with violence, as you will get hurt and after you get hurt, you will still have to pay up with whatever scam they are pushing, plus pay the costly hospital bill.

There is a real life documentary series that shows tourists who get into trouble in Thailand and it is appropriately named - Big Trouble in Thailand.
Below are links to some of the episodes from this series. Some of the episodes are quite confronting and distressing, but it's all real and it highlights the danger that you could potentially get yourself into if you are not careful.

Big Trouble in Thailand (Jet Ski Scam)

Big Trouble in Thailand (Drugs & Full Moon Party)

Big Trouble in Thailand (Prison Hell)

The best advice to stay out of trouble in Thailand is, to always be on your best behavior, show the locals respect and read up about all the scams that frequently happen, to minimize your chances of being caught up in one.