DIRECTORY A-ZWOMEN TRAVELLERSdressing like a bar girl and
you can wear spaghetti strap
tops and navel-bearing shirts
(if only they were still trendy)
without off ending Thais’
modesty streak. But to be
on the safe side, cover up if
you’re going deep into rural
communities. And certainly
cover up if visiting temples.
Attacks and rapes are not
common in Thailand, but
incidents do occur, especially
when an attacker observes
a vulnerable target: a drunk
or solo woman. If you return
home from a bar alone, be
sure to have your wits about
you. Avoid accepting rides
from strangers late at night
or travelling around in iso-
lated areas by yourself –
common sense stuff that
might escape your notice in
a new environment fi lled with
hospitable people.
While Bangkok might be a
men’s paradise to some, for-
eign women are fi nding their
own Romeos on the Thai
beaches. As more couples
emerge, more Thai men willmake themselves available.
Women who aren’t interested
in such romantic encounters
should not presume that Thai
men have merely platonic
motives. Frivolous fl irting
could unintentionally cause a
Thai man to feel a loss of face
if attention is then diverted
to another person and, in
some cases where alcohol is
involved, the spurned man
may become unpleasant or
even violent.