Wednesday, November 03, 2010

All "Thai"d Up

Thailand is known as the Land of Smiles. And with its massive tourist attractions, it is always best to enjoy the country scot-free. So here are some Thai laws that travelers need to know in order for us to fully enjoy the Thai experience sans the legal hassles. Remember, ignorance of the law excuses no one, even the tourists.

1. Do not step on any of the Thai currency. Thais love their King. All the bills and coins in Thailand have a picture of the King printed on them. As the King is highly revered, stepping on his likeness can not only get you landed in jail, but can also lead to a serious beating.

2. Do not leave your house in Thailand if you’re not wearing any underwear. If you're travelling to Thailand, make sure you pack enough underwear to last you for the entire trip. It is illegal to leave your house without wearing underwear in Thailand and, although I am not quite sure exactly how this law is enforced, I wouldn't want to take any chances.

3. Do not drive a car in Thailand if you’re not wearing a shirt. Don’t let the tropical weather tempt you to joy ride with your shirt off in Thailand. Police can will hand out tickets if they spot you topless while driving a car or motorcycle. Penalty is a mere slap on the wrist (or sun-burned shoulders). Tickets go for a few hundred baht or about $10.

4. Do not throw used chewing gum onto the sidewalk in Thailand. This law is more for vanity and is similar to the Bubblegum Law of Singapore. You will be fined $600 if you’re caught and if you don’t pay, you’ll be thrown in jail.

5. Prostitution is illegal but tolerated and partly regulated. Prostitution is practiced openly throughout the country but you should be very wary of Thailand’s prostitution laws. The "Entertainment Places Act of 1966" is one of the modern laws regulating massage parlors, go-go bars, karaoke bars, bathhouses and similar establishments. The law does not expressly permit prostitution, but allows for "service providers" and "bath service providers". For example, there are massage parlors where men come and look at women, who are sitting separated by a glass wall, and may choose whom they want. The women go to a room where they bathe and massage the customers, but in reality may do much more than that.

The Prostitution Law is the central legal framework prohibiting prostitution. The law defines prostitution as any act done to gratify the sexual desire of another in exchange for money or any other benefit, but only if it is done “in a promiscuous manner”. The Prostitution Law does not define what exactly a “promiscuous manner” constitutes, and the act of prostitution by itself is not outlawed anymore, while solicitation is. The crime of solicitation is vaguely defined. A person soliciting the services of a prostitute is liable under the Prostitution Law if the solicitation is done “openly and shamelessly or causes a nuisance to the public”, the penalty being a fine of up to 1,000 baht.

Lastly, deliberate transgressions from local customs, such as showing the soles of your feet or touching the top of a person's head, are likely to cause grave offence. You should take care not to offend. If in doubt, seek local advice. I should mention that these laws may or may no longer be in force at this time but the fact that they were laws scattered over the net makes them worth sharing. Again, it pays to be cautious.

One last thing, Foreigners are required to carry identification at all times. So be smart and enjoy your travels.

34 comments:

  1. Ganda talaga sa thailand... nice shot par..

    ReplyDelete
  2. dun din ako na shock date sa prostitution is illegal but tolerated! :D D ko alam ang karamihan sa nabagnggit mu,yung alam ko lng kse yung temple rules. hihi Thnx for sharing!

    P.S.Asteeg pala yung title, napaka-creative! :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Terrific post, really great and important information and a gorgeous shot! Always a pleasure to visit your blog, my friend! Hope your week is going well!

    Sylvia

    ReplyDelete
  4. An informative post. The underwear rule is a little strange. And how do they ensure compliance nga kaya?

    ReplyDelete
  5. I am determined to find out how they enforce that bit about wearing underwear. I shall blog about it as soon as I find the answer.

    ReplyDelete
  6. isa sa mga mailapa na lugar sakin dahil mahirap maghanap ng promo tickets. hahaha. I have reservations before, di ako kumbinsido, but now, I am open to the idea of touring BKK next year. hopefully.

    ReplyDelete
  7. i think #2 can be checked when you're arrested for solicitation or prostitution. (LOL) what if a driver is apprehended for a traffic violation and the police suspects he or she is not wearing any underwear...can the cop frisk the driver?:p

    another question---do they arrest women in Thailand for solicitation?:p

    i enjoyed my visit to Thailand...sana maulit!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Nice information about their law. I do enjoyed my visit to Bangkok few years back but now I dont think I will visit it till their political situation stablised.

    ReplyDelete
  9. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  10. tama! walang masama if we will just be cautious... salamat sa info ah! hehehehhehhe

    ReplyDelete
  11. 1. i noticed thais dont fold their money too. kasi nga may mukha ni king.. grabe!!!

    gambling - prohibited
    prostitution - regulated
    ..very interesting!

    ReplyDelete
  12. natawa naman ako sa #2 haha. oo nga grabe yung pag worship nila sa king. kasi nung nagpunta kami, may dumaan na king tapos required ang lahat na mag bow. kahit nasa loob ng sasakyan.

    ReplyDelete
  13. LOL @ Law #2. And with Law #3, if you'd be wearing any shirt, it should neither be yellow nor red.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Do not leave your house in Thailand if you’re not wearing any underwear.>>> hahaha... i should take risk.

    ReplyDelete
  15. How are they going to inforce the wearing of underwear? : D

    I know they revered their royalty but making it illegal to step on a likeness (intentionally or not) is like putting it to the next level. He might as well sits besides Buddha, Jesus and Mohammed.

    Thanks for sharing these info.

    ReplyDelete
  16. ngayon ko lang nalaman toh, meganun pala.

    wala namang mawawala kung susundin ang mga batas nila, lalo na nagbabakasyon lang tayo sa kanuilang lugar...

    teka kailangan kong mapagsabihan ang kaibigan ko.. papasyal kasi yun dyan sa thai.

    ReplyDelete
  17. I knew that trip in Thailand has customs and laws to follow visitors. They also do not allow sleeveless shirt for female or wearing pants when visiting their famous temples. Female visitors must worn a long dress upon entering to cover the skin and look a bit formal with a skirt.

    ReplyDelete
  18. i'm curious about the underwear law and how many times has it been enforced.

    i do think that it's the visitors job to learn about the rules and regulations of the country they are visiting and that they have to adapt to the way of living and not the other way around.

    ReplyDelete
  19. I am just curious on how do they know if you are wearing underwear or not. Well. maybe if youb are wearing a skirt and you pass by a mirrored floor. Wait the minute, it is just my imagination working haha.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Regulated prostitution? It is a big industry there. I was even told that there is a woman there who can cut a banana using her "you-know-what" and she can also do ping-pong with her "you-know-what" too. Interesting.

    ReplyDelete
  21. Hi Lawstude! Always learning... Had been several times to Thailand, but needed to come here to know about that underwear rule... ;))

    After four posts, Blogtrotter Two is leaving Algiers 2009 and missing your comments... ;-( Enjoy and have a great weekend!

    ReplyDelete
  22. Panalo to, buti na lang I always wear underwear lol. So yung mga monks nila naka briefs dapat di ba?

    ReplyDelete
  23. Ano kaya yung you-know-what ni d fat man? i can only guess.

    ReplyDelete
  24. very interesting laws ! especially the underwear requirement :) The bubble gum might be over the top but I guess it has its merits too, preventing people from littering the sticky stuff all over the place.

    ReplyDelete
  25. great! my parents are leaving for thailand soon. i must tell them to wear undies all the time. :D

    ReplyDelete
  26. OMG. I committed #2! BKK was the end of my trip that started in Saigon all the way to Angkor Wat. By the time I got to Wat Arun, I had no clean undies. Good thing the police didn't check. :)

    ReplyDelete
  27. this post fits your blog perfectly. law, travel and photos indeed. keep it up sir.

    ReplyDelete
  28. Bigla kong naalala yung sinabi sa EAT, PRAY, LOVE movie - first rule in India - never touch anything but yourself.

    Nice post. Thanks for sharing. :)

    ReplyDelete
  29. didn't know about the underwear law - I wonder if all the Western farangs are aware (many of them don't wear undies when the weather is hot).

    ReplyDelete
  30. My Geography/History lesson all in one go, thanks loved this post!
    Sandi

    ReplyDelete
  31. dami din palang bawal sa thailand. natawa ako sa #2 kasi di naman usually nachi-check if someone is wearing an underwear or not. hehe. informative post kuya oman. i liked this post kasi napagsama mo yung knowledge mo sa laws at ang biyahe mo :D

    ReplyDelete
  32. nice write-up! ang alam ko lang bawal ang the King and I. :)

    I visited bangkok recently and it breaks my heart to see those buildings burned down (by the red shirts).

    ReplyDelete
  33. thanks for sharing! I've been to Thailand once pero babalik ako next year. medyo kakaaliw yung ibang rules pero syempre kelangan sumunod.

    ReplyDelete
  34. Thank you very much for sharing these information regard Thailand.

    ReplyDelete