Blessed with beautiful beaches, sacred temples and shrines, lovely markets, and lots more, Surat Thani is one of the biggest and most visited tourist locations in Thailand. As you are planning your itinerary, you may start wondering whether your safety is guaranteed in Surat Thani or not. Well, this article will provide the answer you need about how safe Surat Thani is.
Without mincing words, Surat Thani is a safe city to visit. You don’t have to be bothered about experiencing any crime as the city is often lauded as one of the safest places to stay in the Land of Smile. You can enjoy your vacations in this city without worrying too much about being shot, maimed, assaulted, or robbed, but you must also take caution.
It is worthwhile to understand that some factors make Surat Thani safe in most situations. Besides, you need to be aware of certain things if you don’t want to put yourself at risk when staying in Surat Thani. All these things will be discussed below.
Factors that make Surat Thani safe
The following are the factors that ensure Surat Thani is safe:
- Most residents are good to tourists and fellow locals
The name ‘Surat Thani’ can be roughly translated as ‘The city of good people’. Of course, this city is bearing this name for a reason. Most locals in Surat Thani are courteous and accommodating to foreigners. As a consequence of this, the majority of them are not interested in scamming or conning you. They just want you to enjoy their city for as long as you want.
Since most of the locals are great and friendly, the crime rate is low. So, you should be ready to enjoy the city without fear of dealing with any crime.
- People don’t use guns for personal reasons
Another vital reason behind the safe of Surat Thani is the fact that the authorities have banned residents from using personal guns. In other words, locals can no longer acquire new licenses or renew their existing ones for personal guns. Consequently, you can hardly see anyone that has personal guns in the city. Therefore, people can hardly commit any crime with guns. Over the past years, the gun ban has contributed significantly to the reduction in the crime rate in Surat Thani.
- Police are usually available in tourist centers
The full-moon parties of Surat Thani are some of the great reasons to visit the city. Nonetheless, the rowdiness of the party can make you be bothered about your safety as well as the safety of your belongings. But the good news is that police are often available at the venues of the full-moon parties. Therefore, you can have maximum fun without worrying about whether someone will steal your belongings or harm you.
- No mosquito problem
You have probably heard about how mosquitoes can bite you in Thailand and, as such, make you come down with malaria. Well, it is true, but Surat Thani is one of the least likely places you can see mosquitoes in Thailand. Generally, Bangkok, Surat Thani, Phuket, and other urban areas rarely have mosquitoes. So, mosquitoes shouldn’t be a problem for you in this city.
Some safety concerns you must be aware of
While the good testimony of Surat Thani precedes it, you must understand that it is not a haven where everyone’s safety is guaranteed regardless of what they do. In other words, you can still be a victim of a crime if you are not careful.
Here are the few safety challenges you can have in Surat Thani:
- Unscrupulous people may want to scam you
Like other places around the globe, some people are looking for quick money in Surat Thani. So, it should not come as a surprise to you that a few people may devise different means to scam you of your hard-earned money. According to 12Go.asia, these street criminals usually con their unsuspecting victims through selling fake ferry tickets and offering fake accommodations.
This is why it is advisable to only buy your ferry ticket from the ferry office. With this, you can be certain that you have bought the real ticket. Also, if you want accommodation, go to your preferred hotel and inquire about their services. You may also want to use Booking.com to find reliable accommodations in Surat Thani.
- Flaunting yourself can jeopardize your safety
As a tourist, your focus should be to see the various attractions in Surat Thani and immerse yourself in different fun-filled activities in the city. There is no need for you to flaunt yourself or try to take girls away from the locals. Besides, you should not try to compete with the locals or disrespect them. Flaunting yourself can annoy some low self-esteemed locals; hence, they may want to attack you. So, you need to keep a low profile and enjoy your stay in Surat Thani without any safety problems.
Similarly, there have been lots of drug spiking in some tourist destinations in the country. Also, many violent activities have been associated with drinking. So, when drinking in Surat Thani, you need to be careful.
- COVID can be an issue
Generally, the rate of coronavirus is low in Thailand. In addition, the country has some restrictions for preventing the spread of the virus. Also, the authorities in Surat Thani are working all around the clock to ensure widespread vaccination of the residents. In fact, a park was opened for people to get vaccines in August 2021.
However, since Surat Thani is a popular tourist destination in the country, you should understand that you may come across some other foreigners that may be already exposed to the virus. So, you have to be careful by observing COVID safety measures such as wearing a mask and keeping a social distance when possible.
In conclusion, Surat Thani is safe as the crime rate is low and the people are accommodating. But you still want to take note of the safety concerns explained above.
