3 Classic Tourist Traps and How to Skip Them
- "The Grand Palace / Wat Pho is Closed Today for a Royal Ceremony": Friendly strangers near royal temples wearing lanyards will claim the site is closed until afternoon and hail a ฿40 tuk-tuk to "Lucky Buddha" temples and high-pressure gem/tailor shops. Walk straight to the official entrance gate.
- Never Leave Your Physical Passport as a Motorbike or Jet-Ski Deposit: Leave a photocopy of your passport and a cash deposit (฿2,000–฿3,000) instead, and take a 60-second video of every existing scratch on the scooter before riding off. Note that riding a scooter legally requires an International Driving Permit (IDP) with a full motorcycle endorsement.
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1155(Tourist Police): Thailand's dedicated Tourist Police hotline (1155) and the Thailand Tourist Police smartphone app provide 24/7 English, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and European-language assistance nationwide.