Safety in Thailand: what overland travellers should know
Our summary of the country advice published by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Viaggiare Sicuri) on 3 September 2026.
Safety
- Deep south emergency — A state of emergency has been in force since 2005 in the southern provinces of Yala, Narathiwat and Pattani and in the Chana, Na Thawi, Thepha and Saba Yoy districts of Songkhla, where separatist terrorist groups operate. Travel there is advised against: attacks are still frequent against the security forces and the resident Buddhist community, and sometimes hit public targets such as trains and shopping centres.
- Borders and mines — Maximum caution is advised in the Golden Triangle area with Laos and Myanmar, especially close to the borders. Avoid the areas nearest the Burmese border, in particular the provinces of Mae Hong Son and Tak. Avoid also the areas closest to the Cambodian border in the east, including the disputed zone around the Preah Vihear temple in Sisaket province, where unexploded mines are reported.
- Rains and floods — During the rainy season, roughly mid-May to mid-October, flooding and landslides can cause serious disruption, and flood-prone areas are best avoided during and after the rains. Check the Thai meteorological department's warnings before leaving and while you are there. Pay attention to any alert issued after an earthquake in the seismic areas, or a tsunami warning for the Andaman Sea coast in the south.
- Terrorism — Thailand has been hit by terrorist attacks several times in recent years, with explosions in Bangkok and in tourist places such as Hua Hin, Surat Thani, Phuket in the Patong area and Phang-nga. Small devices were found and some detonated in several parts of Bangkok on 2 August 2019. The authorities keep a high level of vigilance at sites considered sensitive.
- Drugged drinks and theft — Avoid venues of doubtful reputation, where drugs can be slipped into drinks and a theft follows. Watch for bag snatching in central Bangkok, particularly in the evening, when traffic lets thieves escape on a motorbike, and mostly in the areas foreigners frequent. Card cloning is common, shopping centres included, so keep an eye on your cards and hold on to receipts.
- Fake job offers — Treat digital-sector and call-centre job offers for northern Thailand near the Myanmar border with great suspicion, however serious they look. These have led to forced transfers and kidnappings, to make the victims work in the online scam centres operating in Myanmar along the Thai border.
Before you rely on this
This is our summary of advice written by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs for Italian travellers, published on 3 September 2026. We summarise in good faith, but we cannot guarantee it is accurate, current or complete, and we take no responsibility for decisions made on the basis of it. Rules change without notice and are applied by officials at the border, not by websites. Always read the original source and the travel advice your own government publishes for Thailand before you travel. GuideMeet has no way of checking whether an individual guide meets any standard mentioned here — ask them directly.
Source: Viaggiare Sicuri — Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, updated 3 September 2026. Last checked by GuideMeet on 2026-09-20.