first time - a little nervous

Well I%26#39;m not nervous but two of my travel companions are a little leary about travel to Bangkok. This would be our first time to SE Asia. Have considered Singapore as alternative. Is there anything of MAJOR concern we should be worried about (ie: crime, food safety...). I really, really want to see Bangkok and perhaps Siem Reap and the temples and sites. A new culture, have been all over Europe. Time for something new!

THANKS

Rob

first time - a little nervous

Thailand is completely user friendly with 0ne million visitors each month.

If you need a ';major concern';, then don%26#39;t drink or brush your teeth with tap water. (although chances of getting sick if you did are minimal).

Singapore is even easier, but it%26#39;s no where near as interesting.

first time - a little nervous

Hi Rob;

Greetings to the Midwest from a fellow Midwesterner.

There is absolutely no worry. I have traveled quite a bit in SE Asia (see my map for all the places if you are curious). All of them have been VERY SAFE! :)

Bangkok is extremely safe and there are absolutely no worries there.

In terms of food safety, it depends on how strong your stomach is. If you are a typical American like I, then your stomach is not so strong. If this is true ----- THEN: Eating at restaurants (especially those catering to tourists) are definitely fine. Unless you have a strong stomach, I would avoid street stalls - unless you are very confident that things like meat has been chilled until cooking time, and that the stuff is freshly cooked (e.g., has not been sitting around cooked for a while).

If you go to a place where there are night stalls, a good strategy is to go early in the evening when they are just starting - things are very fresh then. :)

Don%26#39;t miss out on such good food - but exercise caution as a stomach problem can really dampen your trip.

Definitely go to Cambodia - - I recommend both Siem Reap and Phnom Penh - PP is one of my most fav places.

BTW, here is a great online travel guide for Cambodia.

http://www.canbypublications.com/

Having been an expat living in Bangkok for more than ten years, I would comment that Bangkok is certainly less of a worry regarding crime safety than any large American city. Even late at night and walking around, I have never felt like I was in a scary ';bad neighbourhood'; where I felt like my safety might be in question. Sure, there is reportedly some petty pickpocketing but I have never experienced it, and I am sure you would find that in any major city.

I%26#39;ve never had a big problem with bad food either. Tourist oriented restaurants are certainly no problem. Even food stalls have been OK for me, and at least you know that your food is cooked fresh there. Food stalls are subject to government sanitation inspections for what it%26#39;s worth, although who knows how complete or thorough these inspections are.

You should have no hesitation in visiting Bangkok, particularly since you say you really want to visit it. Singapore is OK, and it%26#39;s great for business trips since it%26#39;s so efficient and easy, but it by no means offers the cultural experience that Bangkok does.

Just be careful crossing the street in Bangkok and you%26#39;ll be fine. :-)

I was in Singapore and Thailand last month. Singapore is much more expensive than Bangkok. It%26#39;s also very westernized. Singapore made me feel like I was home.

IMO, there is no comparison: BANGKOK absolutely!

In Bangkok, your concerns will be:

* comfortable shoes/sandals

* a pair of loose cargo shorts or trousers

* a good memory card for your camera

* hat %26amp; sunglasses

* body powder to keep dry

* bottled water or canned drinks; no tap water

(includes brushing teeth)

* bag of potatoe chips each day for the salt

* the food is excellent, safe, and plentiful

* basic street smarts, just like in Europe

* running short of time; there%26#39;s so much to see and do

* air-conditioned buildings will remind you that %26#39;There is a God%26#39;

We got back a few weeks ago from our first trip to SE Asia.

Bangkok is amazing and we had such a great time there, don%26#39;t miss it.

I found Bangkok friendly and safe, not once did I feel threatened or hassled in any way.It%26#39;s probably the friendliest capital city I%26#39;ve been too, in the the sense that people smile at you and we felt welcome wherever we went.

Just watch out when you cross the road!

We all kept healthy and all we did was avoid tap water and any kind of salad. It%26#39;s a shame because the salads look great, but they have probably been washed in tap water.

You mentioned about salads, does that apply to 5 star hotels and good restaurants.

Thanks

Salads should be fine in any nice restaurants.

Bangkok is an amazing city. Just use common sense and you will have a fantastic time =-)

Well, salad might be ok in good restaurants and 5 star hotels....it depends whether it%26#39;s been washed with tap water or not. I just didn%26#39;t want to risk it.

Maybe I was playing it too safe, but being ill on holiday is horrible! The fact is, neither myself, my husband nor my 3 kids were ill and that%26#39;s all we avoided, salads and water.

Bangkok is a safe city compared to Chicago where I live.

I am serious.

Drink alot of water (bottled) and if you have light skin keep your head covered during the day. The subway and sky train are safe. Wish I could say the same of Chicago.

BKK will be like a visit to Heaven; enjoy it.

One tip for the hot weather - to keep hydrated drink 7-Up or Sprite with salt in it. Actually tastes quite good and your body will need the sugar and salt.