Southeast Asia is a favorite destination for travelers of various budgets ages and interests
with affordable accommodations, an abundance of delectable delicacies to experience,
and new cultures to learn about
it's not surprising that millions come to the region each year
before traveling there it's a good idea to study local cultures regulations and standards
as the region is slowly reopening to international tourists
this video is a reminder of things not to do in Southeast Asia
your trip might quickly devolve into a nightmare if you do not avoid them more
about that later
we will look at how to avoid paying a fine
or doing time in jail or worst getting beat up and going to jail
give this video a THUMBS UP if you can't wait to
return to your favorite travel destination in Southeast Asia
take care not to insult the gods of the countries you're visiting
whether it's Buddha, Allah or any other supernatural being considered divine or sacred
religious beliefs can lead to conflict and this can lead to violence in some cases
do not attempt to scale religious structures or in the case of Buddhist statues
place yourself under them rather than on top of them
avoid touching climbing and pointing fingers at the statues of monks or buddha
taking pictures and selfies are fine
but don't touch or do any crazy postures
women are not allowed to touch the monks or buddha statues
women must give the monk space
women should not sit or stand right next to a monk
this rule also includes outside the temples
such as sitting on a bus or other public transportation
women should never touch or be next to monks
unless it is a life or death situation
men can touch monks and buddha statues
but if you don't have a good reason to touch them
don't do it
overall, respect the buddha statues,
monks, places of worship or any other supernatural being considered divine or sacred
Thailand, Brunei, Malaysia, and Cambodia are the four monarchies in Southeast Asia
in general, it's best not to discuss them at all
if you utter something viewed as a disparaging remark about the monarch in a nation like Thailand
you might find yourself in serious trouble under the country's harsh lese-majeste law
in Thailand, the defamation of the Thai royal family is a severe violation
when you're in one of these foreign nations,
talking about their monarchy or the government might be a bit of a drag
but it can also get you in trouble including jail time, if you're not careful
if you overstay for a few days you, may have to pay a modest fee, which isn't a huge problem
however, if you do not pay the fee or overstay for several months,
even years and are found by the authorities
you will face a higher fine, with the possibility of jail time and be barred from the country
furthermore immigration, will mark and record your passport
repeated overstaying offenses may result in your passport being stamped as an "undesirable alien"
indicating that you have breached immigration laws
some Southeast Asian nations ban them and some legalize them
nations that currently allow gambling and casinos in this region are
Singapore, Macau, the Philippines, Malaysia, and Cambodia
on the other hand, Thailand does not allow gambling and it is almost entirely prohibited
except for the government-sponsored national lottery and horse racing wagering at racetracks
there are no casinos in Thailand,
but gambling dens may be found all around the nation and internet gambling is also common
it's unlawful in both cases and anyone
caught engaging might face a fine or jail time in Thailand
we think this is good advice at any time of year and anywhere
but it's especially relevant in Southeast Asia
in Southeast Asia, drugs are terrible news
from paying large bribes,
to getting imprisoned for extended periods and possibly suffering the death sentence
although, Thailand is the first Southeast Asian nation to legalize medical cannabis
medical cannabis can be purchased from licensed
retailers and households can grow up to six plants for personal use
however, don't bring your stash with you through the airport
recreational use remains prohibited and the flowers
and seeds must be sent to state medical facilities
now there are mom and pop medical cannabis shops all over Thailand
but we advise you to get medical cannabis at the hospitals or shops that sell medical
cannabis with proper packaging and labeling from reputable companies
you don't want to drink tap water in Southeast Asia
drinking water straight from the tap is a recipe for disease
whether the water itself is dirty or the ancient pipes tainted as it travels through your tap
for the most part filter water or bottled water is not excessively expensive
using tap water to wash your mouth or shower is fine, but don't drink it without any filtration
women should dress appropriately and don't go to isolated places alone
roaming about the streets alone especially at night is not a good idea
and it's even worse in a foreign city
anything may happen to you and if it does you'll be alone and disoriented
make arrangements to travel with friends or fellow travelers or take a cab home
it's well worth the extra 100 baht
as for dressing appropriately, we understand you're on vacation
and at the beach but you must maintain your modesty
Buddhist and Muslim nations are modest and courteous when it comes to clothing
so try attempt to behave as the locals do
it's also vital to remember that if you're at a temple,
make sure you've dressed appropriately or you might be turned away
don't wear expensive gold or jewelry
leave them at home or in a safe deposit box
although, luxury watches are okay
they are harder to take off than a necklace
and many fake luxury watches can be purchased in the region
also, don't brag or show off your wealth
nobody needs to know that you make
10X or 100X more than the average local or that you own tens of cars at home
if you start show boating and bragging about your wealth,
you might end up rubbing the locals the wrong way
lending money to other tourists or someone
close to you residing in this region might be a nice gesture
when someone you know is in financial need
still it can be troublesome if your efforts to help lead to arguments
or you face financial problems as a consequence
according to a 2019 Lending Tree poll, 24%
of those who gave money to someone they knew regretted their decision
if you're contacted for a loan by a fellow traveler or someone close to you
who lives in the area
keep these do's and don'ts in mind
lending money to them might create financial troubles for you,
as well as interpersonal problems
creating limitations for loans to them can help sustain relationships
and reduce the likelihood of complications
never lend money that you cannot afford to lose
if you don't mind loaning someone $100 USD and without expecting anything in return
then go for it, otherwise don't lend any of that amount
avoid ping pong shows
just don't do it, it gave us nightmares until this day
ping pong balls should only be used in a ping pong game and should not be jammed into anything else
these shows are known for being shady a lot of the local people already know
it's possible you'll have to pay a large sum of money in order to exit the show
we know most folks come for a holiday and looking for a good time
being on guard all the time is probably the last thing on your mind
however, keep in mind if a stranger is being overly friendly and speaks very good English
be cautious
the locals are generally shy people and they rarely walk up to a stranger for no reason
most times it's okay if someone is friendly, this is how you meet new people and make new friends
some people are just naturally very friendly
hugging, cuddling, and kissing on the lips or cheeks in public
is somewhat taboo in Southeast Asia
especially French kissing
kissing kids and babies out in public is fine
same with handshakes if they offer their hand and holding hands like a couple
these are okay, but avoid French kissing in public
where you don't know the majority of the people, such as shopping malls and food courts
it's considered insulting to be pointing your fingers or feet at someone
so please avoid this at all costs
it's okay to point at animals,
objects, directions or other foreigners but avoid pointing fingers at the locals
being drunk in public in a foreign country is bad enough
being drunk in public in a foreign country,
during your first visit and alone at night is another thing
the Thai media described Pattaya's reputation
as tarnished by a terrible assault on a foreign tourist
a young Chilean national, 24 year old, was assaulted by a motorbike
taxi driver in Pattaya's infamous walking street
at 2AM in February of 2021
according to the police, the victim was covered in blood and in tears
he spoke through a translator and indicated that he had left the club at closing
and wanted to continue partying in another part of the city
after being assaulted, another motorcycle taxi driver helped
the young Chilean national and took him to the police station to file a police report
the medics were on hand at the police station before he was brought to the hospital
police went to investigate the cause of the assault and to arrest the attacker
they found blood on the scene but the attacker had fled
in CCTV, footage of the assault a motorbike taxi driver was seen sitting with the victim
then the motorbike taxi driver slapped him in the face twice
knocked him to the ground and kicked the victim in the face many times
which the Thai media called a terrible attack
the young Chilean national did not attempt to defend himself
as a result, he had a broken and bloody nose
he's lucky it was not too serious
the following day, the attacker was quickly identified and detained for the
brutal attack on the young Chilean man on walking street in Pattaya
the attacker, a 45 year old,
Thai man, said the Chilean man was intoxicated and had asked for a ride
because of the failure in communication,
the motorbike taxi driver advised him to go somewhere else
in any case, the motorbike taxi became enraged when the
young Chilean man persisted in pleading for a ride
the motorbike taxi driver was charged with assault causing bodily harm and detained in police custody
the police could raise the charges,
if the medical report finds that the Chilean man's injuries are more severe
the victim received a bouquet and a piece of fruit from Thai police as an apology from the country
other media reported that this was the Chilean man's first visit to Thailand
regarding this incident this isn't the first
or the last time an event like this has been recorded in Pattaya
which is well known for its nightlife, alcohol, and cheap sex
which often leads to heated arguments and sometimes violent clashes
besides bad things tend to happen when individuals are drunk in public
the funny and ridiculous part we found is the local police said
the incident had damaged Pattaya's overall image
THUMBS UP, if you feel the same way as we do
other things you should avoid include
don't let a jet ski
avoid the red light districts,
especially if you grew up in a small town and don't have any street smarts
don't buy rubies, emeralds, Rorex etc.,
unless it is from a reputable place and with a certificate
use common sense, you won't get in trouble if you act like a regular human being and are respectful
the issue arises when outsiders decide to go crazy because they believe they are in an exotic nation
what do you think about our list of things to avoid doing?
did we miss something important?
leave your comment below and tell us what country in Southeast Asia you would visit first
when you are allowed and able to travel
to learn more about things to avoid and how to avoid scammers
check out our other travel videos
to watch more videos about traveling to Southeast Asia and Thailand
click on the videos you see on your screen now
you