Thailand - is it safe

from_atozinc

Thinking of going to Phuket, Thailand about the 22nd March for 2 weeks. ( I know , I better start booking fast ! )

The one thing at the back of my head is Tsunamis.
Anybody know if the above time frame is Tsunami season or is there such a thing as Tsunami season or can they just happen at any time ?

And since the events of 2004, do they now have a better warning system ?

Any advice appreciated

adamski8

ha, sorry thats the first ive heard of tsunami season! no there is no such thing! you realise most of the world had never heard of tsunamis until 2004 so that will tell you how rare they are. I'd be worried about 100 different things in thailand before tsunamis!

IMightKnow

We (girls) found Phuket pretty sleezy. Don't know if your male or female but honsetly I wouldnt be worried about tsunamis as a risk to safety in Phuket.

If you are the kinda person that worries about them a lot I would advise against going to Koh Phi Phi

from_atozinc

IMightKnow wrote: »

We (girls) found Phuket pretty sleezy. Don't know if your male or female but honsetly I wouldnt be worried about tsunamis as a risk to safety in Phuket.

If you are the kinda person that worries about them a lot I would advise against going to Koh Phi Phi

It's for a heterosexual honeymoon ; ))))

Them images from 2004 are still in my head but I'm probably just being a nervous nelly

from_atozinc

adamski8 wrote: »

ha, sorry thats the first ive heard of tsunami season! no there is no such thing! you realise most of the world had never heard of tsunamis until 2004 so that will tell you how rare they are. I'd be worried about 100 different things in thailand before tsunamis!

Sound. Shows you all I know about Tsunamis ; )

Corkbah

if you want a honeymoon style destination ... goto Koh Samui ! ... you could always travel over to Koh Tao if there is a full-moon party on (check online for that) ...I have never been at a full-moon party but have been told its great fun.


if you time it right you'll have Songkran (Thai New Year) which is a water festival ...traditionally you are "blessed" by water or some flour mix - but in recent years it has turned into a couple of days of a water-fight.

highly recommended to visit Thailand for Songkran (Chiang Mai has the longest songkran but most places will celebrate for 2/3days)

killbillvol2

Phuket has a pretty effective tsunami warning system now - I was there for a major alert last April and the system worked. Patong is sleazy but there are plenty of other normal towns - it's quite a big island.

That said, there are far nicer places in Thailand to visit.

And Songkhran wears pretty thin when you're soaked every time you leave your hotel.

dutopia

Thailand is generally quite safe. Just be sensible about the usual stuff and you'll be fine.

The tsunami in 2004 was a once in a hundred years event. I wouldn't worry about that happening, but last time I was there (in 2007) they seemed to have installed warning sirens around beaches.

Phuket is one of the richest parts of Thailand by the way.

from_atozinc

Thanks so far everyone

Any opinions on Khao lak ?

BuffyBot

Tsunami's are caused by earthquakes, so they don't have seasons: the just happen.

Perhaps you were thinking of typhoons?

Gatica

hard to beat Koh Phi Phi as a honeymoon destination. It's absolute paradise. Prices are higher than on most islands but it's totally idyllic.

stargazer 68

from_atozinc wrote: »

Thanks so far everyone

Any opinions on Khao lak ?

I was in Thailand for Christmas (my 7th trip!). We were in Koh Samui - it has really changed a lot over the years. We stayed in Bophut which was lovely. Took a trip to Chaweng (where we have stayed several times) and nearly didn't recognise it with all the shops etc.

Someone we spoke to in our hotel had just been to Khao Lak for a week and then to Koh Samui and they highly recommended Khao Lak. Said it was lovely and quiet and tranquil - pretty much what Koh Samui used to be. Will be checking it out on my next trip anyway.

hairyleprechaun

Corkbah wrote: »

if you want a honeymoon style destination ... goto Koh Samui ! ... you could always travel over to Koh Tao if there is a full-moon party on (check online for that) ...I have never been at a full-moon party but have been told its great fun.

Slight correction; the full moon parties are on Koh Phangan, Haad Rin beach, and yes they are good fun!

Koh Tao is a lovely spot, great for doing a diving course or a bit of snorkelling.

You can't go wrong with Koh Phi Phi, it is beautiful, the snorkelling there was great!

I've been living in Samui for a little over 2 years now. It's certainly not a bad spot. Plenty of nice beaches and no shortage of luxury hotels & spas if that's what you are looking for on your honeymoon.

I don't think you can go wrong really, wherever you finally choose to go, it is a beautiful country with wonderful people and incredible food! Chok dee krap!

Corkbah

apologies ... thats what I meant.

Koh Tao pinnicle is great for diving...most of Thailand's Islands are great for diving

emer_b

Don't watch The Impossible before you go, or on the plane!!!

from_atozinc

emer_b wrote: »

Don't watch The Impossible before you go, or on the plane!!!

I watched it 2 weeks ago and it got me thinking

schemingbohemia

Have you got on a boat since watching Titanic? Or a submarine since Red October?

emer_b

from_atozinc wrote: »

I watched it 2 weeks ago and it got me thinking

Watched it last week, great film, so sad.
I was in Thailand and Kho Phi Phi the summer after the tsunami, the aftermath was still visible all over the island. It wouldn't stop me going back although I would probably make a conscious effort to find out what the local warning system was and how to respond.