Want to start traveling the world but don’t have anyone to do it with? Traveling by yourself can be so fulfilling, but it can also be intimidating – especially for female travelers. Learn about my adventure as a female solo traveler through the Land of Smiles with Under30Experiences!
Overall, Thailand is very safe for solo travelers, young females or otherwise. This article provides a few tips to keep you feeling safe and grounded, benefits to traveling with a group, and a few perks specific to traveling solo in Thailand.
Is It Safe to Travel as a Solo Female?
As a female solo traveler, it is important to think about situations on your trip that could go awry and plan out solutions ahead of time. Before leaving for Thailand, I practically memorized the trip itinerary. I put all of the important contact information and hotel addresses into my phone. I shared my location with my family before leaving the country and packed all the safety essentials - power banks, hand sanitizer, safety alarms. I was fully prepared to go out of the country to a place where I didn’t speak the language, all by myself. And luckily, I did all that physical and mental preparation and never had to use a bit of it.
Read More: 12 Must-Have Travel Safety Items for Every Solo Traveler.
Our guide, M, was absolutely phenomenal at making sure we knew where to go, when to go, and how to get there. M knew so many locals as we made our way through Thailand. The morning we got to Chiang Mai, we went from the airport straight to brunch. Our guide knew the restaurant owners, and they were so happy to host us. She went down the line and helped translate our orders, including the desired spice level. And at the end of our meal, our hosts took pictures with all of us to share to their social media.
Not only were the locals happy to share their culture with us, but our guide went above and beyond to help us understand and connect with them. She helped us communicate with locals, guided us through markets, and encouraged us to be bold and experience her country.
Many evenings on our trip, small groups of us would check out the nightlife in each city we visited. And most of those times, M would join us! Again, in Chiang Mai, we went to an area of taverns one night, and our guide ran into an old friend she knew through the travel industry. Her friend bought our entire group a round of drinks to kick off the night. And if that doesn’t accurately describe the hospitality of the Thai people, I don’t know what else could!
One thing that was a bit out of the ordinary for me, was remaining aware of the safe or unsafe drinking water while in Thailand. The tap water was generally not safe to drink due to bacteria, but clean bottled water was accessible in every hotel and restaurant our group attended. There wasn’t a single instance on the whole trip where I didn’t feel safe. However, like you might while traveling in any new place, use caution and be aware of your surroundings and you’ll be just dandy.
Read More: Thailand 10-day Trip Recap.
What Are the Benefits to Group Travel?
Part of this trip for me was rethinking what it means to “travel solo”. I always thought traveling solo meant traveling alone, but this trip made me realize that doesn’t have to be the case! In most instances, I think you rarely travel alone. The great part about a group trip is that you have the choice to spend time alone, or not! It is completely up to you whether you want to make new friends and hang out with the group or go out and do things by yourself.
Making new friends was an integral part of my travel experience in Thailand. Group travel was a wonderful opportunity to connect with like-minded people who have a passion for travel and new experiences. I was so lucky to become amazing friends with my assigned roommate, Rachelle. By our third night together, we were staying up until all hours of the night recapping our day and talking about life.
While we were in Railay Beach, we spent the days getting sun burnt, and the evenings appreciating Thai culture. On our last full day, Rachelle and I were thoroughly sun-fried and tired from all of the activity. We decided to break off from the rest of our group to have a girls afternoon. We ate mango sticky rice for lunch and popped into a street-side tattoo shop. We each got a tattoo in Thai representing the first syllables of our names.
Rachelle had to leave for the airport at 6:45 a.m. the following morning, but we decided we wanted to make the most of our last night together, so we went out to the taverns along the beach. We made friends with fellow travelers from all over the world and sat by the edge of a rooftop pool, merrymaking until we watched the sunrise. As two young women traveling alone, we felt completely safe going out to partake in the Thai nightlife. As the sun spread over the horizon, we ran back to our hotel and packed her bags so she could make it to the airport in time. My flight wasn’t until 10:00 p.m., so I had one more day to myself. After catching a couple of hours of sleep, I walked around the beachy shops, picking out snacks and gift items for my family. Later in the day, I met up with the rest of my group members, who also had evening flights. We coordinated getting to the airport together. And that’s the great thing about group travel - I could go shopping all alone and then have someone to travel to the airport with!
Read More: How to Extend Your Stay in Bangkok.
On this trip I learned there’s no reason to ever wait for a partner to go out and check things off your bucket list. I was fully prepared to spend weeks alone on a solo trip, but I came home with a new group of friends.
Is Thailand Safe to Travel Solo?
I think Thailand, and South East Asia in general, is an absolute hot spot for solo travel! There are lots of financial benefits for young people. At the Bangkok airport, I had a little bit of time to kill before meeting up with my group, so I ordered a giant Thai tea. After doing the conversion from baht to USD, I realized I paid less than $1.50 for what I might’ve paid more than $10 for in the United States. And this trend of affordability continued throughout the whole trip.
The Thai people were so happy to share their culture with foreigners. When our group first arrived in Chiang Mai, our hotel rooms were not quite ready. Four of us decided to explore the nearby shops while we waited and happened upon a lovely temple. The street by the temple had dozens of colorful paper lanterns hanging on clotheslines, and the temple entrance was guarded by large golden naga or dragon-like serpents. We stopped to admire the temple, and a local Thai woman approached us and asked us where we were from. We told her we were from the United States, and she asked us if she could tell us about her temple. We learned that that beautiful building had been standing for over 700 years, and we never would’ve known had this woman not been willing to share it with us! In my experience, the Thai locals were so excited to see young American travelers with a desire to learn about their culture.
One of my favorite excursions was a Thai cooking class a few of my group members took while in Chiang Mai. We started the class with our chef guide, Nook, showing us around a nearby market. The market sold everything from fresh shrimp and pig’s head to tropical fruits and jelly candies. Nook taught us about Thai spices and curry and told us about the best brands of Thai tea powder to get when we were back in America. The class itself was a blast. I made Tom Yum, or hot and sour soup, Khao Soi, a crispy noodle soup, and Pad Thai. Through Nook’s guidance, it may have been one of the best meals of the entire trip!
Read More: A Foodie’s Review of U30X Thailand!
In addition to the cooking class, Under30Experiences coordinated a Muay Thai workout class, a cabaret show, and many other activities beyond the included itinerary that led to my well-rounded experience of Thailand.
The Land of Smiles is a safe and welcoming country with so much to offer. The local Thai people are excited to share their culture, and group travel is a wholesome way to experience a solo adventure, but not alone. I 100% recommend checking out the Under30Experiences group trips to Thailand!
