Asia Travel Advice For Visitors From Western Nations

For tourists and visitors from the West, here's a little bit of Asia travel advice that might come in handy. Language barrier aside, the most important thing that visitors from Europe and America need to get used to is the hugely different culture. Things that are commonplace and acceptable in London or New York may be a crime in some Asian countries.

There's no need to get all worked up about it, and neither is there any reason to not enjoy the trip. Actually, it's a selective thing that depends mostly on the destination and country being visited. As an example, let's consider two very popular Asian destinations - Dubai and Thailand. A visitor from a Western nation might be forgiven for mistakenly assuming that the laws and customs would be about the same in both nations.

Actually, they're so different that it is necessary to divide travel tips for both into two separate sections. Let's start with the Dubai travel advice, and then list the Thailand travel advice, to demonstrate how different it is. For starters, the most important thing to remember about Dubai is that they have very clear laws about alcohol and exposure and affection displays in public places.

Drinking in Dubai is a very dicey issue and one which is confined to restaurants that have a permit for serving alcohol. Buying it from a store is also possible, but the alcohol has to be kept hidden from view inside bags. Never drink and drive, because even a minuscule amount of alcohol is enough to land a tourist into jail.

The laws are equally strict about making out in public and indecent exposure. Tourists going to the beach in beachwear can easily break the law if they get too frisky, and the same applies when couples wearing skimpy attire in public places like malls get too hands-on, or start making out in a car. Remember that this is not just friendly advice, but a clear violation of the law that has gotten tourists arrested and put on trial.

As for Thailand, it is a much more progressive culture that allows visitors quite a lot of freedom to enjoy the visit and the urban pleasures of cities like Bangkok. But they do have some strict laws that can land visitors in trouble. The penalties for possession of even small amounts of drugs for personal use are harsh and can lead to lengthy jail sentences.

Another thing to remember in Thailand is never to disrespect the monarch or his likeness in any form - it is also a crime. Third, tourists are required to carry their passports or risk being arrested. It is also not a good idea to show off the soles of the feet in public or touch the back of someone's head.

Tips like these can be listed for every city and country in Asia, but that's not going to be possible here. Just remember that the laws and customs vary a lot, so the best possible Asia travel advice here is to get familiar with the cultural conditions that exist in each place. Asia in general is a lot more friendly and welcoming than most tourists expect, but it falls upon tourists to return the favor by respecting local customs and laws.


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