I am terrified of snakes, can I go to Thailand?

I have been to Thailand 11 times for an average of 3 weeks and have only seen a snake there 2 times. A green one in a tree and a brown viper trying to eat a frog.
The chance that you will encounter one during a few weeks of backpacking does not seem great to me.

Esther, I have traveled in Thailand and neighboring countries for 30 years and lived there for 16 years. Near our house in the Isaan, with rice fields as neighbors, I have seen many snakes including cobras and have lost pets. The chance that you see a snake in Thailand is many times greater than in the Netherlands.

If you see a snake, stay away from it and follow the advice of local people. Keep your distance. If you go into nature, don't walk in front and don't step on branches, because if you disturb a snake, it will 'bite'. But a snake will avoid contact and it senses the vibrations before you arrive at you.

I've never been bitten in those 30 years so it shouldn't happen to you either. Stay calm. Come and have a nice holiday. Mosquitos and traffic are many times more dangerous.

If you go for a walk in the bush, always take a 1,5 meter long branch or stick with you. Tap the bushes on the path in front of you left and right.

So let us know you're coming. I have seen a snake in Thailand three times. One I accidentally swam over two black and white checkered sea snakes. They swam behind a boulder, which I swam over. So they were four feet below me. I was scared to death. But they did nothing.

Other times it was in Pai. The snake was lying on the road, but when it heard my scooter, it took off very quickly and dived into a fast-flowing stream. Another time was in Railey beach. A small black snake snaked its way from right to left across our dirt track. Nothing wrong, but stop for a while because otherwise we would have stepped on him.

As long as you follow my first tip carefully, you will usually get away with it in one piece. So the chance that you will be bitten is very small. But if it did happen. Above all, stay very calm. Anti-substances are available in Thailand. Bandage the area with a cloth or similar. Not even very tight. Walk to the nearest aid station. Anywhere they have a phone to call the right clinic. Try to remember the type of snake or take a picture (if you're not dead yet ha ha, just kidding).

If you get nervous and your blood flows quickly, the poison will work faster. So rest, rest, and more rest.

So remember. Let the snake know you're coming. Then you give them the opportunity to get away. Because they don't want confrontation either.

Finally. Not all of them are poisonous. Don't just beat up a snake. Because usually you will regret that when you find out that the snake turns out to be of a harmless type. And you may wonder whether killing a venomous snake is really ethical.

Dear Esther,

Almost everyone is afraid of snakes. We call that opidiophobia, also known as herpetophobia. You also have arachnophobia, fear of spiders.
Phobias can be cured. There are therapies for this in the Netherlands. Look on google at fear of snakes (overcome). You can learn more about those therapies there. Often it is enough to read a lot about it.
If it works, your panic fear is gone, but you remain careful and that is very wise.
It will make your trip much more enjoyable.

Have a nice trip,

Dr. Maarten

Dear Esther,
You can read a lot of useful tips and information in previous comments. Maybe you can also use this to prepare for a wonderful trip through the "beautiful safe Thailand". 
After years of living and traveling throughout Thailand, I have never been bitten/attacked by humans or animals.
Almost every month I have an encounter with a snake, but they are more afraid of us than we are of them (but I am always quick to go the other way haha). .
So don't worry too much about those critters and don't let them stop you from beautiful jungle trekking or snorkelling trips in Thailand!
Most accidents / deaths happen in traffic. If you come to Thailand for the 1st time, be careful when renting a moped or the like, because Thai people don't take traffic rules very seriously (driving in the wrong direction, using no lights, at night, etc).
Traffic is smooth (no traffic jams) and takes some getting used to if you have never driven “left” before.

Also some info about animals that you can encounter when backpacking depending on location.
1. The box jellyfish
Not the shark, but this innocent-looking jellyfish is the most dangerous animal floating in the southern Thai sea. The box jellyfish is very poisonous. But don't worry: the chance that you will encounter one is minimal.

2. The snake
Since it's extremely difficult to tell non-venomous and venomous snakes apart, it's best to avoid them all. In case of a bite, go to hospital immediately and preferably take a picture of the snake, if possible.
Habitat: everywhere in Thailand, especially in tall grasses and dark hollows.

3. The elephant
An encounter with a wild elephant is a disturbance in their natural environment, and they can react very dangerously. Keep your distance and follow the instructions of the park rangers who are usually nearby.

4. The Centipede and Centipede
You don't want to encounter these 'friends' in Thailand. A centipede or centipede bite is much more painful than a snake bite. The pain lasts for days One consolation: fortunately the poison is not fatal…
Habitat: throughout Thailand, mainly on the ground under leaves, but also on walls and in caves.

5. The Tiger
Beautiful, but deadly.
Chance of encounter: 0,0001%
Living environment: deep in the Thai jungle

6. The monkey
You better leave those cute monkeys in Thailand alone. They are not as cute as they may seem. In Thailand you mainly encounter the macaque, a small, gray monkey that likes to terrorize temples and busy beaches. These monkeys are masters of emptying your bag So leave the monkeys alone: ​​don't feed them, don't pet them.

7. The crocodile
You hardly encounter them in the wild anymore; it is estimated that 200 to 400 still live in Thailand.

8. The Scorpion
Thailand is the breeding ground of many scorpions, but rest assured; you are more likely to come across a fried copy than one on the road or in your hotel room.
In general, the smaller the scorpion, the more painful the bite. It usually takes about 24 hours for the poison to wear off. Painful? Yes. Deadly? No.

9. The mosquito
At first glance, mosquitoes are not exactly terrifying. Rather annoying. But rest assured; the chances are very small that you will catch something. Malaria is a rarity in Thailand, but dengue fever still occurs near the border of Cambodia and Myanmar.

10. The Spider
Fortunately, there is also good news for you: Spiders in Thailand are not dangerous. By the way, you won't find spiders at tourist spots; they prefer to live in the jungle in an underground hole.

Don't worry about your trip for encounters with a critter, because the chance is very small over a travel period of several weeks. 
Depending on your backpacker location, you provide mosquito spray, mosquito net, sun protection, etc.

Enjoy your trip!

I have been living permanently in Isan for 4,5 years now, close to the border with Laos. With me, the counter of snakes, only on the piece of about 2,5 rai where I live, is already above 10. Innocent rat snakes, but also spitting Cobra, redneck and other venomous snakes.
Only one survived.
Of course, as a tourist, the chance of seeing a snake is extremely small, but if you live in rural Isan, for example, a week rarely goes by without seeing one. Often killed copies on the road.

Hi Esther, I have lived in omkoi for more than 20 years and I have seen a lot of snakes from poisonous to non-poisonous and everything in between. Sometimes sjon houser sleeps at our resort and I sometimes go with him in our car into the mountains and he often sees a snake. Just assume that there are snakes everywhere, only you don't see them, but often they do see you. Don't be afraid but be careful it's better. And in the evening when you go somewhere and you walk, take a small LED flashlight with you because sometimes the light goes out and it can be really dark. Have a nice holiday.

You should just leave snakes alone, they stay calm if you stay that way too.
In our garden (little) in Chiang Mai we sometimes have a snake(little}, don't react and he/she disappears by itself.
I lived in France for years and there too I sometimes had a snake, a big one in my garden, don't react and nothing happens.
In Australia where I lived in the tropics for years, I often encountered a large and dangerous one, but never bitten until now.
So sometimes you find snakes everywhere, don't touch them because it's not a dog, they really have no interest in you or you have to scare them, then it will be a different story.
Come to Thailand and enjoy your vacation.
Have Fun in Thailand Esther