This following is the introduction the Tourism Authority of Thailand's "Tips for Responsible Tourists & Visitors" web page. Click on the links to go direct to the site for more information.

	WHAT NOT TO BUY OR TAKE HOME WITH YOU IVORY | HAWKSBILL TURTLE SHELL | GIANT CLAM AND TRITON TRUMPET SHELLS | SEAHORSES | TIGERS AND OTHER LARGE CATS | BUTTERFLIES AND BEETLES | BATS | SHATOOSH | SEROW OIL
	LEATHER PRODUCTS Crocodile skin, Snake skin, Monitor Lizard skin
	WILD MEAT TONIC FOODS AND MEDICINAL PRODUCTS
	SHOWS, ATTRACTIONS AND THE USE OF BABY ANIMALS
	MAKING MERIT AND THE RELEASE OF ANIMALS

Thailand, and especially Bangkok, is a shopper’s paradise. An outstanding variety of products, appealing to a huge diversity of tastes (and budgets) are available. Visitors are truly spoiled for choice.

However, amongst the vast array of things you could buy in Thailand, you are also likely to come across products made from parts of wild animals or plants. Most of these (such as crocodile skin bags and belts) will have been legally produced in an appropriate way. However, you are also likely to find some products, such as ivory carvings, the origins of which is questionable.

Visitors need to be mindful of the fact that not everything offered for sale on the streets and in the shops in the city and in well-known tourist destinations is done so legally, as is the case throughout the world. What is illegal can be so commonplace, it appears to be normal and accepted.

There are also items that can be sold legally within the country, but cannot be legally taken out of the country. Ultimately, it is the responsibility of each individual to know what is right and what is wrong according to the law, and to act accordingly.

As a visitor in an unfamiliar setting, this is obviously very confusing, so here are some tips to help you make the right decisions.

• Ensure that what you buy won’t be subject to fines or confiscation in your own country when you return home. Stay within the law, so you don’t unknowingly or mistakenly buy something or do something you shouldn’t.
• Make certain you are not inadvertently supporting criminal networks engaged in the illegal and often very cruel trade in wild animals.
• Support the conservation of Thailand’s rich natural heritage of wildlife

Remember, you do have a choice, and if in doubt, it may be better to choose not to buy at all, than to become a victim of illegal wildlife crime and risk the penalties imposed.