Western women who are traveling alone should have no reason to worry about approaching Thai men to ask for assistance, for example.
Shyness is a common trait of Thais and they also have a fear of shame; this means there are very few incidences of sexual harassment – something that is fairly common in some of the more fundamentalist countries.
While it is rare for Thai men to hassle Western females; it is wise to dress conservatively, particularly ensuring legs and shoulders are covered (except on tourist beaches) and to avoid any prolonged eye contact or flirtatious behavior.
It is fair to say that in the past, women were viewed as the weaker sex. Just 20 years ago, it was considered acceptable for men to have several wives at the same time, whereas women were expected to have only one husband in a lifetime, and even if she were widowed, she would find it hard to be accepted by a new man.
Western values of equality between the sexes have been gradually adopted by Thai culture and this has resulted in radically changed attitudes towards women.
Thai women are nowadays encouraged to receive education, to go out to work and to enjoy social benefits, just like men. More and more women now work, rather than rely on their husbands for a salary. A husband is expected to have only one wife at any given time and it is now acceptable for women to divorce and remarry.