Our genetics are such that our Thai skin isn’t as susceptible to the sun’s harmful rays as our fair-skinned farang friends. But for beauty’s sake no one wants to spend too much time outside and unprotected, especially during summer. It’s not just our fear of dum-ing our expensive skin; bright-red burn marks don’t look too hot, either. Plus they can hurt something fierce.

You can see what we’re getting at. Protect yourself! You’ll want to use a product with at least SPF 15—and make sure you give yourself at least 15 minutes before exposing yourself to that naughty sun. You should re-apply sunblock every two hours, every hour if you’re wet or really sweaty. And don’t go for the cheapest item on the drugstore shelf, either. Remember: You get what you pay for.

And don’t think you’re safe just because the sun’s gone down. Next time you’re out clubbing, try not to spend too much time under black lights, as they also are a source of nasty UVA and UVB rays. Your other option is to apply facial sunblock—but you don’t want to look like Casper when you’re trying to pull, do you?