Thailand, Mexico and South Africa are the most hazardous holiday destinations, reasearch has revealed. When it comes to illness, accidents and crime the three countries pose the highest risk to tourists.

The survey of insurance claims found that Thailand was a hotbed for theft, tummy problems, traffic accidents and lost belongings.

Source : The Daily Mail ( sorry, no link )

See also

The Guardian: Thailand 'most risky place for holidaymakers'
BBC News Online: Thailand tops holiday hazard poll
The Scotsman: Thailand tops list of riskiest destinations
EveningTimes: Holidays in Thailand prove most risky

Packpao

Depressing, and I think it is true that Thailand is not the safe paradise it used to be.

Having said that, would people agree that 90% of risks are avoidable by the streetwise?

Ian

Great, Hopefully that will bring the prices down!!

Skippy

Well, I have stomach bugs every time I go, been robbed twice and my GF has just had a car accident.

Can anyone beat that ??

EDIT Just remembered, got chased by ladyboys also.

quote:

Can anyone beat that ??

Being robbed by the Girlfriend!!!

Now I wonder how many times that has happened in the insurance claims

Hey packpao, are you trying to outdo vinny the link.

Bryn,
As an insurance man "act of god" uninsurable and I'm sure many members have incurred this uninsured peril
colin244

quote:

EDIT Just remembered, got chased by ladyboys also.

Mark W

C'mon Mark - that has to be a story worth telling!

quote:

EDIT Just remembered, got chased by ladyboys also.

Mmmmmm
And I was told that you didn't run very fast Mark !!

Anybody got clipped for money by the "Boy Scout" going to the Jamboree in front of
MC Donalds in Pattaya??
(no not after dark you sick boys-ha ha)
A mate of mine from Australia got done 2 years running - didn't have the heart to tell him it was a scam

-Skippy

quote:

Anybody got clipped for money by the "Boy Scout" going to the Jamboree in front of
MC Donalds in Pattaya??

Or the deaf guy who wants to shake your hand????????

Yeah that's right - are they cousins or something??



Skip

I suspect an awful lot of those statistics are for motorcycle accidents on the islands. As for stomach upsets I've never had anything more than a few rushed trips to the toilet, but then I only eat Thai food.

Also I would not be surprised at all if many of those claims are false for stolen items.

BTW,

In the BBC article anyone noticed the quote from Ms McMullan (of NU) don't forget travel insurance (they happen to sell it via supermarkets etc)

I always knew there was a way round the BBC not advertising directly
colin244

quote:

C'mon Mark - that has to be a story worth telling!

I was walking up Kho San Road about 2am the the worse for wear and 2 ladyboys stopped me near the police station at the top end near Gulivers. Although I was pi**ed I noticed that whilst one was pestering me the other one tried to pick my pockets. I wasn't having this so I pushed the one picking my pockets over a low wall and growled at the other one. After the one I'd pushed over the wall got up they started coming for me so I ran. after about 10 or 15 mins I had lost them (must have been something to do with them running in high heels) The only problem was is that I was lost myself. It took me 2 hours gingerly walking around Bangkok until I found my hotel again.

Mai pen rai

You sound like an Olympic athlete, I couldn't run for 10 to 15 yards, let alone minutes. The ladyboys in Phuket must be softer because I faced 2 of them down (couldn't run, too much beer on board).

Paul.

An insurance company does a survey that vindicates having to get travel insurance. Is it me?

Dan,

No its how there marketing works believe me I work in this industry

Sad but true (jing jing) and someone has to do it
cheers
colin244

quote:

Originally posted by Mark W:
It took me 2 hours gingerly walking around Bangkok ....

That's what I call attention-seeking!

quote:

Originally posted by SteveR:
As for stomach upsets I've never had anything more than a few rushed trips to the toilet, but then I only eat Thai food.

Me too. I've eaten many times from street vendors without any problems. The only time I've had stomach trouble was after eating in an upmarket restaurant!

Mind you, I had eaten a large bowl of raw shellfish. (Noi jokes that I was sick after I gin hoi!)

I was only sick after KFC once

- must be the way they wash their glasses or something cos I didn't have the salad

- Skippy

Spent nearly a year in total in LOS, only ill once, after a full English breakfast. I usually always eat Thai food, we eat from the street vendors every day, so far had no problems. Apart from eating super spicy food, that can make you run to the bog quite quickly sometimes.

I once read in the paper that the three most dangerous countries in terms of gun death crimes were:

1) Columbia
2) South Africa
and
3) Thailand


These were the big three and after that the figures drop right down into almost insignificance compared to those three.

(The figures didn't include gun deaths in wars!)

quote:

I once read in the paper that the three most dangerous countries in terms of gun death crimes were:

1) Columbia
2) South Africa
and
3) Thailand

Yes I read the same thing a couple of years back. I remember because Mam was quite impressed that Thailand were 3rd best in the world at something.