[george]

Thailand is deadliest holiday destination for Britons

British tourists are more likely to be killed in Thailand than any other destination, according to new figures released today.

Motorbike accidents are the main reason why 269 Britons died there last year, according to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO).

The figures mean that Thailand has the highest rate of deaths in proportion to the number of British tourists of any country worldwide. In the year to March, an estimated 860,000 British tourists visited Thailand.

This figure also makes Thailand the country where, proportionately, British tourists are most likely to end up in hospital, according to the organisation’s British Behaviour Abroad report, released today.

The majority of 324 reported hospitalisations in Thailand were due to motorbike accidents, says the FCO, and a high proportion are fatal.

The figures for the report are based on incidents reported to British consulates abroad, so actual numbers could be higher.

On the dangers of visiting Thailand, the organisation says: “Many of the hospitalisations in Thailand are the result of motorbike accidents – particularly in the southern islands.

“Thailand has one of the world’s highest road traffic accident rates, almost all of which involve motorbikes.”

The Thai law that states safety helmets must be worn is widely ignored according to the FCO, which contributes to the high number of deaths each year. On average 38 people a day die in motorcycle accidents in Thailand.

The organisation also warns: “You should never hand over your passport as a guarantee against returning a motor scooter or cycle. Unscrupulous owners have been known to hold on to passports against claimed damage to the motor scooter or cycle.”

Further to that, some vehicles are not road worthy. The FCO says that many of the motorcycles and scooters that are available for hire in beach resorts are unregistered and cannot legally be driven on a public road. This could invalidate any travel insurance policy should the driver wish to make a claim.

On the subject of travel insurance, the report found that financial pressures are causing many British holidaymakers to forgo travel insurance in a bid to save money.

Foreign Office Minister, Chris Bryant, said: “Getting comprehensive travel insurance means that whilst an accident may disrupt your holiday, it won’t bankrupt you in extortionate medical or repatriation bills.”

Other trouble hotspots revealed by the report include Spain, where 2,032 Britons were arrested last year. This is higher than any other country, although as a proportion of visitor numbers, the highest number of arrests was in the UAE followed by Thailand.

The majority of arrests are drug-related, with one in seven relating to illegal substances. This is particularly so in Thailand – were a quarter of arrests were due to drugs. The UAE also has a low tolerance of drugs – according to the FCO, many Britons arrested in the UAE are transit passengers, who fall foul of the country’s strict drug laws, which prohibit some prescription drugs that are legal in the UK.

Among the notable cases is that of Tracy Wilkinson, 45, from West Sussex, who was arrested at Dubai airport in 2005 for possession of codeine, which she had been taking for chronic back pain.

Arrests are also due to "bad behaviour". The UAE has a low tolerance of anti-Islamic behaviour and behaviour that is regarded as disrespectful towards UAE officials.

The FCO advises Britons heading to unfamiliar countries to familiarise themselves with local laws and customs before heading abroad.

-- timesonline.co.uk 2009-08-26

[Scott]

I would be interested to know how many of these accidents, deaths and incarceration are related to alcohol.

[hanno]

Cheap motorbike rentals + cheap booze + lax traffic laws = Thailand Is Deadliest Holiday Destination For Britons

[Changian]

It also doesn't help that many tourists seem to think the ideal place to learn to ride a bike is an island in Thailand.

[khunmarc]

Scott, on 2009-08-25 18:00:28, said:

I would be interested to know how many of these accidents, deaths and incarceration are related to alcohol.

90% I bet LOL

[propreperic]

I do not find this in the least surprising when you take into consideration the standard of driving in the UK now............... also people that think it "PC" normal to be drunk or on drugs an absolute must to really enjoy themselves only have "themselves" to blame.
Perhaps they ought to holiday in cloud cuckoo land where they belong!

[Kohn Ferang]

I am an American Guy, I have lived in Thailand 5 years, Brittan 6 months, Spain a month and France a month, the British behavior while on holiday is outrageous. I fully understand the Spanish Government arresting them repeatedly, if not in bulk and deporting them, Drunk and fighting every night in the pubs, France too. There were bars in France where I couldn't get a drink until I showed my passport to prove I was not British. Thailand is a little further, we can hope only the somewhat more responsible Britts get that far from home, that they might not still be somewhat special, I have no doubt. Behave yourselves! English speakers around the world suffer the consequences of what U do on Holiday!

[PingManDan]

Well this looks very encouraging for the high season this year also, what else can this government do or say to make a happy tourist influx to this country??? So far they are looking like they are totally against frangs-

This post has been edited by george: 2009-08-26 08:45

[ozzieman05]

Just take a look at British Farang at Songkran

In Thailand they feel there are no laws meant for them and go beserk

So maybe its not that Thailand is so bad

But that British tourist do not know how to control them selves


so the heading should be


BRITISH TOURIST THE WORST IN THAILAND

[Wellington]

PingManDan, on 2009-08-26 08:42:50, said:

Well this looks very encouraging for the high season this year also, what else can this government do or say to make a happy tourist influx to this country???

So far they are looking like they are totally against frangs-

Well now, I wonder when that began?

[richard10365]

British behavior.....I wonder if there is some kind of trend here concerning Brits. hmmmm

[barry]

THANKS FOR THE WARNING

I'VE CHANGED MY TRAVEL PLANS FOR NEXT MONTH

AFGHANISTAN HERE I COME

[adamclark288]

I'm a Brit living in Thailand and I have to say I agree with the comments above. Too many Brits come here and use the country like a playground wherer anything goes.

I have been coming to Thailand for many years and have recently noticed some Thais becoming a little tired of farangs in their country. I don't blame them, I'm tired of some farangs being here and I'm a farang!!

[makescents]

Kohn Ferang, on 2009-08-26 09:34:16, said:

I am an American Guy, I have lived in Thailand 5 years, Brittan 6 months, Spain a month and France a month, the British behavior while on holiday is outrageous. I fully understand the Spanish Government arresting them repeatedly, if not in bulk and deporting them, Drunk and fighting every night in the pubs, France too. There were bars in France where I couldn't get a drink until I showed my passport to prove I was not British. Thailand is a little further, we can hope only the somewhat more responsible Britts get that far from home, that they might not still be somewhat special, I have no doubt. Behave yourselves! English speakers around the world suffer the consequences of what U do on Holiday!

I pretty sure you can't deport EU citizens from an EU country.

[Wolfie]

adamclark288, on 2009-08-26 08:53:53, said:

I'm a Brit living in Thailand and I have to say I agree with the comments above. Too many Brits come here and use the country like a playground wherer anything goes.

I have been coming to Thailand for many years and have recently noticed some Thais becoming a little tired of farangs in their country. I don't blame them, I'm tired of some farangs being here and I'm a farang!!

Its not excusivly British who use the country as a playground - i've seen plenty of American and Europeans doing the same

[gr8fldanielle]

That's like saying guns kill people. Thailand doesn't kill Brits, Brits kill Brits.

[crazyeddie]

Great publicity for attracting more tourists! I imagine these overly rowdy Brit tourists are the ones they call "Lager louts", A? Too bad, they make it look bad for the majority of really OK British folks here. Probably a bit similar to the way some Yanks perform, and give the rest of us a bad name. The world is full of idiots (just look at the Thai drivers?), and not much we can do about it. Amen.

[metisdead]

barry, on 2009-08-26 08:52:57, said:

THANKS FOR THE WARNING

I'VE CHANGED MY TRAVEL PLANS FOR NEXT MONTH

AFGHANISTAN HERE I COME

On your keyboard, to the left of the A key is Caps Lock key, turn that off. Learn to type normally.

[Thai at Heart]

HydeParke, on 2009-08-26 02:48:07, said:

Since most of them are social misfits or total wanke_rs in the first place, I advise that they stay home as they add nothing to this country. If you don't agree, just take a look around; it's obvious to all, except of course, those to whom I am referring. Sorry to many good Brits, as you are not all like most of these individuals. It sure seems like people who do not like or follow rules of civil behaivor like to come to place that also do not like to follow any rules except their own. TaTa.............

ps where did this custom of smashing food on the back of your fork come into play? You only need to look at the design of the fork to know how it was intended to be used. This custom make you look like a monkey that has discovered a new tool, but not sure of its use.........again, sorry Brits, but it is true.

Quote

Take pea-eating etiquette - the example often cited as the epitome of snobbish pointlessness. The etiquette books' "correct" method of eating peas (ie the middle/upper-class method) is to use your knife to squash the peas onto the convex back of the fork. The "incorrect" (working-class) method is to turn the fork prongs-up and scoop peas up with it, as though it were a spoon. The incorrect method is clearly more sensible, or at least more ergonomic, in that more peas per forkful are transported from plate to mouth - about 13 on average, according to my tests, as opposed to about eight using the socially superior squashing method.

Do you slurp your noodles?

[wackysleet]

Kohn Ferang, on 2009-08-26 08:34:16, said:

I am an American Guy, I have lived in Thailand 5 years, Brittan 6 months, Spain a month and France a month, the British behavior while on holiday is outrageous. I fully understand the Spanish Government arresting them repeatedly, if not in bulk and deporting them, Drunk and fighting every night in the pubs, France too. There were bars in France where I couldn't get a drink until I showed my passport to prove I was not British. Thailand is a little further, we can hope only the somewhat more responsible Britts get that far from home, that they might not still be somewhat special, I have no doubt. Behave yourselves! English speakers around the world suffer the consequences of what U do on Holiday!

Of course your right about Spain but it is mostly the young that get inebriated and start fighting, but we are talking about Thailand and some people may question the part americans played in making Thailand what it is today while they were here on R and R IN THE 60s/70s there are irresponsible people from every country.

If the police enforced the law in regards to wearing a crash helmet then possibly the average number of people killed each year would drop from the 13,870 that it averages each year and along with teaching kids + adults how to drive and actually to think ahead further than the vehicle in front and explain what anticipation actually means and the benefit to all of using it, I suspect the majority of m/cycle accidents involve a car/truck/lorry.

[madmitch]

So this has become a 'Brits Abroad' thread.

I would say that the majority of the lager lout types do not go to Thailand; they have their resorts in Spain, Greece and Cyprus and I feel sorry for any local or regular holidaymaker that ends up there unwittingly and these idiots ar a total disgrace.

In Phuket the English are no worse than the Swedes, Finns, Aussies.

The thread is actually about the dangers of holidaying in Thailand. I would guess that it's not just the English who would come up with these statistics either. There are numerous threads on here, many quite recent, pertaining to the ongoing dangers of Thailand as a tourist detination. For those that disputed thjis, I hope this latest report mighht enabple you to change your stance that Thailand is an extremely safe country for tourists.

[StrandedBusinessPerson]

Kohn Ferang, on 2009-08-26 08:34:16, said:

I am an American Guy, I have lived in Thailand 5 years, Brittan 6 months, Spain a month and France a month, the British behavior while on holiday is outrageous. I fully understand the Spanish Government arresting them repeatedly, if not in bulk and deporting them, Drunk and fighting every night in the pubs, France too. There were bars in France where I couldn't get a drink until I showed my passport to prove I was not British. Thailand is a little further, we can hope only the somewhat more responsible Britts get that far from home, that they might not still be somewhat special, I have no doubt. Behave yourselves! English speakers around the world suffer the consequences of what U do on Holiday!

I agree, the typical slam against Americans is that they are loud, stupid, and wear bad tourist shirts, but that is nothing compared to a pack of skinheads at a football match, or pretending to be at a beach bar. Personally, I just don't get British behavior abroad. The headline should read: Britons Die Stupid Deaths Abroad, Mostly in Thailand.

[chefshane]

PingManDan, on 2009-08-26 08:42:50, said:

Well this looks very encouraging for the high season this year also, what else can this government do or say to make a happy tourist influx to this country??? So far they are looking like they are totally against frangs-

Not at all.
Don't twist the words around buddy.
This is a slap in the face of British behaviour when they are overseas.
It doesn't reflect badly on Thailand at all.

It just states a few home truths.
The majority of travelling poms are loud mouthed, opinionated drunks who like to spark up and get aggressive with the 'inferior locals' (basically meaning anyone not from their own community back in Blighty)

Oh. Sorry. You are English.
I'd better start whingeing then.
"Another nail in the coffin.............."
Is that better?

[Pesche]

ozzieman05, on 2009-08-26 01:44:03, said:

Just take a look at British Farang at Songkran

In Thailand they feel there are no laws meant for them and go beserk

So maybe its not that Thailand is so bad

But that British tourist do not know how to control them selves


so the heading should be


BRITISH TOURIST THE WORST IN THAILAND

True: I had myself a resort during 9 years. I live in Thailand since 17 years.
I can confirm to have had the must troubles with British guests:

1. Disturbing others while drunk
2. Needed first aid after drunk-driving a motorbike !!

It is their attitude: Feeling "superior" to any situation.

The Scandinavian are the top-drinkers during holidays BUT they always are quiet and POLITE. They don't touch a bike.

So there is absolutely nothing to complain about Thailand BUT the behavior of some first time tourists misunderstanding the mentality and culture of the host. Thinking that the Land of "may pen ray" means "I can do what I want".

Pesche

[minxwhale]

If I had a baht for every loud-mouthed, beer-swilling brit I've had to move away from at a bar here...

Unfortunately it's the lower end of the social strata brits that make a bad name for the well-behaved ones that come. Get drunk, be obnoxious. Footie Hooligan, ship worker attitude.

I don't know how these sots even find the money to travel this far.