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Zorro 69
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A survey by Norwich Union insurance of Britain has found the most hazardous, the most dangerous, the riskiest spot on Earth: Thailand.
According to a survey of 60,000 claims by Norwich-insured travellers, visitors to Thailand are at (almost) deadly risk of food poisoning, theft, traffic accidents or the loss of belongings.
On the other hand, they could have gone to Ireland, which Norwich Union diplomatically called the "safest destination".
Dawn McMullan, travel product manager at Norwich Union, said:
"The purpose of our research is not to worry tourists looking forward to their summer holidays," heaven forbid. It is "just to make them aware of what can go wrong when they're away from home.
"The majority of holidays go off without a hitch, but we would advise everyone to take the same precautions abroad as they would here" in Britain.
The survey found travellers to South Africa were the most likely to suffer violent robberies or lose belongings in transit. The Czech Republic won the Norwich Union award for greatest risk of being pickpocketed. The survey found the Caribbean was the worst place for insect bites and stings.
In Austria, visitors were subject to all those snowboarding or skiing accidents, although the survey provided no figures on such accidents in Thailand.
After Ireland, the most boring destinations were Belgium, Holland, Germany and France.
In a major surprise, Ms McMullan, who makes her living from the insurance company, said nevertheless that, "Our research shows that you need to take a little extra care in certain countries and of course make sure you are adequately covered by travel insurance." (Compiled from agency reports)
Stickman picked up on the subject in his latest weekly:-
We're Dropping Like Flies
It seems that not a week goes by in Thailand when one of us doesn't perish under suspicious circumstances. If one was to scour all of the news sources, including internet discussion forums, as well as have access to what is going on at the embassies, you might be shocked at the number of suspicious deaths.
In last week's column I ran a missing person's report along with a photo of a Brit who had been teaching English in Thailand, and had disappeared. I got an email from the woman who asked me to run that piece saying that she was very upset that her brother had died under suspicious circumstances.
One of the Pattaya news websites reported the tragic deaths of two farangs on Tuesday of this past week, one a 27 year old and the other a 39 year old. That's so damned young! They had both leapt from tall buildings. This would seem to be an awfully common way for foreigners to die in Thailand, though funnily enough, few foreigners seem to die that way in the West. What a horrible way to go. I can't help but think that whenever someone jumps that they may have been helped. Jumping is an Asian way of saying goodbye. Westerners are more likely to overdose or God forbid, wrap our laughing gear around the barrel of a gun.
In fairness to my concerns that not all of the jumpers really did jump, the British honorary consul for Pattaya, Barry Kenyon, who was interviewed in this column just a few weeks ago, is privy to a lot of these incidents and is of the opinion that most are not suspicious at all, and that they were genuine suicides.
But deaths of foreigners in Thailand under suspicious circumstances in the past week don't stop there. There was what appears to be a murder this past week in quiet, sleepy and supposedly tranquil Hua Hin. A popular English businessman was found dead on a road in the early hours of the morning. To date there has been no autopsy, no police report, no witnesses and only a piece of illegible paperwork from the policeman who was first at the scene and who decided it must have been a hit and run. That's what he told the doctor at the hospital, and word has it that that's what the doctor confirmed it as. No-one in the expat community in Hua Hin seems to know what is happening. The body was moved to Bangkok, ready to be shipped to the UK on Friday yet no permission for this was sought from his widow. The body was also embalmed, before an autopsy had been performed. Nobody believes it was a hit and run. The gentleman had severe trauma to his head which would be consistent with being struck many times, but no damage to other parts of his body - which surely would occur if you were the victim of a hit and run? The accident (?) happened some time between 2 and 4 AM on Sunday 2nd July on Petchkasem Road, by the Grand Hotel. The policeman recorded the time of death as 4 AM, but the doctor at the hospital said this was impossible and was nearer 2.15 AM. Suspicious again...
Just off the top of my head and without any research whatsoever, I can name the following farang murder victims who have all perished in Thailand in the last few weeks:
A 26 year old Aussie nurse innocently watching a football match in a Kanchanaburi bar was the victim of a drive by shooting between rival business owners. DEAD!
A 32year old Kiwi English teacher stabbed to death in his own apartment in Bangkok having just watched a World Cup football match with his girlfriend. DEAD!
A popular Kiwi based in Pattaya was brutally murdered in a shooting while walking along the road. DEAD!
The missing person in last week's column. Suspicious circumstances. DEAD!
Two jumpers in Pattaya this week. In all fairness, these were not murders, at least from the sound of it. DEAD!
I can remember in the old days, reading the Pattaya Mail online, when there were always suspicious deaths of foreigners. The only thing that seems to have changed is that the deaths are no longer predominantly in Pattaya, but everywhere. - And they are getting much more press worldwide, especially in Britain, where the deaths of a number of young Brits have been given huge coverage.
For farangs who can read Thai - and even those who cannot, here is a link to a message board in Thai with a thread which discussed the aforementioned murder of the 32 year old New Zealand English teacher by an alcohol induced Thai man. Some of the comments are quite disgraceful, and even some in English basically say that the man was trash and that he deserved it! I tell you, the attitude of some people here is very strongly anti-farang. Check it out here. Like I say, there are enough English comments for you to get the gist. And just to really scare you, remember, these are the opinions of the computer literate - that means the educated Thais!
In fairness to the locals, there are some real trashy Westerners getting bad press and damaging the reputation of all Westerners. Like the Brit who was arrested for killing his girlfriend in Pattaya on Friday night because she no longer wanted to be with him. And he did it in a brutal way, with an 8 inch knife, slicing her up like you would a carcass. Such madness gives us all a bad rep.
Chatting with a good friend about the issue of farangs being murdered or perishing under suspicious circumstances, we both agreed that more than ever, it is even more difficult to decide to stay on in Thailand or not. With all of the other issues that we struggle with, concerns about personal safety just make the decision that much harder.
Having finally sorted out the should I stay or should I go question - I am definitely staying in Thailand for the time being - I do so with only one major concern in the back of my mind. I intend to survive my tour of duty out here. I am far more wary of what is going on around me, and just how I go about my life, than ever before.
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Thai Girls : Meet Sexy Thai Girls
Posted on: 6:59 am on July 10, 2006
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Bangkoksexydotcom
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all I can say the fence on the balkony in Thailand is Very low and people tend to fall down. I would say Thailand is pretty safe but if you die do not think anybody will ask how. And if you like to kill someone do not do it with a gun. Make it look like he killed himself like run over him a copule of times.
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Bangkok Women : Meet Sensual Bangkok Women
Posted on: 8:51 am on July 10, 2006
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Tyfon
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Looking on the positive side: The survey (http://www.aviva.com/index.asp?PageID=55&NewsID=2691) reveals that Thailand is NOT one of the top five most hazardous destinations for skiing and snowboarding... 
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Thai Girls : Meet Sexy Thai Girls
Posted on: 12:25 pm on July 10, 2006
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ringthebells
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bangkok dangerous, yep. stay home!!
it seems like the balconies in pattaya are especially dangerous.
it is not exactly true that red bull gives you wings...
rtb
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Bangkok Girls : Meet Sexy Bangkok Girls
Posted on: 7:41 pm on July 10, 2006
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Diddler
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It seems like the PI is more dangerous than Thailand, especially Manila.
Regards
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Thai Women : Meet Matured Thai Women
Posted on: 10:46 pm on July 10, 2006
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bingo629
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F-me Afghanistan, Iraq now that's dangerous Africa that's dangerous.
Thailand great place that’s where I go for a holiday never felt safer.
It pays not to be a victim and don’t be unlucky anywhere this is just neurosis.
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Bangkok Women : Meet Beautiful Thai Girls
Posted on: 7:49 am on July 11, 2006
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Tyfon
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I suspect that the danger here is to the insurance firm's profit margins... Countries for which you cannot get insurance are therefore 'safe'.
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Bangkok Girls : Meet Attractive Thai Girls
Posted on: 9:06 am on July 11, 2006
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snpark
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theft is not a danger thats just being careless
in dubai about 7285628596 people die every day in car crashes
like u only hear about the 1 plane crash not the 483649365 safe ones
and the thousands who die of malaria every day but not the 50 who died of sars in 6mths in hk etc
its all bolox media etc
id rather risk it in bkk than go to dublin
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Thai Girls : Meet Active Thai Girls
Posted on: 1:58 am on July 12, 2006
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vox
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yeah, go to africa for your sexual adventures. you'll be much safer, and you won't bother any of us. get back to us in 6 months when you've tested pos-- er, I mean, when you've been tested for HIV.
vox
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Thai Women : Meet Matured Thai Women
Posted on: 7:47 pm on July 12, 2006
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breconion
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Quote: from snpark on 7:59 am on July 12, 2006
in dubai about 7285628596 people die every day in car crashes
WOW What a stat - over 500 times the number of people who live there.
I don't see any stats for holidays in UK. But there again why would you need insurance for a holiday in UK!?
Just another stat that an insurance company has produces for, as has been said, their bottom line to give to shareholders
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Bangkok Girls : Meet Attractive Thai Girls
Posted on: 7:54 pm on July 13, 2006
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