British Embassy
Press Release
The annual British Behaviour Abroad Report was
published by the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office on 4 August.
The report shows that, proportionally, British Nationals resident in, or
visiting, Thailand were more likely to be arrested and admitted to
hospital than in other countries. And of the 347 deaths in the last
year, over 75% were residents. Natural causes were the most frequent
cause of death, followed by road traffic accidents.
The full report can be viewed at
www.fco.gov.uk.
The British Ambassador Asif Ahmad said, “847,000
British tourists visited Thailand in 2010 and over 50,000 British people
are resident or spend much of the year here. Generally Thailand is a
safe place to visit, but there are some risks as the report shows.
Taking some simple steps to prevent problems can help ensure your stay
in Thailand is trouble free and enjoyable. I’d encourage those thinking
about visiting Thailand to have adequate travel insurance; check our
Travel Advice; ensure your passport is valid and know when your visa
expires; and bring enough money to enjoy your stay and make sure you
have access to emergency funds in case something goes wrong.
“British Nationals resident in Thailand face a
variety of other issues. My Consular team is working on a project to
help us better understand the issues affecting retired British Nationals
living in Thailand so we can help signpost them to help available
locally.”
If British Nationals need advice about a difficult
situation, they will find information about what they can do to help
themselves, as well as what the British Embassy can do (and what we
cannot do) at ukinthailand.fco.gov.uk. If they can’t find the
information they need there they should telephone the British Embassy on
02305 8333.
