Early Morning Massacre Near Chalong...

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<quoted text deleted>

Daily news on this island is really becoming scarry, almost not a single day without a crime or massacre...

Is Phuket still a safe place to live ?

//Edit: For copyright reasons, ThaiVisa does not allow the mention of and the link to the web site from which the text was quoted.

Edited August 9, 2009 by Maestro
Added edit note - Maestro

[huggybear]

Daily news on this island is really becoming scarry, almost not a single day without a crime or massacre...

Is Phuket still a safe place to live ?

As compared to where?

Edited August 9, 2009 by LivinginKata

[ad61]

Daily news on this island is really becoming scarry, almost not a single day without a crime or massacre...

Is Phuket still a safe place to live ?

As compared to where?

Compared to few years ago.

[pavlovsdog]

Daily news on this island is really becoming scarry, almost not a single day without a crime or massacre...

Is Phuket still a safe place to live ?

As compared to where?

Why compare - Question being is it safe. If it is safer than Iraq then what does that mean

[loubrockbank]

this is sad I hope the fourth survives.

[huggybear]

As compared to where?

Why compare - Question being is it safe. If it is safer than Iraq then what does that mean

Because the question is subjective.

"Is Phuket still a safe place to live?" How can there be a logical conclusion to the premise if you don't have any statistics, or comparisons to say.....Bangkok? LA? Paris?

[pavlovsdog]

Because the question is subjective.

"Is Phuket still a safe place to live?" How can there be a logical conclusion to the premise if you don't have any statistics, or comparisons to say.....Bangkok? LA? Paris?

Oh, I see - so if there are les murders than, say, LA then it is safe

[billd766]

If it has as many murders as Ban Prang 4 where I live you should be OK because as far as I know there haven't been any in years.

Granted the village is a bit smaller than LA, Bangkok or Paris.

Edited August 9, 2009 by billd766

[markg]

Daily news on this island is really becoming scarry, almost not a single day without a crime or massacre...

Is Phuket still a safe place to live ?

Some people have put some silly answers on here.

Is Phuket a safe place to live? yeah, i would say so.

The VAST majority of violent crime against the person mirrors our home countries in that it is criminals shooting other criminals. Turf wars, drug wars etc etc. Sometimes innocent people do get caught up in the cross-fire, but that is a risk you take when you live in a city.

The sentence 'almost not a single day without a crime or massacre" is a bit sensationalist isnt it.

When was the last 'massacre' then? It's hardly a daily occurrence and its also generally thai vs thai.

Give us some stats then to back up your claim of 'hardly a single day'

Conservatively, you're saying something like 200 violent crimes per year.

I'd be surprised if that is the case. And even if it is so, a great many of them are burmese v burmese or thai vs thai.

The number of foreigners being victims of violent crimes are mercifully low.

And hardly a day goes by without some 'crime' - well yeah, that's because we live in a city of a few hundred thousand people. There are gonna be some bad apples amongst them.

As a law abiding foreigner, i'd say that Phuket is as safe as any city of comparable size.

Furthermore, last year when a foreign female member of staff was assaulted by a drunk thai in a bar, the Police in phuket town were excellent. They dragged the bar owner out of bed, plus his staff, and found out who the perpetrator was, then went and felt his collar the next day. It appeared clear to me that the Police knew that a crime against a foreigner could receive unwanted attention in the media and were quick to solve this crime.

[geoffphuket]

A link to the actual facts of what's happened would be useful

//Edit: For copyright reasons, ThaiVisa does not allow the mention of and the link to the web site from which the text was quoted.

Edited August 9, 2009 by Maestro
Added edit note - Maestro

[mrukman]

Having read the post's it has been said many times on here Phuket ie Patong has become the wild west where a shoot out is the answear either in broad daylight or evening it makes no difference in the ok coral. Markg why have the local police not got any further on the murder of the falang at the tesco- lotus murder 6 monthes ago, have any arrest's been made on the patong shootout last month, has an arrest been made on the 19 yr shot 2 weeks ago in Rawai. No is the answear The poster asked is Phuket safe I presume he mean's the holiday resorts like Patong Kata Karon not a city. The answear facts and figures will tell you 1 by suicide but otherwise 5 possibly 6 gunshot murders in or around the resort will tell you how safe it is. Curruption, crime, scams you can keep your belove'd tropical paradise for me it is the old wild west.

[chiang mai]

The disturbing part about this and other recent shootings is not so much that it happened but that we are hearing about it. Killings such as these seem to be fairly common place in Thailand and have been happening for many years but usually, news of them is kept under wraps. The fact that we are now hearing about them suggests to me that there are many more of them perhaps, unsure. Whereas these things used to be solely Thai news they now seem to be Farang news also - I liked the old way better, ignorance is bliss!

[markg]

Having read the post's it has been said many times on here Phuket ie Patong has become the wild west where a shoot out is the answear either in broad daylight or evening it makes no difference in the ok coral. Markg why have the local police not got any further on the murder of the falang at the tesco- lotus murder 6 monthes ago, have any arrest's been made on the patong shootout last month, has an arrest been made on the 19 yr shot 2 weeks ago in Rawai. No is the answear The poster asked is Phuket safe I presume he mean's the holiday resorts like Patong Kata Karon not a city. The answear facts and figures will tell you 1 by suicide but otherwise 5 possibly 6 gunshot murders in or around the resort will tell you how safe it is. Curruption, crime, scams you can keep your belove'd tropical paradise for me it is the old wild west.

Phuket's pretty safe mate, in my opinion. If you think it's like the Wild West then that's your problem. Would you care to name some places that have similar population sizes yet have significantly lower violent crime rates?

If you really think it's too violent here, then move away !

According to 'sweet Phuket' daily news website, this shooting is (yet again) thai vs thai.

Foreigners have, in my opinion, nothing more to worry about than in any other place.

Phuket is the smallest city i've ever lived in.

I've lived in statistically far more violent cities, but i've never seen a shooting or stabbing, and nor has anyone i know. Of course it goes on - it happens all over the world.

One of us on here may be unlucky and get caught up in the cross-fire, but you just cannot live your life worrying about such things. Take reasonable care, don't p1ss the locals off, say please and thank-you, and you'll more than likely be ok!

Either that or buy an island and live alone.

[pschef]

Totally agree with markg keep your head down, don’t piss people off. Try Manila if you think Phuket is dangerous, I always travel with an armed body guard in Caviti. Plus he can and will protect me, but then the Philippines are beautiful. Same as Thai Islands. I can say Ive had more problems with druken farrangs than Thai, Phuket is still a safe place to live.

[fiddlehead]

There's a detailed report in the only news agency that we are not allowed to mention.

None of the other's have it so far.

Something strange going on for sure.

[harleyclarkey]

As compared to where?

Why compare - Question being is it safe. If it is safer than Iraq then what does that mean

Because the question is subjective.

"Is Phuket still a safe place to live?" How can there be a logical conclusion to the premise if you don't have any statistics, or comparisons to say.....Bangkok? LA? Paris?

Subjectivity refers to a person's perspective or opinion. Just what this forum is all about...your opinion or belief. Yes...you can have it with facts as well. If you want these then Google them. Here's a few.

Phuket safe?.

October 14th, 2007 by The Lost Boy The recent spate of attacks on foreigners in Phuket has a lot of people on the island worried. These attacks occur late at night on quiet stretches of road. Thai youths are targeting foreigners driving motorbikes.....Read the rest....http://whatismatt.com/foreigners-attacked-in-phuket/

Bangkok Post......http://www.bangkokpost.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=&t=1844 (May 10th)

In the past two months there has been a rash of unsolved deaths of Farangs in Phuket. One Canadian man in Patong,shot multiple times in dispute over property, one British man living and working out of a shop house, head bashed in, near-by the Lotus Super Store By-pass road, poisoning of an American lady, a Norwegian lady and two other foreign persons on Kho Pi Pi island, and lastly one British lady found face down in the sand on Keron beach strangled to death.

The murder of Norwegian Simen Knudsen....murder of Swedish woman Hanna Charlotta. The death of the guy found floating off Patong beach. The shoot out in the midst of foreign tourists in Patong, this shooting in Chalong, the repeated attacks on foreigners in Rawai.....and on and on. What about the shooting into Spicy on Sea Dragon...and any other that has been kept under the carpet?

Yep...my subjective opinion is that Phuket is proportionally more dangerous compared to other tourist destinations.

Edited August 9, 2009 by harleyclarkey

[mrukman]

Simple answear fiddlehead its called propaganda. Tell the punters what you want them to hear and everything will be ok. To the locals who live in the wild west they have to live with it ME i want a long haul destination i can chill out and have a good time relax get a tan and not look over my shoulder for a guy, wanting to settle a dispute with a gun. When the locals try and defend Phuket that is what they are trying to defend phuket, we are talking about a holiday resort not phuket in general. All the shootings are around or near to holiday resorts where familys holiday. This is what they don't want you to know about a well known farang paper on phuket would rather tell you about an open day in a village rather than print news that if it got out will damage the impression of phuket. propaganda in a nutshell. Very soon we in the uk will get a warning on travel to phuket, markg has stated that phuket is as safe as anywhere, when was the last time 3 locals were shot in a holiday destination. I holiday in a resort area such as patong kata and karon these areas are now where all the shootings and crime are on the increase its ok trying to defend the area where you live but im afraid the facts do not lie. Phuket is a dangerouse place its reputation is now global a place to avoid sad.

Edited August 9, 2009 by mrukman

[Abrak]

Phuket safe?

Less than a month ago there was a gun fight involving a gang of 5 shooting against a gang of 3 in Patong. Has that happened in Bangkok in the last 10 years. At least one guy was killed....

http://<URL Automatically Removed>/thailand-and-asia-news...out-patong.html

The Chalong/Rawai area seems to have a lot of problems.

Remember the shooting in the private party area in Kor Tor Mor on New Years Eve. This is/was the most popular pub in Phuket and owned by the sort of person it would be inadvisable to irritate.

Life is pretty cheap here....

[relayer]

This always happens when the economy takes a downturn. Territorial disputes will start to occur. So just steer clear.

Look on the bright side: maybe some of the Tuk Tuk Mafia will start to have at it with each other and do local tourism a favor............

[markg]

Phuket safe?.

October 14th, 2007 by The Lost Boy The recent spate of attacks on foreigners in Phuket has a lot of people on the island worried. These attacks occur late at night on quiet stretches of road. Thai youths are targeting foreigners driving motorbikes.....Read the rest....http://whatismatt.com/foreigners-attacked-in-phuket/

Bangkok Post......http://www.bangkokpost.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=&t=1844 (May 10th)

In the past two months there has been a rash of unsolved deaths of Farangs in Phuket. One Canadian man in Patong,shot multiple times in dispute over property, one British man living and working out of a shop house, head bashed in, near-by the Lotus Super Store By-pass road, poisoning of an American lady, a Norwegian lady and two other foreign persons on Kho Pi Pi island, and lastly one British lady found face down in the sand on Keron beach strangled to death.

The murder of Norwegian Simen Knudsen....murder of Swedish woman Hanna Charlotta. The death of the guy found floating off Patong beach. The shoot out in the midst of foreign tourists in Patong, this shooting in Chalong, the repeated attacks on foreigners in Rawai.....and on and on. What about the shooting into Spicy on Sea Dragon...and any other that has been kept under the carpet?

Yep...my subjective opinion is that Phuket is proportionally more dangerous compared to other tourist destinations.

I just don't see it. Sorry guys. The Canadian was shot in a dispute over property. The British man near Lotus - 'possibly' the same reason - he owned a property company. The two deaths on Phi Phi - the autopsy (including independent ones) are inconclusive. The woman on Karon beach - didnt a Thai get arrested for that? The Knudsen incident - i believe some Thais got arrested for that and also the police have put surveillance posts in the area. The one at Kor Tor Mor - again a Thai got arrested, and furthermore, Kor Tor Mor is mainly a Thai venue.

Phuket has it's share of problems, sure it does. There is no media cover up - the Phuket Gazette doesnt work on Sunday's so i guess their coverage will begin today (Monday).

Phuket is a big place. It has holidaymakers in it - which bring their share of drunken problems too.

It has expats in it, some of whom have 'colourful' pasts - which again bring their own share of problems.

Then there are the Thai and Burmese problems - compounded by alcohol and ease of obtaining a gun.

But to say Phuket is significantly unsafer than any other holiday destination of comparable size just isnt true.

There's been a handful of foreign murders over the last 3 years. Hardly the wild west. That's just life in the 21st century.

If you're not in business here, and you just want to come on holiday, then you don't have to keep looking over your shoulder.............unlike, say Majorca who've just had their 3rd ETA bomb blast.

Try New York if you think Phuket is unsafe. Or Rio. Or J'burg.............

I still maintain that there are very very few places of similar size and demographic to Phuket that are significantly safer.

Phuket's pretty safe. Not completely safe, but then again, no where is.

[LivinLOS]

I've lived in statistically far more violent cities

Well as Thailand ranks 3rd in the world for death by firearms.. You lived in cities in Columbia or South Africa then ?

[LivinLOS]

But to say Phuket is significantly unsafer than any other holiday destination of comparable size just isnt true.

Really ??

You see the BBC story recently where Thailand tops the most dangerous destination list ??

How did it get that handle then ?

[xylophone]

I just don't see it. Sorry guys. The Canadian was shot in a dispute over property. The British man near Lotus - 'possibly' the same reason - he owned a property company. The two deaths on Phi Phi - the autopsy (including independent ones) are inconclusive. The woman on Karon beach - didnt a Thai get arrested for that? The Knudsen incident - i believe some Thais got arrested for that and also the police have put surveillance posts in the area. The one at Kor Tor Mor - again a Thai got arrested, and furthermore, Kor Tor Mor is mainly a Thai venue.

Phuket has it's share of problems, sure it does. There is no media cover up - the Phuket Gazette doesnt work on Sunday's so i guess their coverage will begin today (Monday). Phuket is a big place. It has holidaymakers in it - which bring their share of drunken problems too.

It has expats in it, some of whom have 'colourful' pasts - which again bring their own share of problems.

Then there are the Thai and Burmese problems - compounded by alcohol and ease of obtaining a gun.

But to say Phuket is significantly unsafer than any other holiday destination of comparable size just isnt true.

There's been a handful of foreign murders over the last 3 years. Hardly the wild west. That's just life in the 21st century.

If you're not in business here, and you just want to come on holiday, then you don't have to keep looking over your shoulder.............unlike, say Majorca who've just had their 3rd ETA bomb blast.

Try New York if you think Phuket is unsafe. Or Rio. Or J'burg.............

I still maintain that there are very very few places of similar size and demographic to Phuket that are significantly safer.

Phuket's pretty safe. Not completely safe, but then again, no where is.

"No media cover up"............ that is a matter of opinion which does not stand scrutiny. Just over a week ago there was a shooting in a gogo bar in the centre of Patong's nightlife. A couple of people were shot, and the perpetrator waited outside for the police to take him away. He was not handcuffed, and several people who saw it speculated that he may well have been "known" to the police. Nothing has been reported in the local well-known newspaper

A serious incident (two versions, a stabbing/a shoooting) one evening last week led to the police closing down all of the bars and venues in Bangla Road early, yet nothing has been reported in the above-mentioned well-known newspaper.

There is something not right about the reporting of these incidents and it would not surprise me if pressure was bought to bear not to report.

That the small island of Phuket should have so many shootings/murders and serioous incidents, should be a concern to all who live here. Furthermore the outcome of the investigations even if someone is under suspicion/arrested is never reported, and one could speculate that the perpetrator has managed to pay their way out.

[mrukman]

Got it in 1 Philnz the attitude of the local rag is the same as the local's attitude mai pen rai. if its kept hush hush people wont know and we can can carry on scamming tourists. A local paper aimed at falang's should give the correct information and news instead of being manipulated by people in a higher posistion. As for the po;ice making arrest's thats all about saving face and let you think there on the case. Was there not protest's in karon by locals and falangs about the lack and police action on solving crimes and wasn't a warning issued that they will surround the police station. If the governor doesn't do anything. When someone is aressted for attempted murder they let them out on bail not thinking about the victim. This is how the local plod work if you have a handy atm even a murder charge can be bought off. Lets not forget we are talking about a holiday isle where familys with children holiday not the mean streets of LA. cant remember a shoot out in broad daylight in Blackpool, or 4 men shot in the head a safe place ??? nah your dreaming or in denial. The answear to deal with a dispute in phuket is get the gun out got nothing to do with economic downturn. Answear 1 question Markg out of all the seriouse incidents in the last 6 monthe's how many have been charged and took off the streets.

Edited August 10, 2009 by mrukman

[PatinBKk]

Phuket safe?.

October 14th, 2007 by The Lost Boy The recent spate of attacks on foreigners in Phuket has a lot of people on the island worried. These attacks occur late at night on quiet stretches of road. Thai youths are targeting foreigners driving motorbikes.....Read the rest....http://whatismatt.com/foreigners-attacked-in-phuket/

Bangkok Post......http://www.bangkokpost.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=&t=1844 (May 10th)

In the past two months there has been a rash of unsolved deaths of Farangs in Phuket. One Canadian man in Patong,shot multiple times in dispute over property, one British man living and working out of a shop house, head bashed in, near-by the Lotus Super Store By-pass road, poisoning of an American lady, a Norwegian lady and two other foreign persons on Kho Pi Pi island, and lastly one British lady found face down in the sand on Keron beach strangled to death.

The murder of Norwegian Simen Knudsen....murder of Swedish woman Hanna Charlotta. The death of the guy found floating off Patong beach. The shoot out in the midst of foreign tourists in Patong, this shooting in Chalong, the repeated attacks on foreigners in Rawai.....and on and on. What about the shooting into Spicy on Sea Dragon...and any other that has been kept under the carpet?

Yep...my subjective opinion is that Phuket is proportionally more dangerous compared to other tourist destinations.

I just don't see it. Sorry guys. The Canadian was shot in a dispute over property. The British man near Lotus - 'possibly' the same reason - he owned a property company. The two deaths on Phi Phi - the autopsy (including independent ones) are inconclusive. The woman on Karon beach - didnt a Thai get arrested for that? The Knudsen incident - i believe some Thais got arrested for that and also the police have put surveillance posts in the area. The one at Kor Tor Mor - again a Thai got arrested, and furthermore, Kor Tor Mor is mainly a Thai venue.

Phuket has it's share of problems, sure it does. There is no media cover up - the Phuket Gazette doesnt work on Sunday's so i guess their coverage will begin today (Monday).

Phuket is a big place. It has holidaymakers in it - which bring their share of drunken problems too.

It has expats in it, some of whom have 'colourful' pasts - which again bring their own share of problems.

Then there are the Thai and Burmese problems - compounded by alcohol and ease of obtaining a gun.

But to say Phuket is significantly unsafer than any other holiday destination of comparable size just isnt true.

There's been a handful of foreign murders over the last 3 years. Hardly the wild west. That's just life in the 21st century.

If you're not in business here, and you just want to come on holiday, then you don't have to keep looking over your shoulder.............unlike, say Majorca who've just had their 3rd ETA bomb blast.

Try New York if you think Phuket is unsafe. Or Rio. Or J'burg.............

I still maintain that there are very very few places of similar size and demographic to Phuket that are significantly safer.

Phuket's pretty safe. Not completely safe, but then again, no where is.

Spot on!!!!!.....Thailand, including Phuket and Samui is still a very safe place to live as an ExPat or take a holiday.....probably one of the safest places in the world....

[harleyclarkey]

O

I just don't see it. Sorry guys. The Canadian was shot in a dispute over property. The British man near Lotus - 'possibly' the same reason - he owned a property company. The two deaths on Phi Phi - the autopsy (including independent ones) are inconclusive. The woman on Karon beach - didnt a Thai get arrested for that? The Knudsen incident - i believe some Thais got arrested for that and also the police have put surveillance posts in the area. The one at Kor Tor Mor - again a Thai got arrested, and furthermore, Kor Tor Mor is mainly a Thai venue.

Phuket has it's share of problems, sure it does. There is no media cover up - the Phuket Gazette doesnt work on Sunday's so i guess their coverage will begin today (Monday).

Phuket is a big place. It has holidaymakers in it - which bring their share of drunken problems too.

It has expats in it, some of whom have 'colourful' pasts - which again bring their own share of problems.

Then there are the Thai and Burmese problems - compounded by alcohol and ease of obtaining a gun.

But to say Phuket is significantly unsafer than any other holiday destination of comparable size just isnt true.

There's been a handful of foreign murders over the last 3 years. Hardly the wild west. That's just life in the 21st century.

If you're not in business here, and you just want to come on holiday, then you don't have to keep looking over your shoulder.............unlike, say Majorca who've just had their 3rd ETA bomb blast.

Try New York if you think Phuket is unsafe. Or Rio. Or J'burg.............

I still maintain that there are very very few places of similar size and demographic to Phuket that are significantly safer.

Phuket's pretty safe. Not completely safe, but then again, no where is.

Spot on!!!!!.....Thailand, including Phuket and Samui is still a very safe place to live as an ExPat or take a holiday.....probably one of the safest places in the world....

I can't agree. For a start there are tens of thousands of tourists destinations around the world. Few get as much bad publicity as Thailand/Phuket. Phuket is not a big place....it is a mere 540 sq. kms.

For these unfortunates, who are now DEAD, it was NOT a safe place to be. And for a small island this is a disproportunate number of murders in a short time. Taken along with the shoot outs/murders in crowded public places I find it hard to understand how you say it is safe. The thuggery from the police, taxis, tuk tuk's and criminals. Remember the attempt to get a half decent bus service around Phuket?? Ending in violence. The attacks in Rawai. It goes on and on.

All too often here on TV we see examples of disputes going way too far. How often is the advice given here....walk away, it's not worth it?? Not worth it meaning your life. The way to resolve disputes here seems to be to get a gang of thugs and maim/kill you. If we have a dispute ...eg as you point out above... a property dispute,it is settled here through talking or ultimately the police and/or courts. I know this is not an option in Thailand/Phuket because they are both rotten to the core.

I don't get your point when you say....The Canadian was shot in a dispute over property. The British man near Lotus - 'possibly' the same reason - he owned a property company. Are you suggesting it is all right, and the proper thing to do, to kill these guys because they were in properry....and a dispute?? It is NOT ok to put a bullet in their heads which your post seems to imply. After all...they were shot because they were in a dispute! What is a "dispute" in Thailand/Phuket? Let me guess. Your work was crap so I can't/won't pay you.....you did the works the exact way I told you NOT to.....you have been paid already for this work.....I have paid you already for these materials and you didn't deliver....??? But he wants to be paid anyway.....and you know this is the start of trouble.

The "Karon woman" and the Knudsen incident...what is your point? Now that the Thai cops have caught suspects in only 2 of the murders is everything rosey in the garden again?? Are you making excuses and implying some justification for the murders.....Kor Tor Mor is mainly a Thai venue

Ok...there are bombs on Majorca.....thank God there are to date no fatalities. But this pales in comparison to the 3,500+ dead in the South of Thailand or the murders on Phuket. This Summer I have been to Greece, France, Spain and Portugal. I have not heard of a single shoot out, a single body dumped on the beach or roadside. If it happens then it is nowhere near the frequency of what is happening on Phuket.

It is all well to wave the flag and rear up when someone dares to critisise Phuket...but I lived there... past tense. It is not the nirvana you seem to think it is. Maybe it was...like when I was there 17 years ago.

It does you well to get outside the place and see it from the outside. It often does not paint a pretty picture. There will continue to be violence on Phuket and my guess is that it will get worse...because there is no genuine will or desire by the authorities to stop it.

[LivinginKata]

Full story here

[JetsetBkk]

I've lived in statistically far more violent cities

Well as Thailand ranks 3rd in the world for death by firearms.. You lived in cities in Columbia or South Africa then ?

If you're relying on Nationmaster stats, they've been shown to be quite wrong regarding Thailand, gun crimes and murders.

[LivinLOS]

I've lived in statistically far more violent cities

Well as Thailand ranks 3rd in the world for death by firearms.. You lived in cities in Columbia or South Africa then ?

If you're relying on Nationmaster stats, they've been shown to be quite wrong regarding Thailand, gun crimes and murders.

Try

"(UNODC 2000)The Seventh United Nations Survey on Crime Trends and the Operations of Criminal Justice Systems"

Please show evidence where they are wrong ??

[madmitch]

Spot on!!!!!.....Thailand, including Phuket and Samui is still a very safe place to live as an ExPat or take a holiday.....probably one of the safest places in the world....

That is about as accurate as the old ad slogan 'Carlsberg, probably the best lager in the world'!

In other words, absolute b@llocks.

Murders

Gunfights

Traffic accidents

Unhelpful corrupt police

Thieving ladyboys

Gang violence

Drugging of tourists

Total disregard of health and safety issues

Numerous drownings

The odd plane crash

I could go on.

As a tourist you should generally be safe, despite the above list, but you really do have to keep your wits about you, as you would in many places in the world.