Thailand is finally getting the recognition it deserves . . .

[BangkokHank]

. . . as one of the world's most dangerous travel destinations. Yep, it made this list of 13 worst countries to visit:

http://travelversed.com/travel-spots/9-worst-countries-to-visit/10/

along with such places as Somalia, Afghanistan, Syria and Iraq. Specifically, this is what they had to say about Thailand:

"In recent years, the land that used to be referred to as the “Land of Smiles” has been named one of the most dangerous tourist destinations in the world. Contributing to this designation are violence, crime, and widespread police corruption.

The boom of tourism in Thailand since the 1960s has created a disdain among locals toward the millions of tourist foreigners they feel have invaded their country. The welcoming, peaceful, and exciting image of Thailand that is created for the rest of the world can be very different than the actual experience you would have while visiting there. An alarming number of murders or accidental deaths of tourists go unreported."

I find it hard to argue with any of their points.

[chiang mai]

Horse poo, some blog by some self inflated unknown says absolutely nothing that is supported by fact and evidence. Next!

[WitawatWatawit]

But who is this mob? They seem to have formulated a very lengthy list of places to visit/not visit, do and don't, etc - they obviously had a staff meeting, sat down, compiled a list of issues - dangerous, not dangerous, secret, exotic, worst hotels, unknown beaches etc, etc, etc - divided it up among the staff and said, pick the dangerous countries from a hat. Don't worry about veracity, we need sensationalism and we have advertisers waiting.

Sorry, but this is shoddy. Click on their "About Us" button - nothing to see here, I'm afraid.

[chiang mai]

But who is this mob? They seem to have formulated a very lengthy list of places to visit/not visit, do and don't, etc - they obviously had a staff meeting, sat down, compiled a list of issues - dangerous, not dangerous, secret, exotic, worst hotels, unknown beaches etc, etc, etc - divided it up among the staff and said, pick the dangerous countries from a hat. Don't worry about veracity, we need sensationalism and we have advertisers waiting.

Sorry, but this is shoddy. Click on their "About Us" button - nothing to see here, I'm afraid.

Nickel to a dime it's a one man band self promotional effort, talking of which, er, um, maybe the OP can shed more light on this!

[AyG]

But who is this mob?

"This mob" is Qool Media who describe themselves thus:

"We identify, target and convert audiences sought after by brand advertisers by creating relevant content, and marketing it through multiple channels."

In other words, an advertising company.

[chiang mai]

Replace the word company with the word person and we can agree.

[AyG]

Replace the word company with the word person and we can agree.

Qool Media Inc. has between $5 and $10 million in revenue and between 20 and 50 employees, at least according to http://www.zoominfo.com/c/Qool-Media-Inc/345942356

Whilst those figures might be inaccurate, this is far more than a one man operation.

[chiang mai]

Replace the word company with the word person and we can agree.

Qool Media Inc. has between $5 and $10 million in revenue and between 20 and 50 employees, at least according to http://www.zoominfo.com/c/Qool-Media-Inc/345942356

Whilst those figures might be inaccurate, this is far more than a one man operation.

The relationship between Qool Media and TravelVersed is unclear to me so I don't believe that Qool size, revenue and work force is an indicator of much at all - in my early years I had a named account represent me whilst I was a suffering sole trader and I suspect similar here.

What is clear is from TravelVersed is that their/his/her views are totally subjective and without supportive links facts or substance. Frankly the site reminds me strongly of those many ranking surveys conducted by travel related companies, and the winner is....! I mean really.

[robertthebruce]

Yes agree to a point, Driving is mega dangerous and even crossing the road...

Also in some dodgy areas it can be dangerous, but that can be anywhere really.

But we all lone living here, Safety is non existent in any shape or form....

[spidermike007]

But who is this mob?

"This mob" is Qool Media who describe themselves thus:

"We identify, target and convert audiences sought after by brand advertisers by creating relevant content, and marketing it through multiple channels."

In other words, an advertising company.

Which gives them about as much credibility as Paris Hilton. Ad agencies are paid to lie and fabricate. Certainly there are dangerous places like Dark Tao. There is a serial Killer running loose and his dad is a super rich guy who is untouchable. So, the thug son is above the law.

I think for the most part, as long as you are kind and respectful to the Thai people and do not behave aggressively nor foolishly, the chances of a violent encounter or getting murdered here are far, far lower than in Oz, the UK, or the states. I never feel threatened here. So, I too discount this lame hogwash article.

[Craig krup]

What would the numbers look like if you compared like with like? What would happen if a couple of million Brits went to the American South and began mouthing off the way some westerners do in Thailand? There are some pretty major research methods problems here.

[Srikcir]

Another recognition

Thailand's ranking on the 2015 Global Peace Index: 126 out of 162 countries.

Falling between Zimbabwe and Eritrea.

Likely to fall further in 2016.

[chainarong]

Thailand was back in 1995 was on everyone's lips , whether investment or tourism the place was bouncing along the GDP was running far better than China's ever did 18% then bang the Thaitantic 1997, Thailand went backwards thereafter and stagnated but through it all the land of a thousand smiles you needed to know which smile, not every smile was a welcome one, I've have been deliberately driven at by a motor bike on one occasion , walking down the road where I was living at the time a young guy came out with a knife , however that's just how it is everywhere, sleepy Perth the capital of West Oz even scores 1 or 2 murders a day I wouldn't say being in Australia is safe, international students are often attacked , people a racially abused on public transport , No, Thailand just follows international trends, some of which are not nice, ICE is now the scourge and no one is safe with idiots taking that excrement.

[jacky54]

Don't really matter who said it does it?- it's true. I would not recommend this country to anyone for holiday, far more interesting, safer places in the area,

[JMS]

+1

[chiang mai]

Everyone it seems has an opinion on everything these days, even people who have never been to Thailand or who have only been to Pattaya for two weeks seem to be an authority on what's good or not, safe or not, desirable or not, please!

Yes indeed there are a range of desirable holiday locations throughout SE Asia and if a vacation is all a person is looking for, why not try them all. But when it comes to settling down in one of those countries it's a slightly different story. Malaysia is nice say some people, mostly because it is expat/visa friendly yet others are put off at the thought of living in a predominantly Muslim country.

The PI are pleasant enough and the scenery can be stunningly beautiful yet the lack of infrastructure and medical facilities is a turn off for many, needless to say, the extent to which guns are prevalent is also off putting.

Cambodia, as yet underdeveloped and no real medical facilities whilst Laos remains a communist country.

Ah but what about Singapore I hear somebody say, sure, when you win the lottery!

So remind me again, what is it that is so undesirable about Thailand.

[Berkshire]

Horse poo, some blog by some self inflated unknown says absolutely nothing that is supported by fact and evidence. Next!

Agree. And yet, the OP is reporting this with such glee as if to be somehow vindicated or otherwise, rewarded in some way. What is up with Hank and guys like him? Does it make him happy in some kind of perverted way when someone else is as negative as he is?

[timber]

Some people are lazy and do not do their. homework. The worst places in Thailand are no worse than places in L.A., New York, and Chicago.

There are many places in Thailand where there is no problem. Go there. I feel a lot safer in some no so good areas in Bangkok, than in some

not so good places in London or Paris. Better yet hire the local Mafia to protect you. Works almost anywhere in the world. In Vancouver the

community was quite disappointed that the police shut down the local Hell's Angles Chapter as there was no crime in the area.

[JeremyBowskill]

What would the numbers look like if you compared like with like? What would happen if a couple of million Brits went to the American South and began mouthing off the way some westerners do in Thailand? There are some pretty major research methods problems here.

What in sh1tnation does this have to do with the British? Take yer racist views and ram them up yer arris sideways!

[Craig krup]

What would the numbers look like if you compared like with like? What would happen if a couple of million Brits went to the American South and began mouthing off the way some westerners do in Thailand? There are some pretty major research methods problems here.

What in sh1tnation does this have to do with the British? Take yer racist views and ram them up yer arris sideways!

Racist? At what level would you say you are reading at? Six? Seven? Some westerners behave provocatively in Thailand. Thais can be very hospitable, but if you push the right buttons something esle can happen. In the US in the South they pride themselves on their hospitality. As they say, "We don't care how close you get, so long as you don't get too big". As Malcolm Gladwell said, if you get yourself killed in the South you probably know the person who did it, and you both probably know the reason. So if two million Brits - the former colonial power - went to the South (a place with a strong culture of hospitality, about the same size as Thailand, and with a strong sense of ethnic identity) and deliberately abused that hospitality violence would ensue. Nobody would think that this was evidence of a bad character on the part of the people who ultimately behaved "badly".

So, i) you failed to see that I said "westerners", and ii) you failed to intelligently speculate about why I might have chosen the examples I chose. Ironically your behaviour is a perfect example of what I'm talking about. Your inability to understand and your aggression is exactly what would precipitate you getting kicked from Glasgow's Brazen Head all the way to the Victoria Hospital, where - hopefully - the indignant Glaswegians would dump you in A&E. Misunderstand what's being said and then express your views on His Royal Highness King Bhumibol Adulyadej and you'll doubtless manage to engineer something similar in the kingdom.

And then your pals can talk about how terrible the Thais are.

[huawei]

^^^ you are showing your dislike for the British..there are many more salient/ relevant examples that you could use. Or none would have been better. The British don't behave any worse than anybody else..racism maybe not..showing your dislike yes..this thread has absolutely nothing to do with the British..the guy is right..his wording was wrong..

[Craig krup]

^^^ you are showing your dislike for the British..there are many more salient/ relevant examples that you could use. Or none would have been better. The British don't behave any worse than anybody else..racism maybe not..showing your dislike yes..this thread has absolutely nothing to do with the British..the guy is right..his wording was wrong..

I'm British! Look at what I actually said. I didn't say that the British were more likely to behave badly in Thailand (or anywhere else) I said that many westerners behave badly in Thailand, and I said that I doubted their behaviour under that degree of provocation was any different to what we could expect if the British provoked Americans. If you like I'll add "...if Indonesians provoked Malaysians, or Malaysians provoked Indonesians, or Persians provoked Arabs.................There is, though, a downside to accommodating the reading habits of the sub-literate: you start to bore everyone else.

I didn't say that the British provoke the Thais, or the Americans, or anyone else. The fact that you don't read things carefully enough to understand that isn't my problem.

[mindovermatter]

One of the worst countries? Hmm... The proof of the pudding is in the eating. Not convinced!

[Christie Paul]

Thailand isn't the only destination that has deteriorated, but it has perhaps fallen the farthest.

A sharp contraction in the world economy, straight after an economic boom, with protracted economic mismanagement and now topped off with an authoritarian command and control style of governance are dramatically altering the social, economic and business trajectory.

As the economic/social gap between the rich and poor yawns ever wider, what will we see?

I suspect a growing number of angry and frustrated people on the margins. If you want to see just how ugly this can get, go for a walk around down town Jakarta. Rolex's available in every high end shopping mall, but few places safe enough to wear them.

Authoritarian governments by their nature are paranoid. They greatly fear criticism and social unrest, but are unable to even comprehend their cause, much less ameliorate them. Predictably they respond by augmenting rules and regulations, empowering the bureaucracy and uniformed oppression. Quality of life at these times is somehow inverse to state control.

Just a few months ago, Thailand threw out thousands of its most ardent supporters, those die hard Thai loving visa runners, who worked very hard to stay here and who now needless to say, have migrated from the "We love Thailand Club" to "The Thailand can go to Hell Association". This is but one of many strokes of PR genius, in the name of law and order.

On the bright side, dumps like Sihanoukville are doing very well. I guess for many, easy visas, low costs and the freedom to fire up a spliff, have more appeal than yet another high end shopping mall or impressive empty condominium development.

For small entrepreneurs, Thailand has become a dead end. Immigration and business regulations have made the country an excellent place to avoid for small investors. Foreigners doing business here have to spend more and more time going through bureaucratic hoops, instead of being competitive. This shrinks the talent, creative and investment pools and makes the place less internationally interesting and competitive. The increasing number of shuttered shops, large empty showrooms and vacant downtown office space, don't seem to bother authorities. Perhaps they prefer the relative calm of vacant commercial property instead of the frenetic chaos of activity.

Day after day, the place gets a little nastier, a little more difficult and a little less charming. The question is, how far will this direction continue?

I suspect as that as it is darkest before the dawn, the machinery is firmly in place to ensure a grim social and economic intermediate future, until the next sunrise.

Until then the loyalty of the most ardent Thai expats and visitors will be increasingly tested.

Edited June 28, 2015 by Christie Paul

[geriatrickid]

Horse poo, some blog by some self inflated unknown says absolutely nothing that is supported by fact and evidence. Next!

Not really. Please note the following;

- Thailand is a leader when it comes to motor vehicle injuries and fatalities.

- Most of Thailand's resort beaches do not have qualified lifeguard surveillance. Go to a beach in a tourist destination in the USA, Canada or even China and there are qualified lifeguards watching and enforcing the safety regulations.

- There is no paramedic or qualified first responder network in much of Thailand. Response times are not good. In plain language, drop to the ground with a heart attack in Miami or Paris or Sydney or Toronto or Tokyo and help is on the way quickly. If one is still alive and is transported to hospital, vehicles yield.

- People are regularly poisoned in Thailand. Sometimes its pesticide, other times it is food borne.

- In much of the developed world, the police do not shake down tourists, nor are they in league with jet ski thugs.

- Venues like the Tiger disco in Patong that burnt, or the bunjee jump that operated illegally for 10 years are typical of Thailand and other unsafe countries.

Sorry, Thailand has done itself proud.

[chiang mai]

Horse poo, some blog by some self inflated unknown says absolutely nothing that is supported by fact and evidence. Next!

Not really. Please note the following;

- Thailand is a leader when it comes to motor vehicle injuries and fatalities.

- Most of Thailand's resort beaches do not have qualified lifeguard surveillance. Go to a beach in a tourist destination in the USA, Canada or even China and there are qualified lifeguards watching and enforcing the safety regulations.

- There is no paramedic or qualified first responder network in much of Thailand. Response times are not good. In plain language, drop to the ground with a heart attack in Miami or Paris or Sydney or Toronto or Tokyo and help is on the way quickly. If one is still alive and is transported to hospital, vehicles yield.

- People are regularly poisoned in Thailand. Sometimes its pesticide, other times it is food borne.

- In much of the developed world, the police do not shake down tourists, nor are they in league with jet ski thugs.

- Venues like the Tiger disco in Patong that burnt, or the bunjee jump that operated illegally for 10 years are typical of Thailand and other unsafe countries.

Sorry, Thailand has done itself proud.

I agree that the carnage on Thai roads needs to be reduced, it's the price we pay in Thailand for not having constant enforcement of every motoring law over every metre we travel by road, perhaps we need more speed camera's, police patrols, fines for this and that etc etc.

Whilst China does have lifeguards on duty at some beaches it is hardly nationwide. Let us not forget that Thailand is an emerging country that cannot reasonably be expected to offer the same standards of safety as the US or Canada, if visitors think it is or should be so, they are misguided.

All the large cities and most large towns in Thailand have first responder units that are either privately owned or run my the province or the main hospitals, it's a system that works increasingly well. But true, Thailand does not have a single national number to call for state/government owned/run ambulance services, all of which adhere to the same levels of quality,I for one would not expect that an emerging country would have.

Your comments on poisoning are nonsensical, accidents and food poisoning occur in every country.

Police corruption can always be improved and this is true even of police forces in the UK where corruption has found to be prevalent.

Interesting to note however that you at least compare Thailand against the USA and Canada whereas the OP chooses to compare against Syria and Afghanistan, the question is, what countries should we compare against to get a true and accurate picture.

[brewsterbudgen]

The positives that Thailand offers tourists will always compensate for the risks. I fully expect tourists will resume holidaying in Tunisia in a month or so.

[ubonjoe]

A post with a link to the Bangkok post has been removed.

From Forum Rules

"26) The Bangkok Post and Phuketwan do not allow quotes from their news articles or other material to appear on Thaivisa.com. Neither do they allow links to their publications. Posts from members containing quotes from or links to Bangkok Post or Phuketwan publications will be deleted from the forum."

[BangkokHank]

Horse poo, some blog by some self inflated unknown says absolutely nothing that is supported by fact and evidence. Next!

Agree. And yet, the OP is reporting this with such glee as if to be somehow vindicated or otherwise, rewarded in some way. What is up with Hank and guys like him? Does it make him happy in some kind of perverted way when someone else is as negative as he is?

I lived in Thailand for 20 years, from mid- 1995 until a few months ago. During that time, Thailand devolved from a paradise - to a downright dangerous place. I just think that people should be aware of this, and they certainly won't get the truth from the Tourism Authority of Thailand - or the Thai apologists on Thai Visa.

Of course it is possible to avoid problems in Thailand - I managed to do so for my 20 years there (with one minor exception of a late night run-in with a ladyboy with a knife). But I got tired of walking on eggshells, not being able to utter my opinion without fear, and in general being treated as a second class citizen. (20 years of being a good, law-abiding, not to mention taxpaying member of society - but still being considered an "alien" - who has to report his presence to the authorities every 90 days? No thanks.)

And I won't even mention the kind of "ship" under which the country is currently living . . . Can you really ignore that?

Thailand gave me the best years of my life. But it has changed - for the worse, and it was time for me to move on. I guess people just have different levels of tolerance for discomfort.

[simon43]

...whilst Laos remains a communist country

Er... and?

Is that a reason to reject it as a tourist destination or destination for expats?