Thai Officials Investigate a 54% Increase in Foreign Tourists Deaths

[ggt]

I do not doubt the number of foreigner deaths have increased...what I can not wrap my mind around...is only "4" deaths by suicide...

I thought they had at least that many every month...maybe more...

Someone is cooking the books here...

[connda]

While the main cause of death was road accidents (34), swimming and boating accidents claimed nine lives, congenital disease six, suicides four, and other causes 30.

The statistics showed that in 2015, visitors had a 1 in 301,204 chance of dying in Thailand, including a 1 in 735,294 chance of being killed in a road crash.

The main cause being road accidents at 34, but following close behind is "other" at 30.

What are the "others"?

Pattaya Base Jumpers without parachutes.

[Colabamumbai]

The main cause of the accidents is, foreigners coming to Thailand.

[Srikcir]

Maybe it's time for TAT to require all visitors and expats to carry life or funeral insurance.

[CarolJadzia]

Sure Thailand is now a very dangerous destination, and we can all list out the reasons why this is, but strewth tourists (from all countries), do some bloody stupid things. I think the Chinese have now taken the cake for drownings, why ? They just can't swim, and go snorkeling, swimming in unknown waters, paragliding etc. Complete muppets.

Thailand has a completely different set of street rules to any other country, these can only be learnt after spending time here, if not all tourists have to watch their backs 24/7, don't expect the tourist industry, the police or any level of the administration to do that.

Mr. Red Ant. I've settled down here 15 years ago,and traveled to the country the first time about 23 years ago.

I think that I'm a relatively good driver, to say the last. But even if you can drive like Evil Knievel, you can get into deep shit here.

You might be surprised why i wrote such a long post? Your statement that you get used to speeding here doesn't really hit the nail on its head.

And regarding your statement "street rule, there are no street rules. If you don't believe me, please drive one hour thru Uthumphon Phisai

( Sisaket province), pretty much the worst drivers in the Kingdom of Thailand.

If you don't have a crash, I'll buy you a beer, or two and we can discuss the street rules and maybe watch some weird accidents.

I saw one yesterday, I saw one today and I even watch the sky now that no motorbikes become airborne just to hit me. G'Day and ride.-

Yes the Thai drivers do follow rules. Just not the same rules.

We all follow rules, rules we learn as we grow up. These are influenced by the world around us, our culture and our kin. We know not to jump from a great hight because we will suffer injury. But that does not stop people jumping out of airplanes in the hope of a thin piece of material will open and save them.

There is no proper road training in Thailand, the test does not require people to learn anything beyond a basic standard of vehicle control and a limited and often confusing theory test. Not to mention all those who have bought their licences. So the majority of road users have never been trained properly even in fundamental basic rules of the road.

People rely on what they know. Everyone started out as pedestrians, we all first learn to walk. With no further proper guidance what many road users in Thailand do is use the roads by the rules they learned as pedestrians.

That then leads to experienced road users making up coping strategies to deal with the poor driving standards. We see loads of them, people not stopping at junctions for fear of being shunted from the rear. People using four way flashers to try and show they are going straight on.

Then when you add in the other factors such as Reincarnation and spirit belief. Along with the 'Mai pen rai' attitude of many.

At the moment the only answer is to live with it and try to avoid surprises. Experience counts.

We will see if new initiatives bring change.

https://thairoadcraft.wordpress.com/

Edited February 18, 2016 by CarolJadzia

[robertson468]

Some of you need help - some of you are just having (another) bad day. Read the OP - tourist deaths - not expats/residents/etc.

The OP was about short term tourists - not those who are here long term. But even if you include all deaths - check this out:

Revealed: The country with the highest proportion of British deaths is the Philippines

In 2013-2014, 856 of the 4,110 deaths of British citizens happened in Spain.

The second most common place to die after Spain is Thailand, which saw 362 deaths and France with 346 (FRANCE !! +2)

26M Brits visit Spain every Year, 800,000 Brits visit Thailand.

30M Brits visit France every year ...........

So

30x more Brits visiting Spain but only 2x dying, making Spain 15x safer than Thailand.

45x more Brits visiting France but the same number dying, making France 30x safer than Thailand.

Now you want to talk about only tourists being included .... so who are they counting as tourists?

1. People arriving with a Tourist VISA?

2. People arriving with VISA waiver on entry?

3. Every foreigner entering Thailand, even if only changing flights at BKK?

Usually TAT use Item 3. as the number for counting Tourists.

Long term foreign residents in Thailand are here in very small numbers, only about 300,000-500,000, compared to the 25,000,000-35,000,000 foreigners who visit Thailand every year as Tourists.

Thailand is a very dangerous place compared to most of the civilized world.

except for the good old USofA where there are more people murdered by shooting than there are days of the year!

[MAJIC]

Thailand, you'll just die!

It used to be see Naples and and die.

[loong]

except for the good old USofA where there are more people murdered by shooting than there are days of the year!

Wasn't it reported not long ago, that gun deaths per capita are higher in Thailand than in the USA?

[lostinisaan]

Weird. Shouldn't they keep "us" alive to have what they have?

[smotherb]

The main cause of the accidents is, foreigners coming to Thailand.

Now, if that ain't the truth. If those damn farangs weren't here; there would be no farangs involved in accidents in Thailand.

[maprao]

Cancel or block that pesky website that's listing all farang deaths dot com

Bad for tourism;)

Edited February 20, 2016 by maprao

[bendejo]

It will be interesting to see how TAT spins this one! No doubt they will find some positive upside.

Thailand, Your Gateway to Eternal Paradise

or

Beautiful Thailand! We All Have to Go Sometime