Far fewer Brits coming to Thailand - but they are behaving much worse

[webfact]

Far fewer Brits coming to Thailand - but they are behaving much worse

 

File Photo

 

BANGKOK: -- Figures revealed by the British government show a huge drop of visitors to Thailand in recent years but a massive rise in arrests especially for drugs.

 

The conclusion is clear that the criticism of "Brits behaving badly in Thailand" is an increasingly observable fact.

 

Also when taken as a percentage far more British people are dying in Thailand and being hospitalized than compared to just three or four years ago.

 

While the figures worldwide show less overall problems for British embassies and consulates around the world the situation in Thailand is worse.

 

Percentage wise more British nationals are also facing rape and sexual assault while on holiday in the kingdom.

 

Thaivisa has obtained official statistics from the years 2012/13 to 2015/16. Stats are from April to March of each relevant period.

 

From a high of 906,000 visitors in 2013/14 there were only 432,000 British visitors to Thailand in 2015/16.

 

Yet despite this more than 50% drop in visitors drug arrests soared from 29 to 46 - a massive percentage rise of more than 60%.

 

 

Total arrests and detentions of Britons in Thailand was also up a quarter last year compared to 2013/14.

 

While total deaths of British people in Thailand remains around one per day the figures must be looked at in the light of the number of people here.

 

Some 374 British people died in Thailand in 2015/16 compared to 362 in 2013/14 when the number of visitors was double.

 

This could be explained by an increasing number of aging retirees, but the British statistics were not broken down according to age.

 

The only stat that shows a decrease is hospitalizations but even this represents a massive rise when compared to a few years ago.

 

However, hospitalizations in the last two years were slightly down.

 

Rape and sexual assault last year were identical to 2012/13 when there were more than twice as many visitors.

 

Worldwide the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) reporting under the "British Behavior Abroad" banner indicated that Britons conducted 65 million foreign trips last year.

 

Thailand rated third in most assists for tourists in trouble behind Spain and the USA.

 

Thailand was number five in the world, again behind Spain, for the number of British arrests.

 

It was number three in hospitalizations, tenth for lost passports and sixth worldwide for rape and sexual assault cases.

 

In deaths reported to the British authorities Thailand ranked number two in the world behind Spain but ahead of neighbors France where many retirees reside.

 

While indicating there had been a worldwide increase of 5% in arrests and detention of British nationals abroad, it was clear that in Thailand the situation was much worse than just a handful of years ago.

 

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2017-05-23

 

 

Stats on British visitors to Thailand

Year	Number of visits	Drug Arrests	Total Arrests/ Detentions	Total Deaths	Hospitalisations	Rape and Sexual Assault
2012-13	870,164	36	188	389	285	13
2013-14	906,312	29	153	362	267	17
2014-15	392,000	34	160	348	240	7
2015-16	432,000	46	194	374	229	13

 

 

Data is from 1 April to 31 March for each year

Most recent data is 01 April 2015 to 31 March 2016

 

 

Reports:            
2013-14   https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/363684/141013_British_Behaviour_Abroad_report_2014.pdf      
2014-15   http://www.aipp.org.uk/documents/content/files/Helping_British_Nationals_Abroad_2014_15.pdf      
2015-16   https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/580501/161223_FCO_HBNA_Report__Double_Pages_.pdf      

 

 

[halloween]

Either the UK visitors are behaving much worse, or there had been a much higher level of drug law enforcement, which itself may be an indication the BIB are less likely to accept a bribe rather than enforce the law. 

What could have caused a change in BIB behaviour since 2013?

[Andrew65]

I take it that the sex crime thing is perpetrators rather than victims?

 

Consular assistance would be afforded to both.

[TheLobster]

Number alones do not tell the true story, if you look at 'incidents' as a percentage then pro rata 16 times more visitors to Thailand died when compared to Spain.

[daboyz1]

This ought to be a fun thread. 

[lopburi3]

Totally false stats I suspect.  Previously there were a lot more border crossings for new arrivals than there is now (where people are being forced to use real visas for long stays - and even a visa exempt entry can last 2 months now).

[Andrew65]

20 minutes ago, TheLobster said:

Number alones do not tell the true story, if you look at 'incidents' as a percentage then pro rata 16 times more visitors to Thailand died when compared to Spain.

According to the TAT figures on Wikipedia, 1,003,386 Brits visited Thailand in 2016, bit of a discrepency there!

 

Wonder where the British Gvt get their figures from, maybe visa-runs etc included in the Thai figures? The British figures might only be for journies originating in UK?

Edited May 23, 2017 by Andrew65
comment

[CharlieH]

Play with statistics long enough, you can make them say whatever you want.

 

pinch of salt anyone ?

[PJPom]

TAT figures?.........TIT

[darksidedog]

Remember the Thais stopped the 30 day visa runs, so every time you went out and came back in again, you were classed as a new arrival. This will have affected the numbers. Having said that, a combination of the value of the pound and things like Koh Tao have made a lot of people choose other destinations.

The overall numbers of us here are down, but not I suspect by more than half.

As for those getting arrested, there will always be stupid people at every destination. The Thai police will arrest anyone at the drop of a hat, so not a clever idea to get up to mischief here, though some don't seem to appreciate that until it is too late.

 

[TheLobster]

2 minutes ago, CharlieH said:

Play with statistics long enough, you can make them say whatever you want.

 

pinch of salt anyone ?

If the figures were generated in Thailand then I would tend to agree. 

 

The figures also show that pro rata there were nearly 8 times more incidences of rape/sexual assault in Thailand compared to Spain (2015/2016).

 

[lovelomsak]

Just when we thought they could not get any worse we get this news.

[steven100]

You just have to visit walking street after 6.00pm and the evidence speaks for it's self.

 

[macksview]

dont know the stats for aussies, but come on you blokes and sheilas cant let the poms beat us.

[Andrew65]

2 minutes ago, macksview said:

dont know the stats for aussies, but come on you blokes and sheilas cant let the poms beat us.

About 5 years ago or so the Aussie Embassy/Foreign Service gave Thailand as the overseas place where most Aussies died the previous year.

[anon789561]

Can't believe I just wasted my time reading that. Even looked at the stats. Damn, I need a hobby. Wasted another few seconds writing this comment doh

[sanemax]

The Visa exempt stamp was previously for 15 days , I stayed for a year on those stamps , so, I would had been as entering Thailand 26 times that year

[richard10365]

Stats above are not correct. Please ignore the part where it says only 432,000 Brits visited Thailand. It's quite misleading. Especially since the information above that says it was 432,000 Consular visits and not tourists visiting Thailand. 

My source:
http://tourism2.tourism.go.th/home/details/11/221/25516

[Sooo Upto Me]

38 minutes ago, macksview said:

dont know the stats for aussies, but come on you blokes and sheilas cant let the poms beat us.

Why? We beat u at nearly everything else. ???

[evadgib]

1 hour ago, Andrew65 said:

I take it that the sex crime thing is perpetrators rather than victims?

 

Consular assistance would be afforded to both.

Perpetrators would be listed under 'arrests'.

 

HTH

Edited May 23, 2017 by evadgib

[Borzandy]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

but they are behaving much worse

During this time, the Thais behave better and better and better and...

[Suradit69]

1 hour ago, PJPom said:

TAT figures?.........TIT

And your highly intelligent assessment is based on what? ... TiTV

 

9 minutes ago, Borzandy said:

During this time, the Thais behave better and better and better

When summoned to the headmaster's office, try to focus the culpability on someone else.

 

 

 

Edited May 23, 2017 by Suradit69

[brucec64]

Either the UK visitors are behaving much worse, or there had been a much higher level of drug law enforcement, which itself may be an indication the BIB are less likely to accept a bribe rather than enforce the law. 
What could have caused a change in BIB behaviour since 2013?

Haha Halloween you never disappoint.

Only you could spin a Britons behaving badly story into yet another junta hugging post.

Sent from my SM-J710F using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[evadgib]

56 minutes ago, Andrew65 said:

Wonder where the British Gvt get their figures from?

Imm/Thai govt according to their website. 

[Toscano]

British holiday makers have been behaving badly abroad for many years , I can remember an instance in Italy in 1960 .  Spain is a top destination for the common masses , so no surprise of misbehavior there .  I first came to Thailand in 2004 , that time I encountered young Germans who behaved badly .  A few years later in Koh Samui I was very shocked by the loud and vulgar misbehavior of British people .  Thailand is better off without the British common masses , who are drunken and disorderly and have no respect for the country they are visiting . 

[macksview]

6 minutes ago, Sooo Upto Me said:

Why? We beat u at nearly everything else. ???

close, but we still have one champion, that doyen of aussie cricketers, david boon over 50 cans of beer on a flight from aus to heathrow.

[YetAnother]

1 hour ago, Andrew65 said:

According to the TAT figures on Wikipedia, 1,003,386 Brits visited Thailand in 2016, bit of a discrepency there!

TAT caught out; many people have suspected their numbers

[jaiyen]

They have been before and have learnt what Thainess really is on the streets!

[Sooo Upto Me]

5 minutes ago, Borzandy said:

During this time, the Thais behave better and better and better and...

Thais & Brits not much difference there.

Both are good at scamming. ?

[animalmagic]

Lies, damn lies and statistics!

To take apart one item from that article  screaming about rape.  The figures are entirely dependent on the number of rapists NOT the potential number of victims.

I was once tasked to develop advisory posters in HK for a year on year increase of 8%; rape stats had increased from 91 to 99.  All tragic and cruel events, but in a city of 7 million not all that high; especially as these figures were for reported rapes from -

1. Victim changed their mind in the morning.
2. Victim was drunk and can't really remember but thinks something happened.
3. Wrong signals.
4. The accused did not pay what was promised.

The same statistics also showed that 70% of rapes were carried out by someone the victim actually knew.

 

In a flash of brilliance, that did not bode well for my future career or promotion prospects, I suggested we create a poster advising all women should go home with strangers as it was statistically safer!