Friday 21 November 2014

Interview with One Weird Globe on Thailand: Deadly Destination 21 November 2014

We interrupt the usual string of awesome destinations and posts about traveling to offer an interview – and a warning.
In case you’re not tuned to the Thai interwebs, a controversial new book has just been released by a British fellow named John Stapleton entitled Thailand: Deadly Destination:
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(I can’t prove it, obviously, but this photo definitely looks like it was taken near the Railay pier. For such a dour-sounding sort of book, the author knows how to pick a lovely cover.)
The e-book was released in mid-November, with the print version coming in December. Even before it was published, the book made waves, much as you’d expect – but not without cause. In the past month alone, I’ve lost a friend to a motorcycle accident, had a number of close calls with traffic treating laws and lines as suggestions, and read scores of stories relating to foreigners dealing with some kind of woe. The term caveat viator (Let the traveler beware) seems quite appropriate for most traveling through Thailand.
The following interview was conducted with John via e-mail, who writes from Western Australia.

Who are you and what is your connection to Thailand? 

I am a retired news reporter who worked for a quarter of a century on Australia’s two leading newspapers, The Sydney Morning Herald and The Australian.
I first visited Thailand in the early 1970s as a young man; and like many other foreigners was charmed by the country’s unique culture and the friendly, fun-loving nature of the people. I was one of the generation now labelled by guidebooks as “pioneering backpackers”.

Why did you decide to write the book?

At the beginning of 2010, uncertain of what to do next after leaving fulltime journalism, I decided to head to Thailand, which I remembered fondly from previous visits.
As the book observes many writers are drawn to the country’s intensely atmospheric feel, its complexities, duplicities and intrigues. There is a thriving genre of English language crime and detective fiction set in and around Bangkok; and in real-life the country also serves as the crime capital of Asia. Attracted by the countries lax law enforcement, foreign criminal milieus, particularly the Russian and British, find Thailand just as appealing a place as tourists.
It only came to me slowly, after having my drinks repeatedly spiked, being robbed, bashed and having my passport stolen, that Thailand was not quite The Land of Smiles that I had once thought it to be.
I badly wanted to live in Thailand, and spent more than three years in and around Bangkok. Unlike many expatriates and tourists, I spent a lot of time with the Thais themselves. As a tonal language, Thai is extremely difficult for foreigners to learn or understand. The Thais will often speak openly and contemptuously about foreigners directly in front of them, assuming that no foreigner understands a word they say. Having spent so much time with them, I finally began to understand how they thought; and to understand that they actively dislike foreigners, have no compunction in robbing them, and that their cultural distaste for foreigners and ultra-nationalistic pride in their own country fuels and justifies the crimes against tourists.
Like many foreigners, I had an enormous, almost romantic affection for Thailand, and at first I assumed that the fact that I was being constantly robbed and deceived by everyone from street workers to landlords, as well as being deceived by members of the police and the Royal Thai police with whom I became acquainted, was a result of my own stupidities and human frailty. The initial title of the book wasExploited Dreams: Foreigners in Thailand.
Then I started studying the news reports on the welfare of foreigners in Thailand, and realised that my own experiences were very far from unique; and that the death rate of tourists in Thailand was perhaps the worst scandal in the annals of modern tourism.
It was an extremely difficult book to write, and I almost gave up half way through. It started to come together when I opted for a straight forward journalistic style, which is what I had done most of my life. In the end, it was too good a story to let go.

How do you define the ‘most dangerous’? Surely an African or Middle Eastern nation would take that dubious crown…?

More Australians die in Thailand than any other country. Thailand is the second most dangerous destination for British citizens after Spain, which has 17 times the level of visitation. It is also from some Swedish media the most dangerous destination for Scandinavians. As you will see from the book, much of the diplomatic community has expressed concern over the welfare of their citizens while on Thai soil. The Ambassador for China, which supplies the largest volume of tourists, has been vociferous in his criticism of the Thai authorities and the lack of safety in the tourist industry.

What advice would you give a tourist coming to Thailand (other than ‘don’t go’?) There is still plenty to see and do around the country.

Don’t get me wrong, Thailand is a stunningly beautiful country with a fascinating culture, wonderful food, superb music, stunning hotels and a fascinating political and social landscape. But I would urge tourists to be extremely careful of their safety; particularly in the bars and clubs.

Scams and locals that prey on tourists are everywhere, not just Thailand. What makes Thailand more (or less) dangerous for tourists?

I think the country’s social development and the poor management of the tourist industry is one of the principal reasons why the industry is so unsafe. The Tourist Authority of Thailand has trumpeted ever rising tourist numbers as the sole marker of success; and have thus invited large numbers of budget travellers, and of course, sex tourists. As you will see in the book, and if you read Elizabeth Becker’s Overbooked, there are other tourist models besides the open-slather approach that Thailand has adopted. France is a model which has closely integrated tourism into the fabric at all levels; and does not see the same social dislocation or environmental degradation that occurs in Thailand. There are other reasons, also explored in the book.

Do you think the country has become less safe in the last few years compared to in the past?

Yes, absolutely.
In 1960, when the modern tourism industry began, there were only 81,340 visitors with an average stay of one night.
Prior to the military coup and the latest scandals afflicting the industry, there were estimates that visitor numbers for 2015 would exceed 30 million in 2015; and they stay almost a fortnight on average.
But it is not just a matter of volume.
The original founders of the Thai tourism thought it would be a source of great pride to the Thai people, a way to showcase their unique culture and beautiful landscapes to the world.
They did not intend their country to become known as one of the world’s most freewheeling tropical theme parks, with prostitution and uninhibited partying front and centre. The beach front at Pattaya, for instance, two hours south of Bangkok, has an estimated 100,000 sex workers on duty on any night, and its beachfront is known as the world’s largest open air brothel.
The intense dislike which Thais feel towards foreigners has been generated in part by the poor behaviour of countless drunken Westerners in the nation’s many red light districts.
But by marketing itself as Party Central, Thailand has brought this circumstance upon itself.
The cultural revulsion which Thais feel towards the millions of foreigners infesting their country helps to justify the high level of criminality perpetrated against tourists. For example, there have been a number of attacks on foreign business owners by teenage gangs in recent months, and the humiliating economic disparity between visitors and locals also fuels this dislike.
While the responsible body, The UN World Tourist Organisation, refuses to publish figures on the deaths of foreigners in Thailand, it is demonstrably true from available evidence that Thailand is one of the world’s most dangerous tourist destinations.
Do you find yourself referring to official statistics, un-official statistics, or other numbers to validate your experiences / perceptions? 
You can see for yourself that the book is heavily referenced; and primarily from Thai sources. It is the best compilation of information I was able to pull together on the subject; and I hope will prove useful background for the next writer to seriously pursue the subject. (OWG note: endnote references are seen throughout the book, and I count 253 citations of publications from Thailand and around the world.)

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

As a resident of Thailand, I’ve seen first-hand some dangers of the country. The roads, even when not full of drivers, can be a hazard thanks to poor maintenance, faded lines, and unmarked turns. Vehicles occasionally lack working headlights, taillights, and even license plates, while others feature blindingly strong headlights or outrageously loud engines.

No country is perfectly safe, of course, and many of Thailand’s dangers can be avoided or lessened with a few tips.

  • Avoid attempting stuff beyond your skill or ability level. Just because a friendly Thai person is willing to rent you a jetski or powerful motorcycle doesn’t mean you should.
  • Keep your common sense – and wits – about you. Some of the most common stories of theft, injury, or detainment happen when you demonstrate your clear incapacity to care for yourself.
  • Watch as your drink is made, and keep it with you.
  • Be suspicious of a local that approaches with a sales pitch or spiel.
  • Know at least something of the country before arriving. Simply reading the Wikitravel page to Thailand is a start, and picking up some light reading on the country certainly won’t kill you.
  • Keep a firm hand on your belongings while traveling, and avoid letting them out of your sight.
  • Know how to avoid getting ripped off in Bangkok, and learn the several tips on this post as well.
You can never avoid all risk while traveling – whether you’re traveling Thailand, Tibet, Texas, or Tunisia – but knowing what to expect is half the battle. Stay safe, folks.

Saturday 15 November 2014

Thailand Deadly Destination, UK Daily Mail Coverage, 15 November 2014.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/travel_news/article-2833369/Thailand-one-dangerous-tourist-destinations-Earth-Ex-pat-investigation-lifts-lid-dark-Land-Smiles.html


Thailand 'one of the most dangerous tourist destinations on Earth': Expat investigation lifts lid on dark side of the Land of Smiles

  • Thailand: Deadly Destination penned by Australian author John Stapleton
  • Writer says tourism boom has created hatred and contempt for foreigners
  • Death rate of tourists is ‘worst scandal in the annals of modern tourism’
  • Murder of British backpackers followed military coup in May this year
  • Ministry of Tourism forecast 25m visitors in 2015, down from 30m last year 
A new book has branded Thailand one of the world’s most dangerous tourist destinations.
Australian author John Stapleton suggests that widespread police corruption, violence and crime are all blighting a country once commonly referred to as the ‘Land of Smiles’.
In his book Thailand: Deadly Destination, Mr Stapleton attempts to expose the reputation of Thailand as a welcoming country, claiming a boom in tourism since the 1960s has created a hatred of foreigners and a ‘murderous indifference’ to the millions of tourists who flock to the country’s white-sand beaches, picturesque countryside and thriving nightlife each year.
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The country’s much-prized tourist industry, which accounts for 10 percent of the GDP, is in decay following more than 12 months of political unrest
The country’s much-prized tourist industry, which accounts for 10 percent of the GDP, is in decay following more than 12 months of political unrest
He also says that the death rate among tourists, which he claims often goes unrecorded, is ‘the worst scandal in the annals of modern tourism’.
‘Thailand’s carefully manufactured reputation for hospitality, as a land of palm trees and sun-drenched beaches, happy-hour bars, world class hotels and welcoming people, as paradise on Earth, is very different to the reality many tourists encounter,’ Mr Stapleton says in the book, which is being published next week.
‘The rapid growth in Thai tourism has been a triumph of advertising and image creation; building the perception, firmly entrenched in the West, that Thais embrace strangers.
‘In reality, the relations between ethnic Thais and foreigners are often difficult; and there has been growing friction and disengagement, a drift from curiosity to contempt, as visitor numbers have increased.
In the first nine months of 2014, there were more than two million fewer foreign tourists who visited Thailand compared with the same period a year previously
In the first nine months of 2014, there were more than two million fewer foreign tourists who visited Thailand compared with the same period a year previously
‘While many foreigners leave the country happy, there are equally thousands of travellers from Europe, America, Australia, India and the Middle East, both short-time tourists and long-term residents, leaving the country impoverished, distressed, frightened and unlikely to ever return.
‘If, with the murder or accidental deaths of tourists a common event, they leave at all.
‘Life in Thailand is cheap. And the deaths of foreigners often go unlamented; even unrecorded. Tourists are still given few warnings of the reality of the situation they are entering.’
Mr Stapleton previously worked as a news reporter for The Sydney Morning Herald from 1986 to 1994 and for The Australian between 1994 to 2009.
He has been visiting Thailand since the 1970s before moving there in 2010.
After being repeatedly robbed and attacked, he began looking into news reports on the welfare of tourists, which he describes as ‘scandalous’, suggesting that the police have little interest in helping foreigners who report crimes.
From an initial forecast at the end of last year of 30.27 million foreign visitor arrivals Thailand’s Ministry of Tourism and Sports is now forecasting 25.5 million foreign visitors in 2015
From an initial forecast at the end of last year of 30.27 million foreign visitor arrivals Thailand’s Ministry of Tourism and Sports is now forecasting 25.5 million foreign visitors in 2015
Figures released by the British government showed that between 2011 and 2012 there were 296 British deaths in Thailand.
In the 12 months up to April 1, 2013 there were 389 British deaths in Thailand, while in the same period up to April 2014 there were 362 deaths and 267 hospitalisations of British tourists.
Mr Stapleton said: ‘The attitude of murderous indifference to the welfare of strangers is ingrained enough in the Thai psyche for it to justify formal government warnings to the many hundreds of thousands of tourists venturing into the bars and clubs of Thailand on a nightly basis.
‘It is standard operating procedure in Thailand for the bars and clubs to pay bribes to the local police and municipal authorities in order to be able to open their doors.
‘If a bar, club or parlour does not make this payment in all likelihood they will be closed down. 
'The police are not acting in the best interests of the visitors making complaints for the simple reason that they are being paid by bar and club owners; the commonplace complaints of tourists about being robbed are simply shrugged off.'
As well as the murder of British backpackers Hannah Witheridge and David Miller in mid-September, there was a bloody military coup in Thailand in May
As well as the murder of British backpackers Hannah Witheridge and David Miller in mid-September, there was a bloody military coup in Thailand in May

Thai Anti-Coup protesters hold rally at victory monument

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Thailand's much-prized tourist industry, which accounts for 10 per cent of the country's GDP, is in decay following more than 12 months of political unrest.
As well as the murder of two British backpackers in mid-September, there was a bloody military coup earlier this year.
In the first nine months of 2014, there were more than two million fewer foreign tourists who visited Thailand compared with the same period a year previously.
From an initial forecast at the end of last year of 30.27 million foreign visitor arrivals, Thailand’s Ministry of Tourism and Sports is now forecasting 25.5 million foreign visitors in 2015.
Talking about the country’s widespread crime, Mr Stapleton adds: ‘Visitors to Thailand are not warned by travel agents, airlines or their own governments that their passports are highly prized in Thailand.
Australian author and journalist John Stapleton has written a new book  branding Thailand one of the world's most dangerous destinatons. It will be released next week
Australian author and journalist John Stapleton has written a new book branding Thailand one of the world's most dangerous destinatons. It will be released next week
‘Depending on the nationality, a passport can fetch thousands of dollars on the black market, several months’ pay for many Thais. 
'There are gangs stealing passports to order. European, American, Australian and Canadian passports are particularly prized.
‘There is an established practice across the country of bike, car, jet-ski and other rental services requiring passports as collateral. When punters return to claim their documents, they have disappeared.' 
Stapleton adds: ‘The daily robbing, bashing, drugging, extortion and murder of foreign tourists on Thai soil, along with numerous scandals involving unsafe facilities and well established scams, has led to frequent predictions that Thailand’s multi-billion dollar tourist industry will self-destruct.'
Post-mortem examinations showed that Miss Witheridge, from Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, died from head wounds
David Miller, from Jersey, died after severe blows to the head and drowning
British backpackers Hannah Witheridge, 23, and David Miller, 24, were killed on the island of Koh Tao in September
The book's author claims that those who know Thailand well were unsurprised by the murder of British tourists Hannah Witheridge, 23, and 24-year-old David Miller, who were killed in an attack on the island of Koh Taoin September.
He said: ‘The international coverage of the recent brutal killing of two British backpackers on the island of Koh Tao has highlighted what many long-time observers of Thailand already knew, that its tourist industry is poorly managed and the Land of Smiles has come to justifiably be regarded as one of the most dangerous tourist destinations on Earth.’
The UK government has issued official warnings about violence to the 860,000 British tourists who travel to Thailand each year.
Asked why he decided to write the book, Stapleton told the MailOnline: ‘At the beginning of 2010, uncertain of what to do next after leaving full-time journalism, I decided to head to Thailand, which I remembered fondly from previous visits.
‘It only came to me slowly, after having my drinks repeatedly spiked, being robbed, bashed and having my passport stolen, that Thailand was not quite The Land of Smiles that I had once thought it to be.
Australian author John Stapleton began visiting Thailand in the 1970s before moving there in 2010
Australian author John Stapleton began visiting Thailand in the 1970s before moving there in 2010
‘I badly wanted to live in Thailand, and spent more than three years in and around Bangkok. Unlike many expatriates and tourists, I spent a lot of time with the Thais themselves.
‘Having spent so much time with them, I finally began to understand how they thought; and to understand that they actively dislike foreigners, have no compunction in robbing them, and that their cultural distaste for foreigners and ultra-nationalistic pride in their own country fuels and justifies the crimes against tourists.' 
He added: ‘Unfortunately, with millions of tourists besieging the country, the locals’ response to foreigners has gone from curiosity to contempt.
‘Overwhelmed with millions of tourists, many of whom appear to save their worst behaviour for the streets and bars of Thailand, cries of “Mai Chop Farang”, I don’t like foreigners, and “Thailand is for Thais” can be heard from one end of the country to the other.
‘Those who think that mishaps only befall those who are misbehaving are fooling themselves.' 
Britons are warned that assaults and robberies are reported regularly in the Koh Samui archipelago 
Britons are warned that assaults and robberies are reported regularly in the Koh Samui archipelago 
The Foreign Office warns British travellers: 'Western tourists including British nationals have been victims of vicious, unprovoked attacks by individuals and gangs in Koh Samui, Koh Phangan and Koh Tao (the Samui archipelago). In January 2013 a British national was killed in a shooting incident while at a beach party in Haad Rin on Koh Phanang and in September 2014, 2 British nationals were killed in Tao.'
It adds: 'Violent sexual assaults and robberies against both men and women are reported regularly in the Koh Samui archipelago and Krabi province. These are particularly common during the monthly Full Moon parties and generally occur late at night near bars.'
A spokesman for the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) dismissed Mr Stapleton’s claims of the dangers facing tourists, calling them ‘an exaggeration’.
‘TAT are of course disappointed to hear of this but as an organisation has much confidence in Thailand as a tourist destination as do the 860,000, and growing, number of British travellers who visit Thailand annually.
They said: ‘The vast majority of visitors enjoy a safe and trouble free time and 65 percent repeat tourist arrivals is testament to how much they love Thailand and wish to return year on year.
‘This number wouldn’t be so high if tourists didn’t feel safe and enjoy visiting our country.
‘Accidents, robberies and deaths are not exclusive to Thailand, sadly we read tragic news stories about tourists travelling all over the world.
A spokesman for the Tourism Authority of Thailand called Mr Stapleton's claims ‘an exaggeration’
A spokesman for the Tourism Authority of Thailand called Mr Stapleton's claims ‘an exaggeration’
‘The author, John Stapleton’s, book title is somewhat an exaggeration and we are certain that those who come across this book will conclude themselves that Thailand is by no means the most dangerous country in the world to visit.
‘Tourist safety remains of upmost importance and priority to TAT. Thailand accepts that some of the country’s safety and security measures need to be improved and just this month the Prime Minister of Thailand, Prayut Chan-o-cha and the Minister of Tourism & Sport, Mrs Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul announced several new measures to upgrade and improve safety standards within the travel and tourism industry.
‘As always, we recommend tourists exercise common sense and courtesy, be considerate and respect local culture and law when travelling abroad to ensure a problem free and rewarding holiday.’


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/travel_news/article-2833369/Thailand-one-dangerous-tourist-destinations-Earth-Ex-pat-investigation-lifts-lid-dark-Land-Smiles.html#ixzz49MhqfTr5
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