MILLIONS of Australians
travel each year without even so much as a hitch, yet hundreds more wind up in
hospital, in jail or in the worst case scenario - dead
But if you think it's just war-torn countries, sheer bad
luck or a drunken night out in Bali that pose the greatest risk to intrepid
Aussies, think again.
As it turns out, more Australians are in jail in the US than
any other country and we face the greatest risk of
dying while travelling through Thailand - at least if believe the statistics.
According to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, 90
Australians were arrested or in jail in the US
alone on December 31, 2012.
This group made up a total of 572 Australians who had been
arrested or were in jail overseas on the same date in countries including China,
Thailand, Indonesia and the United Arab Emirates.
And all up, the number of Aussies arrested overseas
increased from 970 in 2007-2008 to 1181 in 2011-2012.
However it's not just the threat of jail tourists face.
Last year 111 Aussies died in Thailand, accounting
for the largest number of deaths in one country, followed
by The Philippines, 68, Greece, 50, and
Indonesia 48 with 904 Aussies passing away all up.
And while tourists are advised against travelling to
countries such as Afghanistan and Sudan, the figures show travellers can get
into trouble in countries seen as relatively safe.
Other tourists find themselves in trouble for offences seen
as harmless back in their own countries.
Here's a list of some of places where tourists have wound up
going from having the holiday of a lifetime to the nightmare from hell.
Bali, Indonesia:
Bali has around eight million visitors a year and is a
popular destinations for Aussies, but has gained a dangerous reputation in
recent years, not just because of drugs and cheap alcohol.
Information released by the Department of Foreign
Affairs reveal an Australian dies in Bali every nine days with 39
Australians passing away last year.
Another 93 sought consular assistance after
being taken to hospital, while 36 were arrested, and 18 jailed.
Aussies are also finding themselves as victims of assault or disputes which have spiralled out of control.
ReplyDeletePaul Conibeer who is in Bali's notorious Kerobokan prison
In April an Australian tourist was raped at knifepoint.
The 28-year-old Perth tourist was attacked after being woken by an intruder who had entered her room at Villa Damais in Kerobokan.
Australian Paul Conibeer ended up in Kerobokan prison over an unpaid hotel bill in Kuta.
According to him, the dispute led to police involvement, but once he was in custody he claims police demanded bribe money to release him, which he wasn't able to pay.
Read more: http://www.news.com.au/travel/news/australian-travellers-face-greatest-arrest-risk-in-the-us-higher-chance-of-death-in-thailand/story-fnizu68q-1226694951575#ixzz2bhPh0dBn