Thailand Ministry Respond to Worrying 54% Increase in Tourist Deaths
Instances of tourist deaths rose by 54% last year, causing the Tourism and Sports Ministry to address the issue of safety for visitors to the Kingdom.
As Bangkok Post writes, the Bureau of Prevention and Assistance in Tourist Fraud reported that 83 foreign tourists died in Thailand last year, a 54% increase from 2014.
A further 166 were injured, which is a 160% decrease.
Of the 83%:
– 34 were from road accidents
– Nine from swimming/boating accidents
– 6 from congenital disease
– Four suicides
– 30 from other causes
The report named the riskiest swimming areas including Koh Hae in Phuket and Chaweng Beach on Koh Samui.
Despite these concerns, Thailand’s tourist industry continues to grow, with almost 30 million visitors a year.
