British Ambassador Mark Kent has joined a campaign by the Tourism Ministry to tackle tourist scams and will be in Phuket in the new year to discuss the issue with high-ranking local officials.
In a nationwide television campaign that will run
until the end of the month, Kent and Deputy Prime Minister Chumpol Silapaarcha, who is also the tourism minister, appeal to Thais to be good hosts to foreign tourists .
Travellers are
advised to be cautious in areas where incidents are more likely to occur. These include crowded markets, tourist sites and bus or train stations, and festivals. It is also best to avoid isolated neighbourhoods, shortcuts, narrow alleys and poorly lit
streets, especially late at night.
In secluded beach destinations and remote islands, independent travellers should exercise caution. They are advised to avoid all secluded areas and stay in the vicinity of other travellers
whenever possible.
Phuket is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Thailand and every year thousands of British nationals visit its attractions. I will be visiting early next year to discuss issues affecting British
residents and tourists.
Most visitors have a good time free of trouble, but unfortunately there are some who have problems. We encourage British visitors to read the Foreign Commonwealth Office's travel advice and ensure that they
have adequate travel and health insurance before travelling, he said.
Travellers should declare any pre-existing health conditions and read carefully the small print of travel insurance policies to ensure they are covered for all
the activities they intend to do. For example, many policies do not cover riding a moped or motorbike.
They should also watch out for scams, and consider carefully the risks of renting a jet ski and should only do so from
authorised, insured operators. We advise tourists not to hand over their passports when renting something - such as a jet ski or motorbike - as on occasion we have seen passports not being returned to the owner when there has been a dispute about payment
for alleged damage to the equipment hired.
In the event of an emergency the embassy and consular colleagues are there to help. Anyone who gets into difficulty should contact the embassy on (02) 305 8333.
