What not to do in Thailand
1. Don't get caught with drugs
Penalties for being busted for drugs in Thailand are severe. Two years
ago a British man, Julian Gilbey, was arrested for possession of 4.5kg of
heroin. He was initially given the death sentence. This has now been
commuted life imprisonment.
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Briton sentenced to death in Thailand
Tue 2 November, 2004 05:30
BANGKOK (Reuters) - One Briton has been
sentenced to death in Thailand and another to 33 years in jail
on drug charges, a court official says. The Bangkok Criminal Court found Anthony Flannaghan, 33, guilty of possessing illegal drugs with intent
to sell and sentenced him to death, said the official, who asked
not to be identified.
The court jailed Stephen Wilcox, 39, who
pleaded guilty to possession of drugs including heroin,
methamphetamines, ecstasy, and marijuana, for 33 years and fined
him 800,000 baht. "The first defendant denied all charges so he
faced the death sentence, but the second defendant got a jail
term because he pleaded guilty," the official told Reuters on
Tuesday. "Both defendants have 30 days to appeal." Police arrested Flannaghan and seized an
unspecified amount of heroin from him in April last year as he
got off a bus in Bangkok from the southern province of Surat
Thani.
Flannaghan said Wilcox had hired him to transport the
drugs. Police then searched Wilcox's house on Samui island in
the Gulf of Thailand and found 35 grams (1.2 oz) of heroin, 11
methamphetamine pills, 14 ecstasy pills and 30 grams (one ounce)
of marijuana.
No Westerner convicted of drug offences in
Thailand has ever been executed and their death sentences are
usually commuted to life in prison. |
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2. Don't buy gems
There is an elaborate gem stone scam which swindles 15,000 tourists a
year out of million of pounds. It starts with a taxi tour of Bangkok's
temples and ends with tourists being duped into buying gemstones that are
worth a fraction of the price. To avoid being conned, look for the Jewel
Fest Club sign in jewelers which denotes that the jewels are checked for
quality.
3. Don't go on a motorbike without a helmet
Every year the British Embassy in Bangkok deals with at least 200
near-fatal motorbike accidents. Of these, at least three-quarters are people
who have hired motorbikes and not worn a helmet.
4. Don't
travel without insurance
Don't hire taxis or book a
sightseeing tour on the road (there is NO
insurance)
Healthcare is expensive in Thailand. The cost of
medical expenses and assisted flights back to the UK could exceed £30,000
pounds.
5. Don't use your passport as collateral
Every year more than a thousand passports are reported lost or stolen in
Thailand. A British passport is a valuable commodity on the black market.
Never give your passport to anyone as any sort of guarantee.
6. Don't lose your cool
However disastrous your holiday is, never, ever lose face in Thailand.
One of the worst crimes in South East Asia is to lose your cool, raise your
voice and stop smiling.
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TAT
Travel License No. 11/4155