Travel warning: The deadly overseas destination claiming the most Aussie lives
New research from Finder.com.au has found Thailand to be the riskiest overseas destination for Aussies to visit, with the South East Asian country recording the highest rate of death and hospitalisation for Australian travellers.
More than 1,600 died overseas last year and 1,701 were hospitalised according to the Finder.com.au report, which is the equivalent of incident every 2.5 hours.
A significant 523 deaths were recorded in South East Asian countries Thailand, the Philippines, Indonesia and Vietnam, with Thailand posting the highest rate.
“An Australian dies or is hospitalised in Thailand every day, making it one of the most problematic destinations for Australian travellers,” finder.com.au Travel Insurance Expert, Bessie Hassan, said.
Thailand welcomes around half a million Australians every year, but for ever 100,000 travellers to visit there was on average 38 deaths and 37 hospitalisations.
The main causes of overseas death according to Ms Hassan were illness and natural causes, with accidents coming in at number three.
“It’s always wise to look at Smartraveller’s list of travel warnings to stay across specific risks in certain countries,” Ms Hassan said.
“Travel insurance is important for an overseas trip, and the price of an insurance policy is often far less than a one night hospital stay in many countries.”
What are your thoughts? Have you ever been to Thailand? Did you feel safe?