Thai murder victim's final hours

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Title – Thai murder victim’s final hours
Source – www.bbc.co.uk
Date – 18th January 2007

Considering the number of people travelling independently every year these stories are still fortunately very rare and the dangers faced by the traveller is in many countries not significantly different to those faced by people in the UK. But every time a story like this hits our front page we note it and it adds to the impression we have that travel is inherently dangerous.

The tragedy of what happened to Katherine Horton who had travelled half way round the world in search of fun, excitement and adventure with her friend Ruth Adams, were widely reported in the press. The events that led to her death are horrific and those guilty were brought swiftly to justice, but the devastation of her family and friends can never be completely healed.

It is every parent’s worst nightmare and many people miss out on the potential experiences that travel can bring, because of situation like these.

One of the most frightening aspects for both the traveller and the parents is the huge distance they find themselves from their loved ones and the lack of understanding they have of local laws and the way local authorities deal with this type of incident. We expect serious incidents to be dealt with in the same manner as they are dealt with at home and that is not always the case. These stories may put some people off travelling and the local authorities know that they can represent a serious threat to the most valued “tourist dollar” and this source of foreign income is guarded jealously. As a result justice can sometimes be more about being seen to be doing something, than actually following specific procedures.

Ruth’s experience with the British Embassy is not necessarily a representative view, but equally it is not unheard of. The British representatives will try and help British citizens where they can, but British citizens are subject to local laws and ways of dealing with incidents. This can make the anxiety and fear substantially worse then the devastation of the incident in the first place.
Our Gap Years and Independent Travel Safety and Awareness workshops provide individuals and groups planning a trip to prepare their travel plans meticulously in advance. The workshop covers areas of personal safety, communication skills and managing violent and aggressive situations. Some situations are completely out of the control of the victims, but most can be dealt with in a positive manner with some basic skills and understanding of local cultures. We also examine Travel Equipment requirements, Travel Health and carry out country profiling looking at your specific destinations.

Please visit our website at http://www.safegapyear.com/