Cambodia appeals over ‘imminent war’ on Thai border

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Title – Cambodia appeals over ‘imminent war’ on Thai border
Source – The Daily Telegraph
Date – 23rd July 2008

I’m not sure anyone really believes there is an ‘imminent war’ brewing between Thailand and Cambodia, but certainly this situation can not be ignored and it is worth keeping half an eye on.

It is the ability to read behind the headlines that provides us with the information to travel more safely and to make sound judgements on the countries and the regions of those countries we should visit. For now the area round the Preah Vihear temple should be out of bounds to travellers (effectively it is, as governments from both sides have restricted movement). But in Thailand it is the southern border region with Malaysia is substantially more dangerous at this time, yet it doesn’t hit the headlines quite like this.

So what is behind the headlines? Well the most simplistic explanation is an unfortunate coincidence of political manoeuvring taking place on both sides for wholly different reasons. Which side of the border this temple lies on has been in dispute for decades, but the people who live in the region on both sides have lived in relative harmony for almost as long, only ever disturbed by decisions made in far away capitol. Tourists rarely visit region and certainly not in the numbers seen elsewhere in these much visited countries.

But there is nothing like a symbol of national pride to galvanise public opinion when your political candidate or party needs a boost; not just in Asia but all over the world. In Cambodia the troop build up happened to coincide with an election and national pride in a country whose modern history is so tragic, is a very powerful tool; sending in troops to protect a 900 year old temple you have claimed as your own sends a strong message. In Thailand it was actually the opposite; the foreign minister cooperated with UNESCO to give the temple national heritage recognition, which was seen by political rivals as ceding ownership to the Cambodians. This was too easy a target for political opponents in a country still in some political turmoil following a bloodless coup in 2005; the sign of conceding without a fight too much for politicians to take and leading to the resignation of the foreign minister and assertion through the deployment of troops to their claim on the temple.

The outcome is troop movements from both sides towards a potential flash point. There is no political will to actually fight, but the concern is always that one little thing can set things off. History is littered with conflicts that started ‘by mistake’; politicians find it much easier to step-up than to back-down. What happens if patrolling soldiers surprise each other and shots are exchanged or worse someone is killed? When in an area still littered with landmines someone puts the wrong foot forward? Wherever there is a build up of troops from different countries there is the potential for rapid escalation.

For this reason it is really very important that travel planning includes keeping up-to-date not just with the news from the different destinations you visit, but what is behind the news; Thailand does not need to be avoided as a destination, but you need to know which parts of Thailand to avoid. Similar troop build ups happened on the Venezuelan, Colombian and Ecuadorian borders earlier this year and Africa is full of similar situations that have turned out very badly indeed. Our Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety & Awareness workshop examines the flashpoints in the world and at your specific destinations. We provide you with the tools and the appreciation of how and why you should maintain an interest in the political situation at your destination(s).

Please visit our website at www.safegapyear.com or join us on Facebook. For a complete list of Blog entries visit our National Press Archive page.

US imposes another obstacle on Britons crossing the Atlantic

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Title – US imposes another obstacle on Britons crossing the Atlantic
Source – The Independent
Date – 12th July 2008

I have commented on this story before in this Blog, but as the start date approaches we are keen to help publicise this change and encourage people to use the new system as soon as possible after the 1st August start date. That way more people become familiar with the idea of preregistering their details before they set off for the States.

We could add to the argument about how this new layer of bureaucracy is yet more of an imposition on traveller to the USA, one that we in the UK don’t demand from traveller from the USA; but that is for different people on a different blog to discuss.

As travel safety specialists and facilitators of travel advice our role in this case is simply to advise people on the changes to the system, so they are not caught out on their day of travel. This is also the responsibility of your travel agency or airline, but undoubtedly there will be times when the message does not get across. This is especially a concern for regular travellers to the USA who will be very familiar with the simple visa-waiver programme that allowed you to fill out a customs and entry card on your flight.

There are some advantages to this new system; you will no longer have to scramble for a pen half way through a flight when the person next to you is asleep and blocking your access to the overhead locker. More importantly we are told that an approved application will remain valid for two years, so regular visitors or anyone entering the country more than once in that period will not have to fill in the form each time they travel to the USA. There is the danger that from January 2011 some people will be caught out by forgetting to renew their registration once the initial 2 year period is over; but that is a warning or reminder for another day… or another year.

Just remember, you have to fill the form in at least three days before you travel, we strongly recommend you fill it in as soon as you buy your ticket. This will ensure it is not forgotten in the excitement leading up to your trip and in the scramble to get packed and sort out all those other last minute details.

Our Safe Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety & Awareness workshop provides candidates with travel and personal safety advice as well as all the information they will require to prepare and execute their trip successfully. This includes examining the documentation and visa requirements for the destination(s) they plan to visit.

Please visit our website at www.safegapyear.com or join us on Facebook. For a complete list of Blog entries visit our National Press Archive page.

Cave warning on Uganda bat virus

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Title – Cave warning on Uganda bat virus
Source – www.bbc.co.uk
Date – 12th July 2008

Many people will not have heard of the ‘Marburg Virus’ and there is no particular reason they would have done.

Marburg is a very rare disease, even most travel clinics will look blankly at you if you ask after it, but then there really is no reason to ask; there is after all no known cure, no vaccine and this is the first case of a tourist being infected. However mention the closely related Ebola virus and it does invoke fear in people being known as a highly contagious disease with a very high mortality rate.

Travellers should not be worried, this is an isolated case and Marburg is not a disease encountered by travellers generally. For now simply follow the WHO’s recommendation and avoid caves in Uganda that are inhabited by bats; this seems to have been the most likely cause of the infection.

The difficulty with tropical diseases in general and with very rare diseases such as Marburg in particular, is in the diagnosis. Diarrhoea, stomach cramps, nausea and vomiting could represent almost anything from food poisoning to Rabies and it is not until some of the truly unpleasant and later symptoms are displayed that the full extent of the more serious illnesses present themselves. The important thing to remember when you have been travelling and return home is that if you feel ill in anyway and have to visit your doctor, always inform them where you have just (anytime in the last year) visited. Some diseases have long incubation periods and your travels may seem like a lifetime ago by the time you visit your doctor, yet your travel could still be where you contracted your illness.

During our Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety & Awareness workshop we examine the diseases that may affect your travels, how to recognise the symptoms and most importantly how to protect yourself from them in the first place. You should always seek the advice of your doctor or travel clinic with regard to the vaccinations and prophylactics you may require, however rarely will your doctor be able to spend as much time as they would like with you, to examine all the best ways of avoiding infection in the first place. During our workshop, we consider all the equipment required for your travel, how your behaviour (the activities you take part in) can expose you to insect bites that carry some of the most virulent diseases and what protection you should build into your travel plans to protect yourself and reduce the exposure to the various diseases out there awaiting your arrival.

Please visit our website at www.safegapyear.com or join us on Facebook. For a complete list of Blog entries visit our National Press Archive page.

Briton faces jail for sex on Dubai beach

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Title – Briton faces jail for sex on Dubai beach
Source – The Independent
Date – 10th July 2008

Just a month ago we were warning that a number of people visiting UAE were unwittingly finding themselves facing stiff sentences for drugs offences; in one case simply because poppy seeds were found on their shirt after eating a roll for breakfast in the UK before travelling.

Here we are again with two Britons facing very serious charges and potentially long gaol terms for an offence which in the UK carries less severe punishment or a slap on the wrist and a healthy dose of embarrassment. In Dubai any sense of embarrassment has no doubt been forgotten with the threat of three years inside a Dubai gaol, loss of employment, deportation and an expansive legal battle, not to mention the effects on family and friends.

But the fact is they were not in the UK, they were in Dubai and they probably should have known better and informed themselves better; if nothing else they should have had more respect for their hosts. I’m not condoning the very stiff sentences some countries dish out for these offences, it is difficult for me to agree with them because of the culture I come from. However when I travel, I take time to learn about the culture of the country I am visiting and I appreciate that I should show respect to my hosts, because as a guest I am privileged to be there and I do not take the approach that the country is lucky to have me there.

Many countries have laws that we find at best ‘odd’ and worst ‘ridiculous’, but as I always tell people ‘if you don’t agree with the law in another country, don’t visit!’

UAE is not alone in having strict decency laws, the list of offences includes; sex outside of marriage; cohabitation; adultery; homosexual behaviour. In Laos for example it is illegal for a foreigner to have a sexual relationship with a Laos national. In other countries any sign of affection in public is considered illegal and activities such as holding hands and kissing in public can land you in hot water.

The key is to ‘know before you go’. That’s where we come in. Our Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety and Awareness workshop provides candidates with the information they require to travel more safely. We teach conflict resolutions kills and personal safety techniques, but also examine aspect of Cultural Awareness that will affect you at your destination(s), reducing the instance of Culture Shock. We also examine the practical aspects of travel such as Travel Equipment, Visas, Travel Health, Travel Safety and Transport Options.

Please visit our website at www.safegapyear.com or join us on Facebook. For a complete list of Blog entries visit our National Press Archive page.

Streets calm in riot-hit Mongolia

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Title – Streets calm in riot-hit Mongolia
Source – www.bbc.co.uk
Date – 3rd July 2008

Attend one of our workshops and ask us about Mongolia as a destination and you will be told what an amazing country it is and how for those people willing to endure a little hardship it is a destination almost unlike any other. Still today I can be heard regularly singing the praises of Mongolia and the people I met there, on our website you’ll note the number of images from Mongolia and I maintain my connection to the country through the excellent work of the Christina Nobel Children’s Foundation whose website (www.cncf.org) we always urge people to visit.

If I had to summarise the risks in visiting Mongolia they would generally be environmental. Conditions can be harsh at any time of year and in winter especially temperatures plummet, whenever you travel you have to have the right equipment. Infrastructure is poor or non-existent, medical facilities outside of Ulaan Baatar are minimal, roads outside the capital don’t really exist and you can find yourself a long way away from help. Rabies is not uncommon and even Bubonic (‘Black’) Plague is still endemic in the local marmot population, although you would have to be very unlucky, naïve or stupid to catch it. There is a not insignificant problem of alcoholism and drunk Mongolians are certainly worth avoiding, but this should not take away from the fact the Mongolian people are some of the most hospitable you will find anywhere in the world and are some of the most resourceful; they can make fire in the middle of the worst rain storm and fix any vehicle with no more than a spanner, hammer and a welding torch.

What I would not generally warn people of in Mongolia is a danger of civil unrest, it is just not something that you associate with that country. But unfortunately nowhere is completely immune from the odd riot, just some destinations are more prone to it than others. The riots in Mongolia lasted only a few days and were linked to the elections taking place there, a common reason for civil unrest in much of the world. The Mongolians soon got back to their normal routines; in a country where every day life is harsh and survival is often people’s sole goal, there is only so much time people can take away from scraping a living together. This poverty in a country that is just starting to reveal it potential mineral wealth, was part of the reason for the rioting in the first place.

Our Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety & Awareness workshop examines your destination(s) and what you can expect when you get there, the cultural differences you will experience and the steps you can take to reduce the risks you will face. Sometimes however no amount of preparation can warn you of impending civil unrest, but keeping informed of the political situation at your destination should certainly form part of your preparation. Elections are often a time of tension and certainly at many destinations additional care should be taken round election times and political ‘rallies’ are always best avoided.

Please visit our website at www.safegapyear.com or join us on Facebook. For a complete list of Blog entries visit our National Press Archive page.