Xref: world wstd.travel.advisories:643 Newsgroups: wstd.travel.advisories Path: world!daemon From: Wally Doerge <76702.1202@compuserve.com> Subject: NEW TRAVEL INFO -- Thailand Message-ID: <941222172418_76702.1202_CHN55-1@CompuServe.COM> Precedence: bulk Sender: daemon@world.std.com (daemons) Organization: The World @ Software Tool & Die Distribution: wstd Date: Thu, 22 Dec 1994 17:24:19 GMT Approved: usenet@world.std.com Lines: 120 STATE DEPARTMENT TRAVEL INFORMATION - Thailand ============================================================ Thailand - Consular Information Sheet December 21, 1994 Country Description: Thailand is a constitutional monarchy. It is a popular travel destination, and tourist facilities and services are available throughout the country. Entry Requirements: Passports and onward/return tickets are required. Visas are not needed for stays of up to 15 days. However, without a visa, entry is permitted only when arriving at international airports in Bangkok, Phuket, or Chiang Mai. For longer stays, or overland entry, travelers can obtain visas in advance from a Thai embassy or consulate. For stays of up to 60 days a tourist visa is required, the fee for which is 15 U.S. dollars. For more current information, travelers may contact the Royal Thai Embassy, 1024 Wisconsin Avenue, NW, Washington, D.C. 20007, Tel. (202) 944-3600. Medical Facilities: Medical treatment, especially in Bangkok, is good. While the general level of health is good, hepatitis is endemic. Malaria is a problem in rural border areas, but not in Bangkok or other major tourist destinations. Doctors and hospitals often expect immediate cash payment for health services. U.S. medical insurance is not always valid outside the United States. Supplemental medical insurance with specific overseas coverage has proved useful. The international travelers hotline at the Centers for Disease Control, tel. (404) 332-4559 has additional useful health information. HIV Virus: Thailand is experiencing a dramatic epidemic of HIV infection and AIDS. The large majority of HIV infections in Thailand have resulted from heterosexual transmission. Homosexual sex also has accounted for a substantial number of HIV infections and injecting drug users also have high rates of HIV infection. HIV-infection is common among prostitutes, who are generally not subject to regular screening for sexually transmitted diseases. Information on Crime and Safety: Petty crimes are common in areas where tourists gather. Many tourists fall victim to gem scams, in which a friendly stranger offers to serve as an informal tour guide. The guide offers to show the tourist where to buy gems for resale in the U. S. at a huge profit. The gems turn out to be overpriced and money back guarantees are not honored. Some travelers report being robbed after they were drugged in night clubs or in their hotel rooms by bar girls. Trekking is a popular activity for tourists in Thailand's mountainous areas. The use of licensed, reliable tour guides will enhance security for trekkers. Tourists should cross into neighboring countries only at designated official crossing points. Outside official crossing points, the border often is not clearly marked. Reliable guides will assure that trekkers do not cross into another country inadvertently. In December 1994, fighting broke out between Karen factions in Burma across from Thailand's Mae Hong Son and Tak Provinces. As a result of the fighting, travel by boat along the Salween and Moei Rivers, which form the border in this area, is considered dangerous. Ground transportation in Thailand remains unaffected. In Bangkok, heavy traffic is constant. Motorist and pedestrian accidents are common. Credit card fraud has also been increasing. Travelers should protect their credit cards and use them only with known or established businesses. Useful information on guarding valuables and protecting personal security while traveling abroad is provided in the Department of State pamphlet, "A Safe Trip Abroad." It is available from the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C. 20402. Drug Penalties: Travelers are subject to the laws and legal practices of the country in which they travel. Thailand strictly enforces its drug laws, including arrests for possession of small quantities of marijuana. Thailand has not signed the Vienna Consular Convention, and the U.S. Embassy frequently does not learn of the arrest of American citizens for minor drug offenses. Prison conditions in Thailand are extremely harsh. Most Americans serving lengthy sentences have been arrested attempting to depart Thailand with heroin secreted in their suitcases or other packages. A ruse sometimes used to get people to transport drugs out of the country, wittingly or not, involves offering them a free vacation to Thailand or another destination. Mitigating circumstances, such as lack of knowledge that drugs were in a suitcase in the traveler's possession, are not considered in Thailand as a legal defense. Americans convicted of drug trafficking have received long sentences, often in excess of 50 years. Thai law bars the transfer of prisoners convicted of serious offenses until they have served between four and eight years of their sentence in Thailand. American citizens convicted of offenses involving one kilogram or more of heroin are not eligible to benefit from the U.S. - Thailand Prisoner Transfer Treaty. Registration: Americans who register at the U.S Embassy or a consulate can obtain updated information on travel and security within the country. Lost or stolen passports abroad should be reported to local police and to the nearest U.S. embassy or U.S. consulate. Embassy Location: The U.S. Embassy is located at 95 Wireless Road in Bangkok. The mailing address is APO AP 96546. The telephone number is (66-2) 252-5040. The U.S. Consulate General in Chiang Mai is located at 387 Vidhayanond Road; the mailing address is Box C, APO AP 96546. The telephone number is (66-53) 252-629. The U.S. Consulate in Udorn is located at 35/6 Supakitjanya Road. The mailing address is Box UD, APO AP 96546. The telephone number is (66-42)244-270. The U.S. Consulate in Songkhla was closed in June 1993. No. 94-294 This replaces the Consular Information Sheet of October 3, 1994 to reflect recent concern for boat travel along the border with Burma. ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- The "travel-advisories@stolaf.edu" mailing list is the official Internet and BITNET distribution point for the U.S. State Department Travel Warnings and Consular Information Sheets. To unsubscribe, send a message containing the word "unsubscribe" to: travel-advisories-request@stolaf.edu Archives of past "travel-advisories" postings are available at the URL: "http://www.stolaf.edu/network/travel-advisories.html" or via Gopher: gopher.stolaf.edu, Internet Resources/US-State-Department-Travel-Advisories