Thai Travel Agency Warns: Visiting Dangerous Cities? Don't Post on Facebook, or You Risk Being Tracked

Thai Travel Agency Warns: Visiting Dangerous Cities? Don't Post on Facebook, or You Risk Being Tracked

Mrs. Netnapa Kaewsaengtham, executive of See You Again Co., Ltd., commented on the case of travelers from Thailand being kidnapped for ransom abroad. She said that kidnappings for ransom targeting travelers have been a known trend in some countries for many years.

It is simply that Thai people have not been in the news before. Incidents have happened often in the past, for example in Egypt, where they have occurred periodically for many years, and in Africa, especially in Mali, which has been in the news. They are so common there that Western travelers avoid it and hardly anyone goes to visit.

Small-group trips where travelers design their own routes often go off the usual tour routes, which creates safety gaps in risky countries, because independent travelers are already confident by nature. It is the duty of the local agency to look after them and to coordinate closely with local partners. The agency should also warn travelers and steer them away from risky routes, because if something happens, these cases are very hard to resolve.

"Normally, tours do not take the risk of bringing tourists into dangerous areas, because it is not worth it, and there are so many other countries and routes waiting to be visited and promoted. The first rule of professional ethics is the safety of travelers."

The key point is this: if you travel alone in a risky country, you should not post photos or tag locations in real time, because kidnappers can easily trace a traveler's movements and estimate their financial status. Today, for the problems solo travelers face, there are several apps that help you register and be tracked. Professional independent travelers should prepare well.

Besides the problem of tourists being kidnapped for ransom, there are many other customer safety issues worth learning about in the coming era, such as the risks of adventurous activities that Thai people have no prior experience with, like high-altitude hiking, mountain railways, hot air balloons and small aircraft.

"We once advised a customer not to take a helicopter in Iceland in December, because we knew the winds would be very strong. We had to raise our concerns several times before the customer agreed to cancel. The following week, a helicopter really did crash in Iceland. Tour companies should put safety first, speak up to customers and give clear advice. For example, in Egypt you should not travel independently without a coordinator, and in the Kashmir area you should not go off the route during the designated times, and so on."

"When traveling on the road you need to keep your eyes and ears open, because modern dangers come in many forms, and you should notice anything unusual. For example, in the year of the bombing in Munich, our local coordinator noticed something wrong and quickly pulled the tour group behind a pharmacy, so they escaped the bombing in the city center. Our driver also kept calm and found the right moment to pick the group up and get them out."

Avoiding danger while traveling is an important skill for the future. What we should always keep in mind is to know the area, be careful with social media, and not keep your head down looking only at your phone and taking photos until you forget to watch what is happening right in front of you.