Thailand tops travel danger list

Thailand has been found to be the most dangerous holiday destination for British travellers, according to a recent survey.

The research, which was conducted by insurer Norwich Union Direct, found that visitors heading to the south-east Asian kingdom of Thailand face the highest risk of suffering theft, food poisoning or being caught in a traffic accident.

Ireland was deemed the safest place to travel to, closely followed by Belgium and the Netherlands.

Germany and France were also considered to be low-risk holiday destinations for Brits.

Dawn McMullan, Norwich Union travel product manager, commented: "The purpose of our research is not to worry tourists looking forward to their summer holidays, but just to make them aware of what can go wrong when they're away from home."

The Caribbean was revealed as the worst place for insect bites and stings and South Africa came out worst for violent robberies and bags going missing in transit.

The figures were taken from more than 60,000 claims made with the insurance company, during 2005.

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