Rise in British tourist deaths in Thailand

The number of British tourists killed in Thailand has reportedly soared by 50% – and drink and sex with prostitutes are among the main causes. A total of 150 holidaymakers died in the country last year, The Sun reports, half as many again as in 2002. A fifth of that number died in the Thai resort of Pattaya, notorious for its strip clubs and sex bars. According to the newspaper, car and motorcycle crashes claimed the biggest number of lives, and in many cases, the tourists who were killed had been drinking too much. There were also a high number of middle-aged men who died of heart attacks after sex sessions with Thai girls. Some, the newspaper says, had been combining alcohol with Viagra, which is said to be widely available in Thailand, and were found dead in bed. The death statistics were released following a survey by foreign embassies in Bangkok, and included 13 suicides. The death toll also included several drownings in rough seas off Phuket. Report by Chris Elliott, News from Abroad