BANGKOK: Thailand yesterday announced plans to give tourists wristbands carrying their personal details, as the kingdom falls under intense scrutiny over visitor safety following the murder of two British holidaymakers.
Under the scheme hotels will distribute the wristbands to new arrivals. “If anything happens to them we will then know their names, nationality and hotel,” said Arnuparp Gaesornsuwan, director general of the Department of Tourism said.
“We have discussed it with hotel operators and they are willing to do it,” he said. “We are not going into their personal information -- it’s just the details they have to fill out on the immigration form already,” he said.
Tourist police said the safety measure would be voluntary. “In case they (tourists) get drunk and fall asleep on the beach we can bring them back to their hotels,” Apichai Ti-armataya, commander of the Tourist Police, said. AFP
