The most common disaster afflicting farang's here is a road accident, most often involving the ubiquitous motorbike.

If you arrive uninsured, in itself very foolish, you could try to obtain temporary cover from an insurance broker here.

There are government hospitals in Naklua and Sri Racha. These are much cheaper, but you can’t expect the same level of care.

In the worst case scenario, it has been known for long term foreign patients here, without insurance, to need to re-mortgage their house back home to pay medical bills.

Renting a vehicle
The best advice is that if that car or motorbike is not properly insured, don’t drive it.

In the case of an accident, the farang here is in a vulnerable position.

 There’s a distinct tendency on the ground to argue it’s your fault because you were there at the moment of impact.

You could well end up receiving an inflated bill for repairs and, if you injure a Thai national, expect to pay for his or her hospitalisation as well as compensation.

And if you are a drunk driver involved in an accident, you will soon find yourself engulfed by the wonderful world of lawyers, police reports and worse.

Water skiing and motor boats are a separate danger point. The local renters make their real money from you once you hit something.

So far this year (2006) about 50 people, mostly but not all Thais, have been executed.

You get involved in this scene, even with the ubiquitous ya-baa tablet, at your peril.

Although all prostitution is technically illegal under a 1960 act, the police will not concern themselves unless your Thai partner is under eighteen.

Ask to see the ID of anyone you are contemplating entertaining, no matter how innocuously.

Police crackdowns on drugs and under age sex tend to come in cycles, but the resulting court cases can take, literally, years to resolve.

If arrested       
Being arrested can be a terrifying experience in any country and this one is no exception.

All documents, for example, must be in the Thai language by law. The important thing is to keep calm.

The police have up to 48 hours to decide whether formally to charge you. For some offences, immediate police bail may be available.

Friends can visit you at the police station between 8.00 and 9.00 hours and 16.00 to 17.00, can bring in food and may be able to arrange legal help.

Some embassies maintain a consular presence in Pattaya.

The people with the up-to-date list are the tourist police on the Second Road near the Grand Sole Hotel. They really are there to help.