rape – Tom Vater

Forget Boston and Thatcher. This week’s human flashpoint is Tubbataha

April 16, 2013April 18, 2013tomLeave a Comment

I was in Tubbataha in 1994. I’ve seen things you people wouldn’t believe. I watched hundreds of sharks pooling around coral ledges at 35 meters, so many they kept bumping into me. I watched giant tuna glitter in the dark 30 meters below me, leading tens of thousands of giant barracuda through the depths. I […]

Fears over safety of tourists in Phuket – Natalie Paris interviews me in The Daily Telegraph

March 16, 2013April 9, 2013tomLeave a Comment

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/travelnews/9929952/Fears-over-safety-of-tourists-in-Phuket.html Natalie Paris reports in The Daily Telegraph on the state of Phuket, Thai holiday island, long in the grip of mafias and gangsters. I add my two Baht worth. Read the full story here. Tom Vater, Telegraph Travel’s expert in Bangkok, said that while Thailand remains a safe and attractive destination overall, visitors to […]

Bauk – Gang rape, favorite past time of Cambodia’s young and affluent

January 21, 2013January 21, 2013tom1 Comment

In the light of several recent horrific rapes in Cambodia and the deplorable human rights situation in the country in general, I am republishing a 2003 story on gang rape in Phnom Penh. Cambodian sex workers In the shadow of the Independence Monument in Cambodia’s capital Phnom Penh, young women sell themselves for 6$ a […]

Andaman minority turned into tourist circus for rich Indians! Again.

January 11, 2012January 11, 2012tomLeave a Comment

British newspaper The Guardian reports that the Jarawa, a tribe of Andaman Islanders who number just a few hundred, have been coerced by Indian police to dance naked for tourist ‘safaris’. Unfortunately, this has been going on for many, many years. When I visited the Andamans in 1997 and 2000, Indian VIPs, speak politicians and […]