Travelling can be amazing and full of fun but isn't without its risks. Picture: ThinkStock Source: Supplied
MILLIONS of Australians travel each year without even so much as a hitch, yet hundreds more wind up in hospital, in jail or in the worst case scenario - dead.
But if you think it's just war-torn countries, sheer bad luck or a drunken night out in Bali that pose the greatest risk to intrepid Aussies, think again.
As it turns out, more Australians are in jail in the US than any other country and we face the greatest risk of dying while travelling through Thailand - at least if believe the statistics.
According to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, 90 Australians were arrested or in jail in the US alone on December 31, 2012.
This group made up a total of 572 Australians who had been arrested or were in jail overseas on the same date in countries including China, Thailand, Indonesia and the United Arab Emirates.
And all up, the number of Aussies arrested overseas increased from 970 in 2007-2008 to 1181 in 2011-2012.
However it's not just the threat of jail tourists face.
Last year 111 Aussies died in Thailand, accounting for the largest number of deaths in one country, followed by The Philippines, 68, Greece, 50, and Indonesia 48 with 904 Aussies passing away all up.
And while tourists are advised against travelling to countries such as Afghanistan and Sudan, the figures show travellers can get into trouble in countries seen as relatively safe.
Other tourists find themselves in trouble for offences seen as harmless back in their own countries.
Here's a list of some of places where tourists have wound up going from having the holiday of a lifetime to the nightmare from hell.
Bali, Indonesia:
Bali has around eight million visitors a year and is a popular destinations for Aussies, but has gained a dangerous reputation in recent years, not just because of drugs and cheap alcohol.
Information released by the Department of Foreign Affairs reveal an Australian dies in Bali every nine days with 39 Australians passing away last year.
Another 93 sought consular assistance after being taken to hospital, while 36 were arrested, and 18 jailed.
Aussies are also finding themselves as victims of assault or disputes which have spiralled out of control.
Paul Conibeer who is in Bali's notorious Kerobokan prison Source: Supplied
In April an Australian tourist was raped at knifepoint.
The 28-year-old Perth tourist was attacked after being woken by an intruder who had entered her room at Villa Damais in Kerobokan.
Australian Paul Conibeer ended up in Kerobokan prison over an unpaid hotel bill in Kuta.
According to him, the dispute led to police involvement, but once he was in custody he claims police demanded bribe money to release him, which he wasn't able to pay.
Democratic Republic of the Congo:
Victorian surfer Jayden Irving spent 25 days locked in a Democratic Republic of the Congo prison after a surfing adventure went horribly wrong last year.
The 22-year-old was hitchhiking along the west coast of Africa, surfing the region's remote beaches when he ran into trouble over a visa issue.
Authorities accused him of plotting to bomb the president and interfere with the country's fibre-optic cable network.
It took the diplomatic approach of three countries to secure his release.
Jayden Irving was arrested on a beach in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Picture: Tony Gough Source: News Limited
Dubai, UAE:
Mate Deborah Dalelv found herself sentenced to 16 months in prison for extramarital sex after she reported being raped.
The 24-year-old claims Dubai police asked her: "Are you sure you called the police because you just didn't like it?''
She was later released and allowed to go back to Norway.
Two million Australians through Dubai each year with many unaware of the cultural practices which seem harmless here but are offences over there.
Female travellers and workers are particularly vulnerable to sexual assault.
Australian Alicia Gali was jailed for adultery for eight months in 2008 after she complained to police that her co-workers at a resort in nearby Fujairah drugged her and raped her.
Mate Deborah Dalelv had her 16-month sentence for having sex outside marriage dropped. Picture: AP Source: AP
Thailand
The deadliest destination for Aussies with more of our countrymen dying here than in any other country last year with 111 passing away there last year.
Melbourne man Sebastian Eric Faulkner, 21, was the first Australian to die in Thailand in 2013 when he fell to his death from a Phuket hotel balcony early on New Year's Day.
Just this month, American Bobby Ray Carter, 51, died after he was stabbed twice in the chest while his son Adam, 27, suffered a stab wound to his arm, during a fight with members of the house band from the Longhorn Saloon in Krabi.
Police said the three musicians were arrested at the scene and confessed to stabbing the Americans.
United States
More than 900,000 Aussies visited the US in 2012-13, spurred on by the low US dollar and ease of travel.
But while the arrest rate may be higher here for travellers than elsewhere, it is still regarded as fairly safe country for Australian travellers.
Port Adelaide player John McCarthy died during a trip to Las Vegas in September last year. His death was classified as an accident.
AFL player John McCarthy passed away while in America. Source: News Limited
Greece:
This country which boasts large numbers of dual Australian citizens, was the next most likely spot for Australian passport holders to die, with 58 passing away last year, figures show.
Laos:
A country growing in popularity, a trip to the Asian country is not without some risk.
Travellers have got into trouble through tubing accidents along the country's rivers and through drinking black-market alcohol.
Three young Australians died in Laos in tubing accident just last year.
Alexander Lee, 22, was found dead with his Dutch girlfriend in a Luang Prabang hotel and
Sydney man Lee Hudswell, 26, and Daniel Eimutis, 19, died in separate incidents while tubing in Vang Vieng in 2012.
Other travellers have suffered after drinking a black-market concoction called Lao-Lao whiskey, which has been blamed in travel blogs for people undertaking risky behaviour
Continue the conversation via Twitter @newscomauHQ | @DebKillalea
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