Posted on 12/30/2004 7:39:57 AM PST by dob
Swedish Premier Göran Persson announced that the number of missing Swedes in Thailand could number above 1000. Only 50 dead swedes have been indentified so far. Between 1400 and 4500 swedes are still missing. (The conservative estimate is based only on the three largest travel agencies.)
I don't think the numbers are strange, the information I had was 30 000 swedish tourists in the struck area, and 5000 of them missing according to this article. The latest in swedish media is 3500 missing though, 59 confirmed dead.
The reason so many go to Phuket?
-It's very cheap.
-It's "in".
-It's relatively safe, clean and family friendly.
-Enough swedes travel there to have chartered planes for tourists going there directly. (Makes it even cheaper)
Even though Florida is closer, it's a lot more expensive.
As for the Mediterranean, it's simply too cold for beach vacation at this time of year.
My neighbours, a couple who are nurses and have a 4 year old daughter were supposed to travel to Phuket today, but now they cancelled it, of course, I'm just so happy they didn't go a week earlier.
Any other non PC reasons? Don't take immediate offense - there just seems that there has to be other reasons to make the numbers work.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.