The tourist as victim and protégé of law enforcing agencies

Abstract

Tourists can become adversely affected by the law of a country they visit. The host may commit a crime against the visiting tourist. Conversely, the tourist may commit a crime against the host. A third and interrelated issue concerns the attitude and actions of the host country's legal institutions toward tourists — giving rise to the title of this paper. These issues are explored through information collected during several studies of tourism in Thailand, conducted by the author between 1977 and 1985. Ambivalence in the tourist's role makes him or her vulnerable to criminals, to a country's law and legal process, and to different attitudes of law enforcing agencies. The more a tourist moves about independently, and away from the protective shelter of an ‘environmental bubble’, the more he or she will be at risk.