Do not discuss your business or travel plans in
public areas where they may be overheard. Discuss your travel plans and
movements during your stay with as few people as possible.
Selecting a
hotel room on the third to fifth floor generally will keep you out of reach of
criminal activity from the street but still within reach of most fire truck
ladders.
Do not entertain strangers in your hotel room. If
you feel you must, require them to leave a valid ID card with hotel security or
the front desk.
Be alert to overly friendly locals who may have
criminal intentions. They may offer to take you to a “special” restaurant.
Their ruse may be to offer drugged refreshments.
Never leave valuables in your hotel room exposed or
unattended, even in a locked suitcase.
Place valuables–money, jewelry, airplane tickets,
credit cards, and passport–in a hotel safe deposit box or room safe.
Familiarize yourself with escape routes in case of
fire or other catastrophe.
Use the door chain or bolt lock whenever you are in
your room.
Use the door viewer (peephole) before opening the
door to visitors.
Do not discuss your room number while standing in
the lobby or leave your room key on restaurant or bar tables.
Keep your room neat so you will notice disturbed or
missing items quickly.
Secure your laptop to an immovable object using a
lock and cable. You can purchase one of these for about $25 online. If you have
sensitive files on your laptop, consider removing your hard drive and bringing
it with you when you go out.
Carry a business card from the hotel to make it
easier to get home in a foreign country where not many taxi drivers speak your
language.
Carry a color copy of your Passport wherever you
go. Some countries, like Thailand, require you to carry your Passport at all
time, but most law enforcement officials will not penalize you for having a
copy and going to your hotel room to get the original.
Make sure you know the local phone numbers for
police, fire and emergency. Countries like Thailand have tourist police in
addition to the regular police and they are trained to speak foreign languages
and assist tourists.
Try not to let your credit card get out of sight.
It is very easy for someone to skim your card in just a few seconds.
Just because you are on vacation doesn’t mean you
should let your guard down. Big cities are big cities everywhere in the world
and all big cities have their share of crime.
A little prevention can go a long way in a foreign
country and make your vacation a memorable one.
thanks for your precious time reading this security and safety tips article.