Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
including provision for medical evacuation, is strongly recommended and can be
purchased in the United States prior to travel. Please check with your own insur-
ance company to confirm whether your policy applies overseas, and if it includes
a provision for medical evacuation.
Recent medical evacuations by air ambulance from China to nearby areas
have cost over US $30,000. Two private emergency medical assistance firms,
SOS International, Ltd., and Medex Assistance Corporation, offer medical insur-
ance policies designed for travelers. Both of these companies have staff in China
who can assist in the event.
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Based on the foregoing, it would seem that the best advice is not to
get sick or injured in China. However, the advisory tells you what you need
to do, just in case. Have appropriate travel insurance that is accepted in
the country you are traveling to. As we have mentioned before, Interna-
tional SOS is an excellent resource to contact to cover you in case you have
an unexpected medical emergency. The cost of such protection is reason-
able, especially given the fact that your life may depend on it. In any
event, SOS International has many years of experience assisting Ameri-
cans abroad and is your best choice in case an emergency medical evacu-
ation becomes necessary.
LEARN AND RESPECT LOCAL LAWS AND CUSTOMS
Those who will travel abroad for school need to become familiar with the
laws of the host country. For some reason, most Americans assume that
what is legal or overlooked in the United States will likewise be dealt with
the same way abroad. This may or may not be so. The responsibility, how-
ever, is yours to find out about the local laws before you violate them.
Many people remember the story of the young American boy arrested in
Singapore for defacing property with graffiti. The penalty in Singapore,
an extraordinarily clean and well-kept country, is extremely harsh for this
crime. If you vandalize public or private property in New York City you
will, at worst, receive a summons or you may be compelled to participate
in a public service program where you will scrub graffiti off walls. In
Singapore, the penalty is caning. This is an extremely painful form of
corporal punishment that will definitely dissuade someone from repeat-
ing the crime. For weeks, the U.S. State Department tried to have the
boy's sentence changed or rescinded. Finally, the young man was given
