Countries have been sorted into four categories with the safest in Group 1 and the most dangerous in Group 4. Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, Malaysia and Singapore were all ranked as Group 1.
Indonesia was the only country in this region of Southeast Asia not in Group 1. Indonesia’s along with The Philippines’ Group 2 ranking means the State Department considers US citizens need to be aware there are elevated risks to their personal safety and security when visiting.
In a sign that while the listing system might be new its list of country names is not. Myanmar was still listed as Burma. The ruling generals changed the name almost 30 years ago, back in 1989. Whatever the name, the State Department considers it a low-risk destination and placed it in Group 1.
The 12GO ASIA news team says there are not many countries in Group 4. These include Iran, Iraq, Yemen, Syria and North Korea.
US State Department new risk table shows Southeast Asia is safe
News in Asia
The US Department of State’s new travel advisory tables show most of Southeast Asia is considered safe. The department tweaked the tables earlier in January to provide travellers with easy-to-read advice on which countries are safe to visit and which are not.