Why you need travel insurance? While it's true that basic healthcare can be cheap, the emphasis should be on the word basic--not cheap. Thailand, Singapore and to a lesser extent Malaysia have a higher standard of care, than say Cambodia or Burma, but this is often in private hospitals, not public.
With the exception of Singapore, safety standards in Southeast Asia may be lower than what you're used to in the developed world. Here are some of the main things to watch out for.
By and large, with the application of some common sense, Southeast Asia is a safe region for travel. It isn't perfect though. Here's what to keep in mind to up the chances of a trouble-free trip.
Every year another round of final-year results arrive and another year's worth of students decide to take a year off before hitting university--many of them aiming for a stint in Southeast Asia. You'd be mad not to be fitting in a sojourn in the region as a part of your journey, so here's some advic