THE top 20 countries where Brits are most likely to be arrested abroad have been revealed – and the results may shock you.
Contrary to popular belief, Spain isn’t the main destination for British troublemakers abroad.
According to the Foreign Office, more than 4,600 UK nationals were arrested abroad in 2024.
Data obtained by MoneySuperMarket shows that five per cent of offences involved alleged drug smuggling, while three per cent were for sexual offences.
The remaining 92 per cent were arrested for undisclosed reasons.
When looking at total arrests per country, Spain tops the list with 917, followed by the United States with 704.
However, when the numbers are measured as a proportion of UK visitors, a different trend emerges.
Thailand takes the crown, with 245 arrests out of 593,000 visitors.
This equates to roughly one arrest for every 2,420 tourists.
Prisoners Abroad, a charity supporting Britons detained overseas, says there has been a notable rise in arrests for alleged drug smuggling in southeast Asian country.
While low-strength cannabis is legal in Thailand, attempting to take it out of the country is certainly not.
Brits have also fallen foul of several other unusual local laws.
Countries where Britons are most likely to be arrested – Number of tourists per arrest
- Thailand – 2420
- Qatar – 4230
- United Arab Emirates – 5347
- United States – 5759
- Kenya – 5806
- Australia – 5936
- New Zealand – 6666
- Jamaica – 7194
- Indonesia – 7234
- Mexico – 7460
These includes not posting images of alcohol on social media or carrying more than 120 playing cards.
Qatar and the UAE are similarly known for strict drug and alcohol regulations, which explains their positions near the top of the list.
The United States and Kenya ranked fourth and fifth, followed by popular backpacking destinations Australia, New Zealand, and Indonesia.
Mexico and Jamaica complete the top ten.
While Spain records the highest raw number of arrests, its figure is modest relative to its 17.5 million UK visitors.
It equates to one arrest for every 19,379 tourists.
By this measure, Spain ranks 25th globally, sandwiched between Bulgaria and Singapore.
Interestingly, arrests in many hotspots are falling.
Spanish arrests dropped from 1,236 in 2016 to 917 in 2014.
The UAE saw a decrease from 350 to 262 over the same period.
France, Australia, Hong Kong, Croatia, and Norway also recorded fewer British arrests in recent years.
