Being the largest and most populous continent of all, Asia is a massively diverse and colorful place. There is a great variety of stability across the continent. Some regions are safe, others are not – some countries are safe, others are not. We all know about Asian countries that are safe to visit: Japan, Singapore, and Kuwait. Places like that. You probably also have a general idea of which regions to avoid. But what are the most dangerous Asian countries? That question is not easy to answer, and to help my do so, this list is in no particular order. The entries on this article stretch from the crossroads of Europe and the middle east to the far east. The cultures mentioned vary wildly, but all are united in that they are very dangerous countries.
10: Laos
Laos isn’t a country people outside of East Asia know much about. Many don’t even know she exists, but she does. Tucked away in this corner of Asia, Laos is small impoverished and landlocked. It’s about as poor as a country can get, and the people of Laos of starving in many areas. However this is not why Laos is so dangerous. Laos is dangerous because, in a sense, it is haunted by a ghost from it’s past.
During the Vietnam war, America feared Viet Kong forces were operating within Laos, so they decided to bomb it. More than 580 thousand bombings of Laos were undertaken by US forces. Millions of tons of explosives were dropped on the country, many of which were a type of landmine that activated on hitting the ground. As a result, countless landmines are now dotted all over the country waiting for an unlucky person to step on them. It’s thought there are at least 80 million unexploded bombs and landmines still in Laos today, posing a threat to Laos citizens and tourists alike – making Laos one of the most dangerous Asian countries today.
9: Myanmar
Otherwise known as Burma, Myanmar is an isolated and poor nation, a shadow of the modern state it could and should have become. Until recently the country stood as a military dictatorship. However it transitioned into a democracy between 2011 and 2015, seeing the release of many political prisoners and the organization of elections. One of such released prisoners was a woman called Aung San Suu Kyi, who was soon elected as the leader of Myanmar.
She still leads the country but has allowed the military to commit ethnic cleansing within the country, causing people to accuse her of genocide. With the military committing ethnic cleansing and destroying entire villages, parts of Myanmar remain incredibly dangerous and the situation doesn’t look like it will improve any time soon. And that’s not the only problem. Many parts of the economy and parts of Myanmar are still controlled by former members of the military dictatorship. So in effect, part of this nation is a rogue dictatorship, while the others are run by a weak government.
8: Afghanistan
Everyone knows Afghanistan is dangerous but it doesn’t exactly spring to mind when thinking of dangerous Asian countries. I suppose this is because people tend to associate Afghanistan more closely with the middle east culturally than Asia. However, most of the middle east is in Asia, as you’ll find in this list. Afghanistan is in central Asia, and probably the only central Asian country I’m not willing to travel to. For a start, decades of war have bred a battle hardened and traumatized population. Much of the country, especially the rural areas, are literally run by the Taliban or other extremist groups. Even within the large cities like Kabul, terror attacks are common and the government is just as brutal. Kidnappings are not unheard of either. It would be madness to think you could visit Afghanistan and return unharmed. Don’t do it.
7: Yemen
You don’t hear about it much but Yemen is currently the scene of a brutal civil war between two groups each claiming to be the legitimate government. Both sides control significant territory and it’s really unclear how the conflict will be resolved. It’s been raging since 2015 and looks like a stalemate at this point. The capital of Yemen and much of it’s most valuable territory is controlled by Houthi rebels, but Saudi Arabia is heavily supporting the other size. The country has seen and is seeing unspeakably widespread violence in this desperate conflict. Even ISIS are playing a part in the war and control considerable territory of their own. If this wasn’t enough to dissuade you from visiting Yemen, it’s also the most impoverished nation in all the middle east.
6: Philippines
The Philippines is a dream travel destination for many people, including myself. I hope to spend some time there soon. It’s certainly a safe country… or at least, some parts of it are. The Philippines is made up of over 7,600 islands, some of which have been brought more rapidly into the modern world than others. It is incredibly difficult for the government to run the affairs of state in every area of every island, especially when it comes to security. Since 1991 an extremist group known as Abu Sayyaf has been fighting against the government.
They wish to create an independent Islamic caliphate within the Philippines. For decades they have extorted companies to gain millions of dollars in funding and committed terrorist attacks against any who refused to pay them. They also carry out attacks against Christians and tourists of any nationality. In recent years the group pledged allegiance to ISIS. Although it’s thought the group currently have less than 200 fighters, they remain a very real threat. Luckily they only tend to operate in the southern islands of the Philippines. Travel to some islands in the south are therefore advised against visiting, since Abu Sayyaf really could kidnap or even kill you.
5: Iraq
Iraq has for decades been one of the most dangerous Asian countries without a doubt. Even Saddam era Iraq was a bad place to visit, with a government being that oppressive and his sons running around terrorizing Baghdad. But Iraq today is even more dangerous than before. The power vacuum and absolute chaos that immediately followed the overthrow and execution of Saddam caused anarchy in many parts of Iraq. Insurgent forces flooded in from Iran and other countries to fight for their own influence. Home grown terror groups committed unspeakable acts of terror. And then came ISIS.
Although ISIS is on the decline they still control much of Iraq and their allies also operate. To visit Iraq now is to risk not only being kidnapped, but blown up by land mines or killed by an air strike by the west. Even know the Iraqi army is gradually taking back control of each town and city, they will likely fall back into the trap of corruption and discrimination that allowed ISIS to embarrass them so. Perhaps a new group just as bad and just as strong will soon emerge and reconquer northern Iraq. Either way, Iraq will likely be one of the most dangerous Asian countries for decades to come.
4: Pakistan
Forget dangerous Asian countries, Pakistan is swiftly becoming one of the most dangerous countries in the world. Despite being a democracy and ally to the west, Pakistan has always been reluctant to crack down on the terrorist threat within in borders. Parts of Pakistan are seen as a refuge to the Taliban, and it’s thought terrorist training camps operate in the hard to reach northern regions of Pakistan. This is why Osama Bin Laden chose to hide within Pakistan, along with countless other dangerous extremists.
Kidnappings are a normal part of life. Bombings are a normal part of life, and many of the urban centers in Pakistan are ruled by criminal gangs. All this and more ensure Pakistan is among the most dangerous Asian countries and possibly will be the most dangerous within s few years – both on a personal and geopolitical level. This is an especially real threat thanks in part to the conflict between Pakistan and India, and because both nation hosts a massive nuclear arsenal.
3: Syria
Syria until recently considered an unusually stable nation in a region rocked by constant war and government failure. Then in 2011 rebellion broke out among the Syrian army, starting the Syrian civil war. Over 7 years later that war is still ongoing. Seven years of warfare has absolutely devastated the country and it’s people, leaving nothing much more than rubble. Millions of Syrian citizens have been driven to flee as refugees. Many who didn’t leave are now dead. With Iran and Russia backing the Assad regime and NATO backing the rebel forces, the conflict has become something of a poster child for proxy warfare. Add ISIS to the mix, and it’s clear to understand how the situation in Syria has become so deadly.
ISIS are currently on their last legs, making a final stand against opponents within Syria. They will soon be gone, but the civil war will not nearly be over. If anything the Syrian Civil war seems to only be getting worse. No one knows for certain how or when it will end. The only certainty is that there is much more bloodshed to come. Where once stood a stable and largely peaceful nation is now a failed state torn apart by years of all out war and terror.
2: North Korea
Do I really need to say why North Korea is so dangerous? No. But I’m going to anyway. An isolated hermit state with an economy that always looks ready to collapse, North Korea is primarily a threat to global peace, being a brutal dictatorship in possession of nuclear weapons. The greatest fear is that they nuke South Korea, or even Japan. This would devastate the global economy since both nations are major financial centers.
On top of that, North Korea is dangerous on a personal level. Anyone within the country is at risk of being sent to a prison camp at any time. They could also simply be abducted and executed in secret. In 2016 an American tourist by the name of Otto Warmbier was arrested while on a tour in North Korea. Accused of various trumped up charges, he was sentenced to 15 years in a prison camp. Then, just over a year later he was released by North Korea. He was in a coma when they release him, and died soon after. This is a very real threat to anyone from the west who visits North Korea. Even people from other dangerous Asian countries are too scared to visit North Korea. It’s just not a good idea to go.
1: India
In a recent survey, India was named the world’s most dangerous country for women. Violence against women in this country are extremely high – which includes sexual assault, harassment and abduction. Most people who visit India do so without any trouble at all, and the chances are you’ll be safe the whole time. But it’s still such a big risk to visit India, especially for a woman. I would advice against a woman visiting unless absolutely necessary. You really might have expected India to be listed among dangerous Asian countries like Syria and North Korea, especially given the progress made by India over the last few decades. But the fact remains that this country is dangerous, with rather high levels of robbery, violence, and sexual slavery.