Do not have sex outside marriage in the United Arab Emirates, do not answer a policeman back in Australia and do not insult the Thai royal family.
These are some of the recommendations contained in TravelWise, a new app from the Department of Foreign Affairs which contains information on every country in the world.
The app offers advice on safety and security and grades every country from green (safe to visit) to red (do not visit).
One of the app’s sections is on local laws and customs.
It offers a lot of advice to visitors to the UAE , a country which is popular with both Irish tourists and emigrants.
The app states that sex outside marriage is illegal in the UAE, as is cohabitation, adultery and homosexual behaviour.
“If you conduct a sexual relationship outside heterosexual marriage you run the risk of prosecution, imprisonment and/or a fine and deportation.”
It also warns that if a woman gets pregnant outside marriage, she and her partner could face imprisonment or deportation.
Unmarried mothers may encounter problems when registering the birth of their child and could also face imprisonment, arrest or deportation.
Public displays of affection, including kissing and cuddling, are illegal.
Meanwhile, Irish visitors to Australia are being warned that the police do not take a lenient attitude when it comes to implementing the law.
The young Irish in Australia would appear to have a reputation for indulging in anti-social behaviour, judging by the actions of Australian journalist Josh Massoud, who recently posted following a storm in the Sydney suburb Coogee: "Coogee demolished over the weekend and for a pleasant change the Irish aren't to blame."
The app states: "What might pass in Ireland for friendly banter may be interpreted in Australia as a refusal to follow the orders of a police officer.
“Disrespectful language or physical contact, especially from people under the influence of alcohol, is not tolerated.”
Public drunkenness
TravelWise also advises Irish travellers that New Zealand has a less tolerant attitude to public drunkenness than might be imagined.
“A number of Irish visitors have spent a night in the police cells in New Zealand having been arrested while under the influence,” it states.
“It’s surprisingly easy to get a criminal conviction. Remember that New Zealand police are strict and will not tolerate disrespectful language, much less physical contact, from inebriated revellers.”
Italy is another country where public drunkenness is frowned upon.
TravelWise recommends: “There’s a cultural taboo and intolerance regarding public intoxication and in particular anti-social behaviour as a result of excessive alcohol consumption.”
The app points out that it is a criminal offence to make critical remarks about the Thai King or his family.
There are innumerable examples of Thais and foreigners falling foul of the country’s strict lèse majesté laws which can result in lengthy prison sentences.
The travel advise gives a lengthy exposition on all the things not to do in Singapore.
Do not display the national flag, do not proselytise as a member of the Jehovah’s Witnesses and do not chew gun on the Mass Rapid Transit System.
TravelWise is available to download on all IOS and Android platforms.
