Tips for avoiding losing kids abroad (or finding them fast)

[RichR]

I am planning on doing a 2 month trip to Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam with my three kids - they'll be 9, 12 and 14. My 14 year old in particular has a habit of wandering off when he sees something interesting.

I'd love to hear tips on:

1. How to avoid losing them in a country where they don't speak the language
2. And how to find them quickly.

I'm imagining people will have a range of smart technology related suggestions (for the 14 year old) and some really simple suggestions as well.

Thanks

I have used those wrist bands (festival or hospital style) to keep key contact details on the kids, should they get lost

My suggestion would be telling the 14 year old not to just wander off and keeping an eye on the younger ones

I realise that's possibly too simplistic however but what else can you realistically do?

A cheap mobile, in a pouch round his neck?

And a phrasebook

Mine our younger but we've always said if you get separated from us, stand still and we will find you. It's easier than everyone wandering around and missing each other and you can go back, retrace your steps and try and work out where they've wandered off to (in theory anyway!).

There is a new watch call the "Filip" that connects to the phone network the lets your kids call or text you and you them (and four pre-entered other numbers) - it also plots to google maps so you can track them down to street level - and it alerts you of they go outside a prespecified area

Ah sorry just checked and www.myfilip.com is only USA

I had very bright t shirts and baseball caps when we went to Florida so they stood out.

make them learn a few words of the language I suppose.

What you do if you're me when my kids were younger is stick to them like superglue, count them again and again and generally be a completely invasive pain in the neck. But all you can realistically do is talk to them about it - explain why it's especially important that they don't wander off given the language issues.

And please come back and let us know how much you had to pay in school holiday fines.

Write down the name of your hotel for them, in areas of high illiteracy teach them to say it.

That way in extreme emergencies they can use the police to find you.

Thanks all for the ideas and suggestions.
Hassled: On the basis of explaining the benefits of the trip, I have already got authorisation from both primary and high school (a year in advance)! Probably helps having slightly longer summer hols in Scotland, so only missing just over a week at the end of the summer term.

Should have added that, despite different nickname, I posted original question!

Yes I was going to suggest they all have the business card of the hotel in their pockets. I do that as an adult travelling in case I get myself lost

I like the idea of having the name and address of the hotel on them at all times. Cheap mobiles for all?

I lost DS when he was 5 - in Lanzarote. However he made his way back to the hotel and reported himself as lost to the reception desk. They looked after him.

At those ages I think I'd get them all cheap mobiles.

Agree a meet-up place every time you go to a new area. If all else fails go to e.g. main gate, tallest building, whatever.

Remember if you've lost your phone you've lost everything so write down contact and memorise contact numbers of family.