Thailand is the most dangerous destination for Australian tourists, with 203 deaths recorded in the last year.

Key points: Philippines, Indonesia, US and Vietnam follow Thailand on list

Philippines, Indonesia, US and Vietnam follow Thailand on list Thailand also topped number of hospitalisations, missing persons reports

Thailand also topped number of hospitalisations, missing persons reports DFAT warns there is no legal right to consular assistance

Philippines was next with 126 deaths, followed by Indonesia, the United States and Vietnam.

The main causes of death were illness, natural causes and accidents.

The figures are part of an annual Consular State of Play report, issued by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT).

Thailand also topped the list of consular cases (893), hospitalisations (195) and missing persons reports (74) during the 2016/17 financial year.

Officials urged Australians to take out travel insurance and warned of the limits to the consular services available.

"Although we are proud of the level of assistance we can offer, there is no legal right to consular assistance and no-one should assume that assistance will be provided," DFAT said in the report.

"We may limit our assistance if we consider the circumstances warrant, for example, where the person's actions were illegal, or has put themselves or others at risk through deliberate or repeated reckless or negligent acts, or the person has a pattern of behaviour that has required multiple instances of consular assistance previously.

"The Australian Government cannot get Australians out of prison or detention overseas, or prevent an Australian from being deported."

Australians made 10 million overseas trips in the 2016/17 financial year.

