How Can One Protect His Family In Thailand

[IMChris]

I was wondering what some of you have done to protect your home and family. GUNS? BIG KNIVES? send out your Mother Inlaw? How far can we go with this. There is no police around for miles. If things get worse I need to be able to set up a plan. Thanks for your input

[jumnien]

If there are no police around for miles you shouldn't have any problems. Just hope they keep a distance!

No really, I live in a bit of a remote location and couldn't feel safer. Much safer than California!

[Jared]

I keep a baseball bat beside the bed incase of any breakins at night time but thats about it. It would be interesting to know what you can legally do or get away with to someone if they break into your house and are in your property. For instance what if they had knives or guns etc on them but you got to yours first and they ended up on the ground?

[The Dan Sai Kid]

I don't think that farang are allowed to own guns in LOS.

You could hire a beefy security guard.

[mpdkorat]

I keep a baseball bat beside the bed incase of any breakins at night time but thats about it. It would be interesting to know what you can legally do or get away with to someone if they break into your house and are in your property. For instance what if they had knives or guns etc on them but you got to yours first and they ended up on the ground?

Are you still living round the corner from me? Do not worry this area is pretty safe, never heard of any problems. But having the baseball bat will give you piece of mind.

[Casanundra]

Maybe it's just me but protect yourself from what exactly?

If you live in a place that has you at some sort of risk from the locals or others in the neighbourhood, surely it is better to just move elsewhere and not have to think about protecting yourself.

I don't think Thailand has the same American notion of having the right to bear arms in order to protect yourself and if you do end up going toe to toe with someone in your bed room, make sure you have a shovel handy by which to bury them under the patio with because it's bound to be stacked up against you no matter which way the Thai sun is shining.

[Jared]

I keep a baseball bat beside the bed incase of any breakins at night time but thats about it. It would be interesting to know what you can legally do or get away with to someone if they break into your house and are in your property. For instance what if they had knives or guns etc on them but you got to yours first and they ended up on the ground?

Are you still living round the corner from me? Do not worry this area is pretty safe, never heard of any problems. But having the baseball bat will give you piece of mind.

Yeah were still here we rented the place for a year so still plenty of time here. More than anything its for piece of mind and up until about a week ago I had a 80,000 baht pc on display in the front window with all my work on it. If someone wanted it they could of been in and out of the place within 5 minutes. There had been to many glaring eyes from the builders looking through the window as of late so ive moved it upstairs, also more piece and quite from the wife. Apart from that the area is great and in the future if we get a property it will definately be over this side of Korat.

[Cuban]

Houses with big dogs are less easy targets for the baddies.

Gravel on the ground will ensure the baddies wake the dogs up when they come calling.

As for the guns, wipe your prints off before you plant the gun on their dead bodies.

[ray23]

You could start by taking your PC out of the window display

Then the mother in law

Or Dogs

Guns unless you have special permits that is a no no

Baseball bat, shovel, any usuable household item would be OK

Wasnt that what some forms of Karate was based on using odinary objects as weapons?

[MarcoH]

I don't think that farang are allowed to own guns in LOS.

You could hire a beefy security guard.

Just a short one.

Yes Guns are not allowed to own by foreighner with out thai gun license, that will polis issue, so far have not heard any one having here.

But as some one ask also, protect you from whom?

talk to your girl family and check has there been any robberies or similarities,, i have to say i feel confident as i live center of small village with 2.1met tall concgrete fence,and no one has any direct view inside and extra protection is police who lives behind me,, so all angles are covered.

[LaoPo]

I was wondering what some of you have done to protect your home and family. GUNS? BIG KNIVES? send out your Mother Inlaw? How far can we go with this. There is no police around for miles. If things get worse I need to be able to set up a plan. Thanks for your input

You're right!

Here's a start how to protect your family.

Have a pick:

http://images.google.com/images?svnum=10&a...q=heavy+weapons

LaoPo

[bergen]

It is possible to get a gun license, if you have good contacts in the police or with top officials in your district, but more easy to register in your wife/other family member's name.

If you don't know the right people, get a membership in a shooting club/range, and you will soon know a lot of police or military personell, and they will help you.

The dog option will work fine, as I have 2 Mastifs inside the house and 3 Bangkaeos outside.

[IMChris]

It is possible to get a gun license, if you have good contacts in the police or with top officials in your district, but more easy to register in your wife/other family member's name.

If you don't know the right people, get a membership in a shooting club/range, and you will soon know a lot of police or military personell, and they will help you.

The dog option will work fine, as I have 2 Mastifs inside the house and 3 Bangkaeos outside.

IS that what you call them Bangkaeos We had 2 of those dogs Male and Female. These little dogs fell in love me and when Im there they wont leave my side. Im able to sneek in and out of the house all the time without them barking but my wife tells me we now have 8 little Bangkaeos. ( Will be paying a visit to the VET) Anybody looking for a nice puppy. Also to note that my father inlaw has put in a nice little wall around the place with golden tip spears every foot. You have to be very careful when trying to climbing over the fence at 4 am to sneak out, I go to the Wat and hang out with the Monks. Heck thier lights are on, the music is turned up. I even have to bring a extra cup of coffee for the head Buddha.

Thank Buddha Im going home on the 6th of April. Non Bun Nack area.

[32x]

We have a little dog with the heart & roar of a lion.

Also my brother-in-law lives next door & hes got a Gun & rifle.

[Alf Witt]

But having the baseball bat will give you piece of mind.

Did you mean "peace of mind", or were you thinking of someone's brain on the end of the bat?

[Khutan]

I don't think that farang are allowed to own guns in LOS....

But your wife sure can.

[ray23]

Attempted break in two doors down from us the corner house. The guy who owns is a cop in NKP so it's vacant most of the time this was at 1930 Hrs. The people across the street were watching but said nothing. The farrang woman across the street from us yelled at the guy. He began jumping fences coming toward our house. Chocolate ( our dog) didn't like that much so he changed directions and went over the fence toward the gate. security was notified after being woke up and were worthless, The local cops came out and the house has been secured.

The house has bars so he twisted off the kitchen door knob off to gain entry with some sort of tool I'm afraid there was way to much confusion to even attempt to get a discription of the guy.

By the way you need the phone number to the local Moobaan Police station, Udon will not respond out here.

The e-mail above is the e-mail I sent to friends in the nieghborhood tonight

Based on this I can say tha people uninvolved in the nieghborhood, such as those sitting across the street and saying not are not much help. On the other had the other nieghbor stopped the crime. Simply by yelling a the idividual, she didn't beat the guy with anything just yelled at him. So maybe a part of the answer migjht be to work at being a good neighbor and hoping you get the same in return.

[phibunmike]

Yes Guns are not allowed to own by foreighner with out thai gun license, that will polis issue, so far have not heard any one having here.

But as some one ask also, protect you from whom?

talk to your girl family and check has there been any robberies or similarities,, i have to say i feel confident as i live center of small village with 2.1met tall concgrete fence,and no one has any direct view inside and extra protection is police who lives behind me,, so all angles are covered.

If you are within a village, you are probably safe. I live in a remote location, and have to be careful. An entire (Thai) family some 30km from me was murdered by burglars who got probably just a few baht and a little gold. I have been burgled once. I have had a guard dog stolen. I do not want to be in the position of being attacked by several drunk thugs and being completely defenceless. Therefore I take precautions.

[Dave the Dude]

So maybe a part of the answer migjht be to work at being a good neighbor and hoping you get the same in return.

Hi Ray

My thoughts entirely. With all the old Thai ladies around, I can't imagine anything happening without being spotted. If they had curtains, They would sure be twitching

Enjoy the bike run. I'll be there in spirit

Regards

[jay-uk]

thai mother-in-laws breath is usually a good deterant for burglars! its better than any guard dog........

[ray23]

Thanks Dave maybe next time yuo can join us.

[soidog2]

I was wondering what some of you have done to protect your home and family. GUNS? BIG KNIVES? send out your Mother Inlaw? How far can we go with this. There is no police around for miles. If things get worse I need to be able to set up a plan. Thanks for your input

If you are a steady member, you will remember I reported a series of burglaries in around where we live. If not, search for the posts.

To keep it on topic I will tell you what steps I’ve taken to protect myself & my family.

(Oh yes, I also thought it's perfectly peaceful and safe until it happened, than it was too late.

As I was forced to dwell in the darker depth of Thai village society I found out robbery and violence are common, almost daily occurrences underneath the peaceful veneer.

Go to any rural police station and look at their dally log.

Should anything happen to you, expect no real help from the authorities.

They see you as having too much money therefore the "real" cause of whatever happened.)

# 1 Get a top notch burglar alarm to cover your entire house including every window or opening. A do it yourself wireless job does not qualify.

# 2 Install motion/infrared detector activated security lights around the vulnerable areas outside your house.

# 3 If and only you’re familiar with guns and know how to use one in an emergency; It’s quite easy to get a gun permit on your wife’s name. It involves filing out an application in the local (city hall equivalent) office, than finger prints get sent to BKK, after about three weeks you’re given a permit to buy the gun you applied for. You must make the purchase within six month or loose the permit.

# 4 You can apply for a “ red box “ service from the nearest police station.

For a small monthly fee to cover gas and food for the police man on patrol,

One or two times a day/night they will go out and check on your property. It’s called a red box because the log they must sign when at your property is in a red box

# 5 Prevention is always the cheapest and works best. Institute a disinformation program around your village by where you have had some misfortune and lost a substantial part of your wealth.

Keep visitors to your house at a minimum and only people you absolutely know to be honest and your friends. ETC. Common sense does work

If you need real help feel free to PM me.

[StickKettleOn]

Soidog2 has some useful points. I would agree in full with this.

A quick take on something; burglars entering your home at night, and your position. A few here have suggested that ferang may find themselves in legal bother should they attack and hurt a trespasser.

As far as I am aware - the Thais generally consider an intrusion resulting in harm to the intruder or even death to be 'sum nam naa'. They consider your home to be sacred and defensible at all costs. To me, the impression I get is that there is a definitive line you do not cross - the home.

It seems that protecting your home, family and valuables within your property, to the extreme of major violence, is a mitigating factor here in los. I am not sure of the official legal line, but the accepted moral code is that you can beat the crap out of someone, or even kill someone, if they have crossed that line. This is one of the few scenarios that even apply to us ferang.

I lived up country for a while and was the sole ferang in a town of 4,000 Thais. I was told directly by the moo baan police that if someone broke into my house whilst I was there, I should get medieval on his arse and beat the crap out of him to the point that he is out cold.

I lived in a peaceful town and had no worries, apart from one very freaky, twisted, insane (literally) guy who used to have a thing for my girlfriend and would turn up outside the house on his bike and declare his love by way of signing out loud. We used to wake up in the morning and find flowers and food on the doorstep, with a note from him. He would drive by the house 100 times a day, back and forth. He used to leave notes saying 'as long as I can drive by and see your face, I am the happiest man on earth'. He would sit over the road from the house and just stare at the house.... at like 3pm in the afternoon in his best charity suit. The guy was a real freak. Real creepy, nerdy looking guy. Like a Thai Norman Bates... nerdy but edgy and very weird.

Then he began to follow us to restraunts, shopping, even paying the bills. It got to the point that I would not let the Mrs Leave the house without me.

That is when I went to the police and asked if I could have permission to beat the <deleted> out of him. I am aware that pre-meditated violence against a Thai is a very bad move - and even defensive violence is not ideal (outside the home). Hence, my approach to the police. They told me that if I laid a finger on him, even though he was clearly in the wrong, I would be in trouble. They said that all the local Thai's hated this guy as he was a real creep - but if I started on him, the local Thais would probably defend him and on top of that, I would be arrested and charged.

However, they said that if he so much as put one foot on our garden, I would have full license to go to town on him. Our property, they said, is our castle and should be defended at all costs. I even told them that I had various weapons scattered around the house in the event of him coming near us. I was directly told to use them on him if he came near us at home, to a degree I felt appropriate.

Eventually, he went away but the point is clear - your home is your home. A guys/s breaks in when you are there; hit him until he does not move any more.

[IMChris]

Soidog2 has some useful points. I would agree in full with this.

A quick take on something; burglars entering your home at night, and your position. A few here have suggested that ferang may find themselves in legal bother should they attack and hurt a trespasser.

As far as I am aware - the Thais generally consider an intrusion resulting in harm to the intruder or even death to be 'sum nam naa'. They consider your home to be sacred and defensible at all costs. To me, the impression I get is that there is a definitive line you do not cross - the home.

It seems that protecting your home, family and valuables within your property, to the extreme of major violence, is a mitigating factor here in los. I am not sure of the official legal line, but the accepted moral code is that you can beat the crap out of someone, or even kill someone, if they have crossed that line. This is one of the few scenarios that even apply to us ferang.

I lived up country for a while and was the sole ferang in a town of 4,000 Thais. I was told directly by the moo baan police that if someone broke into my house whilst I was there, I should get medieval on his arse and beat the crap out of him to the point that he is out cold.

I lived in a peaceful town and had no worries, apart from one very freaky, twisted, insane (literally) guy who used to have a thing for my girlfriend and would turn up outside the house on his bike and declare his love by way of signing out loud. We used to wake up in the morning and find flowers and food on the doorstep, with a note from him. He would drive by the house 100 times a day, back and forth. He used to leave notes saying 'as long as I can drive by and see your face, I am the happiest man on earth'. He would sit over the road from the house and just stare at the house.... at like 3pm in the afternoon in his best charity suit. The guy was a real freak. Real creepy, nerdy looking guy. Like a Thai Norman Bates... nerdy but edgy and very weird.

Then he began to follow us to restraunts, shopping, even paying the bills. It got to the point that I would not let the Mrs Leave the house without me.

That is when I went to the police and asked if I could have permission to beat the <deleted> out of him. I am aware that pre-meditated violence against a Thai is a very bad move - and even defensive violence is not ideal (outside the home). Hence, my approach to the police. They told me that if I laid a finger on him, even though he was clearly in the wrong, I would be in trouble. They said that all the local Thai's hated this guy as he was a real creep - but if I started on him, the local Thais would probably defend him and on top of that, I would be arrested and charged.

However, they said that if he so much as put one foot on our garden, I would have full license to go to town on him. Our property, they said, is our castle and should be defended at all costs. I even told them that I had various weapons scattered around the house in the event of him coming near us. I was directly told to use them on him if he came near us at home, to a degree I felt appropriate.

Eventually, he went away but the point is clear - your home is your home. A guys/s breaks in when you are there; hit him until he does not move any more.

Thank you everybody for the help