Is Thailand Safe for Kids?

[Skytrain2hell]

I've been asked this a few times by my friends in Europe/USA, and it blows my mind every time. I consider Bangkok to be one of the safest large cities in which I've ever lived, as long as you carry around some common sense with you! I found a good article on BKK Families about this, and thought I'd share it: https://bkkfamilies.com/is-bangkok-safe-for-kids/

 

All in all, I don't think there is much to worry about outside of the normal parent worries. Schooling and education can be a pain for most if you're not rich, but there are many positives that do make up for that. 

[Tounge Thaied]

The entire world is BEING gripped in fear. 

[mr mr]

26 minutes ago, Skytrain2hell said:

I consider Bangkok to be one of the safest large cities in which I've ever lived,

if you take away the mass carnage on the roads and life threatening pollution levels i do tend to agree with you. 

[Otto2020]

Appreciate the question. But also funny. First of all no country can be stamped as "save" for a little boy. In Thailand you will 99.99% never experience shooting amok like in US. 

The worry you have doesn't match Thailand. It is too far away. It should be asked in a war countries like iraq, border between israel and palastine, sudan, kenya, etc. 

Edited July 15, 2020 by Otto2020

[englishoak]

Depends what the context safe for kids means. I would take my lead from the local Thais

 

There are bars on the windows of nearly every Thai house on the ground floor, Thais are not trusting of strangers no matter the nationality, especially with their kids and extra so in the citiy of Bangkok . I dont know one Thai that would consider Bangkok or anywhere else in Thailand safe for small kids to be without the parents or guardian looking out for them. Children below teens are not usually seen out playing together or out in shopping centers nor public transport etc without an older sibling or adult and theres a healthy concern about having kids stolen or taken away by strangers... a very real problem back in the 80s/90s  in Thailand apparently, something the society hasnt forgotten 

 

Your child your responsibility but I would not dismiss Thailand as safe in all context re kids at all. 

Edited July 15, 2020 by englishoak

[kingofthemountain]

Is Thailand safe for kids?

 

No

 

not more or less than another random country

less risks of attack, kidnapping or shooting by firearms than in few others countries

but more risk with the pollution and the road carnage.

Also some nasty things like dengue with mosquitoes

the rabies virus from a dog bite and so on

i don't even mention the food poisoning, the dirty water and the sun burst

 

There is an urban legend stating that Thailand is a sort of paradise

for the child and all the thais are immediately in love with your child

 

it's just a legend and because of that almost the flights from foreign countries

to Thailand (And return) were polluted by some irresponsibles tourists

parents with their howler newborns.

 

[scorecard]

"All in all, I don't think there is much to worry about outside of the normal parent worries."

 

Just keep in mind that about 300 to 400 Thai kids disappear every year and most never found.

 

But no doubt kids disappearing/never found happens in all countries and in reality not high for Thailand, but many countries much higher.

 

But none of that takes away the parents lifetime grief, pain, soul-searching, assumed guilt, wondering if the kid is still alive and being mistreated etc., for the rest of the parents life.

Edited July 17, 2020 by scorecard

[tonray]

On 7/16/2020 at 12:22 AM, Otto2020 said:

In Thailand you will 99.99% never experience shooting amok like in US.

Having lived in the US, my estimate is that 99% of Americans never experience shooting amok either.

[BritManToo]

On 7/16/2020 at 1:02 AM, englishoak said:

Children below teens are not usually seen out playing together or out in shopping centers nor public transport etc without an older sibling or adult and theres a healthy concern about having kids stolen or taken away by strangers.

My kid's been out playing in the road since he was 3 years old.

Along with everyone else's kids.

Edited July 17, 2020 by BritManToo

[englishoak]

34 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

My kid's been out playing in the road since he was 3 years old.

Along with everyone else's kids.

fair do's, I know in villages its different, nothing like that in Bangkok where i was though. 

[1FinickyOne]

1 hour ago, tonray said:

Having lived in the US, my estimate is that 99% of Americans never experience shooting amok either.

That's true, maybe w/some % adjustment for a few bad neighborhoods like in Chicago etc... but I think the larger effect might be the fear that permeates in USA and the kids and their parents live in that horrible bubble of fear... warranted by stats or not.. 

[peleid]

On 7/16/2020 at 1:02 AM, englishoak said:

Depends what the context safe for kids means. I would take my lead from the local Thais

 

There are bars on the windows of nearly every Thai house on the ground floor, Thais are not trusting of strangers no matter the nationality, especially with their kids and extra so in the citiy of Bangkok . I dont know one Thai that would consider Bangkok or anywhere else in Thailand safe for small kids to be without the parents or guardian looking out for them. Children below teens are not usually seen out playing together or out in shopping centers nor public transport etc without an older sibling or adult and theres a healthy concern about having kids stolen or taken away by strangers... a very real problem back in the 80s/90s  in Thailand apparently, something the society hasnt forgotten 

 

Your child your responsibility but I would not dismiss Thailand as safe in all context re kids at all. 

Same all over the world, unfortunately

[bbz404]

No it’s not. 
where in Bangkok (outside of the safety of a Moo Baan) can a kid roam freely without the fear of being hit by a car or bitten by a stray dog? Plus, the pollution in the air and the unbearable heat. 
There are almost no public open air playgrounds and people are generally not allowing their kids to play with stranger’s kids. 
i have just relocated to Europe with my family precisely for the possibilities in proper child development and safety here compared to Bangkok/Thailand. In the last two months, my 3 year old has found confidence, self-esteem and friends merely by being outside everyday and being left to make her own discoveries without the constant presence of a parent. That’s just not possible in BKK. 
Adding to that, the horrendous public school system and endless time spent in traffic just for going to school, our decision to leave was definitely the right one.  

[dimitriv]

12 minutes ago, bbz404 said:

i have just relocated to Europe with my family precisely for the possibilities in proper child development and safety here compared to Bangkok/Thailand. In the last two months, my 3 year old has found confidence, self-esteem and friends merely by being outside everyday and being left to make her own discoveries without the constant presence of a parent.

 

I would not allow my 3 year old kid outside alone in Europe. My parents let me do that 40 years ago. But nowadays I wouldn't let my kids do that. Too much weird and crazy  people walking around.

 

 

[bbz404]

1 minute ago, dimitriv said:

 

I would not allow my 3 year old kid outside alone in Europe. My parents let me do that 40 years ago. But nowadays I wouldn't let my kids do that. Too much weird and crazy  people walking around.

 

 

It really depends where you are but agreed there are some weird people. Don’t get me wrong, I or my wife will go outside with her but we’ll not feel obligated to watch her every move as we would in Thailand for fear of being hit by oncoming traffic. 

[dimitriv]

1 minute ago, bbz404 said:

It really depends where you are but agreed there are some weird people. Don’t get me wrong, I or my wife will go outside with her but we’ll not feel obligated to watch her every move as we would in Thailand for fear of being hit by oncoming traffic. 

 

My son is 18 years old now. But I remember that when he was 5 years old we sometimes let him play outside with his friends, without us watching all the time.

 

They were playing soccer outside. He told me about that friendly man who helped inflating the ball. The man took him and his friend into his garage to help.

 

We always told him not to talk with strange people. But this man was probably very friendly so our rules didn't apply. Fortunately nothing happened.

 

That was the last time he played outside without our supervision.

   

 

 

[4MyEgo]

3 hours ago, englishoak said:

fair do's, I know in villages its different, nothing like that in Bangkok where i was though. 

We live in a rural village and none of our kids go out that front gate, and to be fair, it would be the same back in Sydney.

 

To raise kids in today's world is one thing, to let them out and about, even to roam in the village streets on a bicycle is a decision for each parent, but for us watching cars driving through at over the speed limit and young guys on motorbikes tucked down and in going like a bat out of hell in a village street tells us that kids walking or riding their bikes along can easily be a statistic, just like the soi dogs, so inside our front gate is as far as they go, i.e. unless the older ones do an eron for mum and take the motorbike up the road.

 

Back in the day I remember the local park some 400 metres up the road was our hang out place from dawn to dusk, even Wally the gardner would keep an eye out for us kids, as would the parents of other kids sitting on their front porches across the road, different times to today.

 

Call us overprotective or the Thai's more relaxed, but keeping our pups close to us means less exposure to those big bad wolves, well at least till they reach a level that they can fend for themselves.  

Edited July 17, 2020 by 4MyEgo

[Hanuman2547]

After my Thai wife finished graduate school in the USA we moved to Bangkok for what was going to be a two year working visit.  12 years later we returned to the USA.  When we arrived in Bangkok our two luk krung boys spoke very little Thai.  They learned quickly and attended two very good Thai schools.  As far as safety goes.  The biggest issues have already been discussed here, noise, pollution, traffic, accidents, etc.  They did well in school and made lots of friends.  When we relocated to the USA they were now 16 & 14.  They did continued to do well in school.  Both went on to university and graduated in Business and the other in Economics.  They are in their early 30's now and have successful careers in their fields.  My older son did confide in me a few years ago that when the traffic was bad he and his brother would take a motorcycle taxi from their school on one end of Sathorn up to their Mom's office on the other end of Sathorn.  Luckily nothing ever happened and they used to split the taxi money!  The were around 14 & 12 at the time.  

[scorecard]

1 hour ago, dimitriv said:

 

My son is 18 years old now. But I remember that when he was 5 years old we sometimes let him play outside with his friends, without us watching all the time.

 

They were playing soccer outside. He told me about that friendly man who helped inflating the ball. The man took him and his friend into his garage to help.

 

We always told him not to talk with strange people. But this man was probably very friendly so our rules didn't apply. Fortunately nothing happened.

 

That was the last time he played outside without our supervision.

   

 

 

Granddaughter when 10 yo went to to a good bilingual school, bit expensive. School got a new IT teacher, young Thai lady 20 yo, no quals. or exp.

 

Teacher decided to teach/coach every kid to open a facebook account, all with fake date of birth because they were to young according to facebook rules.

 

Within a couple of days many kids had replies asking them to meet at 7 to buy an ice cream etc.

 

A parent noticed and quickly told other parents who quickly checked and found the same.

 

School head refused to accept there was anything wrong, 'you should respect the teacher, she's trying to help your kids'.

 

Group of parents went to the police who did investigate quickly and instructed the school owner to dismiss the teacher and make some internal rules that teachers are not allowed to do things like this.

 

School owner gave the parents a lecture for causing trouble. 

 

 

[NoshowJones]

On 7/16/2020 at 12:00 AM, mr mr said:

if you take away the mass carnage on the roads and life threatening pollution levels i do tend to agree with you. 

This is going to be controversal. I have driven and ridden over the main parts of Bangkok quite a few times, and I have to say I have found it much safer than driving in any other city in Thailand, ie Riot Et, Nakhon Sawan etc.

[Acharn]

On 7/15/2020 at 11:49 PM, Tounge Thaied said:

The entire world is BEING gripped in fear. 

There is no agent in your sentence. Try, "There are powerful government and corporate entities working day and night to create fear and panic among people all around the world."

[rickudon]

Safety is relative. Depends which places you are comparing. Compare UK with Thailand ..... 

 

1. Accidental deaths in Thailand much higher - road deaths at least 4 times higher. Drowning, locked in cars in the sun, electrocution, collapsing gates etc. all more frequent here. Know of several in our village, including a drowning last week.

 

2. Health - more nasty diseases in Thailand. Although i must say i do not know anyone personally who has died of a tropical disease here, but a few have been sick.

 

3. Violence - Murder rate much higher in Thailand. One teenager killed in inter gang shooting about 4 years ago, about 500 metres from my home. Too many guns. Rape does occur, and so does pedophilia, but no idea how common. muggings and random assaults may be less frequent.

 

But Thai people do tend to be nice to (younger) kids. 

 

It isn't Mexico, but you do need to be more careful.

[drbeach]

On 7/16/2020 at 12:22 AM, Otto2020 said:

Appreciate the question. But also funny. First of all no country can be stamped as "save" for a little boy. In Thailand you will 99.99% never experience shooting amok like in US. 

The worry you have doesn't match Thailand. It is too far away. It should be asked in a war countries like iraq, border between israel and palastine, sudan, kenya, etc. 

Remember what happened Jan 3 in Lopburi and Feb 8 in Korat?

 

Also, Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat happening almost daily since 2004?

[drbeach]

2 hours ago, rickudon said:

Safety is relative. Depends which places you are comparing. Compare UK with Thailand ..... 

 

1. Accidental deaths in Thailand much higher - road deaths at least 4 times higher. Drowning, locked in cars in the sun, electrocution, collapsing gates etc. all more frequent here. Know of several in our village, including a drowning last week.

 

2. Health - more nasty diseases in Thailand. Although i must say i do not know anyone personally who has died of a tropical disease here, but a few have been sick.

 

3. Violence - Murder rate much higher in Thailand. One teenager killed in inter gang shooting about 4 years ago, about 500 metres from my home. Too many guns. Rape does occur, and so does pedophilia, but no idea how common. muggings and random assaults may be less frequent.

 

But Thai people do tend to be nice to (younger) kids. 

 

It isn't Mexico, but you do need to be more careful.

3. With some exceptions, mostly involves people who know each other and in the vast majority of cases is related to jealousy, business disputes, these kind of things. Surprised gun control isn't on the Thai government's agenda after the Korat mall shooting. BTW I'm not at all a gun control advocate, I'm just surprised the government hasn't gone on it's usual agenda of control, banning everything because one person suffered slightly. Like they are doing with alcohol for instance.

 

If someone was gunned down 500 meters from your home sounds like you're living in the wrong neighborhood.

[drbeach]

A better question would be, is Thailand a good place to raise kids? Compared with the west, I'd say...no. But it's OK depending on where you live and whether you have someone to look after your kids such as a nanny and you take all the usual safety precautions.

[chickenslegs]

The leading cause of child deaths in Thailand is drowning.

 

The leading cause of teenager (and near-teen) deaths in Thailand is motorcycle collisions.

 

Most child abuse is carried out by family members or close friends.

 

Teach your kids to swim and supervise them when near water. Keep them away from motorcycles until they're old enough to be taught proper road skills. Give them the confidence to tell you about any inappropriate behaviour - no matter who is the offender.

 

[Onrai]

That is an impossible question to answer in any meaningful way. Let’s do a little experiment- Thailand is 1.3 times the size of California. Is California safe. Is Los Angeles safe? Is San Francisco safe?

I can’t even generalize about San Francisco. There are parts where I would go in the day time and never at night. There are homeless from Union Square to the Tenderloin to Market street. You walk streets stepping over used needles, human waste and drug addicts nodding in the street. You are not safe from panhandlers and people stealing to support their habit. 

On the other hand Golden Gate Park, Fisherman’s Wharf, Chinatown and North Beach are probably considered safe. 

Do people ever ask is California safe to travel to? I doubt it.

[EVENKEEL]

My 8 yr old daughter doesn't leave my sight. Safe? I think so but I'm always cautious.

[bermondburi]

Raised both my boys in Nonthaburi for the first 6 years of their lives. My biggest concerns as a parent were cars, uneven pavements, and navigating streets with people deep frying at perfect head height for a toddler. 

 

Also Thais tending to leave big knives lying around everywhere, and those hot charcoal cooking things that are left on the floor. 

[bwpage3]

On 7/16/2020 at 10:08 PM, kenk24 said:

That's true, maybe w/some % adjustment for a few bad neighborhoods like in Chicago etc... but I think the larger effect might be the fear that permeates in USA and the kids and their parents live in that horrible bubble of fear... warranted by stats or not.. 

Where do you come off with this?

 

There is no fear because unlike Thailand, many people own their own guns.

 

Now if you live in a run down section of Chicago controlled by all the gang-bangers sure.

 

I don't think many people fear mainstream America.

 

At least if you get arrested in the USA you get a fair shake, in Thailand, who the heck knows what will happen.