Living in Thailand

[Hammerheads]

My wife is a dual passport holder British/Thai. I am keen to come and live in Thailand after spending the last 20 years in the UK. My wife is very concerned about the lack of safety in Thailand. Her concerns surround the heavy increase in drugs, crime by Thais towards farangs, widespread corruption etc. I'm keen to hear from anyone about their experiences. We do not plan to live in a big city - probably somewhere like Ao Nang, Hua Hin or Khao Yai national Park.

[CharlieH]

The violence or any other aspect of life is no different here than many parts of the world. Generally if you are rural you are even less likely to encounter any issues, as thats not generally the Thai nature or disposition . Surprised your wife, a Thai, would even make such a comment. 

[Tropicalevo]

I live on Koh Samui (25 years now) and there is very little obvious crime.

I live on a private development where there is very basic security and I have never locked my doors or windows.

When my wife was alive, she felt very safe wherever we lived in Thailand.

(She had been mugged twice in her home town in the UK - Birmingham.)

 

[MalcolmB]

I feel a lot safer here than back in the UK. People here, unless they are nutters, are very calm and mind their own business.

 

I recommend you live in the south as the air is quite good. Most foreigners in Bangkok and anywhere north of it seem very stressed out. Pollution is terrible.

[KhunBENQ]

With your plans there is no concern about safety.

 

Violence against foreigners exist but in the majority of cases it's not arbitrary/ unprovoked. Often foreigners on drugs/alcohol.

Some loose their temper when drunk. Not good.

Drunkards are an easier task for robbing. Not so different from everywhere in the world.

And that is what it makes to the news.

Living 13 years in an upcountry village and never been threatened/physically attacked.

 

Real concerns:

Dangerous traffic. Don't get in a road rage! That can turn extremely violent. Your wife will know.

Months long air pollution like now.

[KhunLA]

Her concerns surround ... 

... the heavy increase in drugs - don't get involved with

... crime by Thais towards farangs - location dependent, and very rare

... widespread corruption - 3rd world, although, just follow the rules, have all asked for, and like myself, you'll never have a problem.

 

Actually for the average person, one who is O&A (out & about), exploring quite a bit, corruptions is non-existent, compared to the past. 

 

No more worries about highway stops for some beer money.   Although, now there are speed cameras 🤬

 

So if O&A, use that cruise control 

[Hummin]

That's my least concern in Thailand

 

My concern is

The pollution 

The heat

The future taxation

Stronger Thai Baht

[Kinnock]

I think Thailand is much safer for women than many countries.  Any violence against women is generally Thai ex husbands/boyfriends - so hopefully that's not an issue for you.

 

For men, getting into arguments with the locals can be risky, especially if alcohol is involved, but that's easy enough to avoid.

 

Traffic is probably the biggest risk, plus air pollution.

[Hammerheads]

Thank you to you all, very helpful. 

[MangoKorat]

My Thai home is very close to Khao Yai National Park.  Although I don't live there permanenty yet, I've had it for over 10 years and have spent a lot of time there.  I will be moving there permanently within 2 months.

 

It all depends on what you are looking for but I've travelled to many places in Thailand and my area suits me well - I love it there.  Depending on how close to the park you choose you can get the best of both countryside and city - with travel between the two being very easy and fast.  My home would be considered as rural yet I'm 5 minutes from a 7/11, 7 minutes from Makro and 10 minutes from Lotus's (Tesco).

 

There's bars, restaurants, hospitals. markets, night clubs etc. in Pak Chong - 15 minutes away.  The new M6 Bangkok - Nakhon Ratchasima motorway should be fully open soon and construction of a high speed rail system between Bangkok and Nong Nong Khai is underway. That will provide travel to Bangkok in 55 minutes.

 

The downside of these new transport systems is that land prices have risen dramatically since they were announced and there has been a lot of new development.  Things seem to have calmed down now but be prepared to pay at least 1 mill for a small single house plot close to a road with electric close by - the guy next door to me is a little optimistic and wants 2 mill for a single plot. Its been for sale for quite a while 😃.

 

Crime?  My house was broken into during Covid as so many were but I suppose being empty for much of a 10 year period sort of invites that.  I've increased security and so far have not had any more problems. Other than that, I've never had any problems locally.  I have a lot of Thai friends in the area and have been made very welcome.

[Bday Prang]

where in the UK are you living now?

[Hammerheads]

Thank you @MangoKorat

[Hammerheads]

I am in SW England.

 

[Thingamabob]

In over 60 years of visiting, working and ultimately retiring to Thailand neither my Thai wife nor myself have ever felt threatened. I have, however, been mugged twice in my lifetime, once in metro Manila, and once in the UK in south London.

[proton]

6 minutes ago, Thingamabob said:

In over 60 years of visiting, working and ultimately retiring to Thailand neither my Thai wife nor myself have ever felt threatened. I have, however, been mugged twice in my lifetime, once in metro Manila, and once in the UK in south London.

 

Only place I ever got mugged was in Manila, horrible city full of desperate people

[georgegeorgia]

13 minutes ago, proton said:

 

Only place I ever got mugged was in Manila, horrible city full of desperate people

I'm interested 

I walked the Manila railway at 11pm at night went from one end to the other Abdo Santos, I thought of myself as a patrol officer 

Yes it's not a nice place I was hyper vigilant 

I had to.put myself in that position to challenge myself 

 

Would you care to elaborate on your mugging ? Was it a long time ago ?

[BritManToo]

51 minutes ago, Thingamabob said:

In over 60 years of visiting, working and ultimately retiring to Thailand neither my Thai wife nor myself have ever felt threatened. I have, however, been mugged twice in my lifetime, once in metro Manila, and once in the UK in south London.

In my 15 years in Thailand, a Thai has only tried to murder me (using his pickup) once.

15 months after the event, 2nd court hearing next month, justice is slow for non-Thais.

 

Petty crime non-existent though, can leave shopping on scooter or pickup bed and it's still there when you come back, leave keys in car/mc, house doors and windows unlocked all day whether home or not .........no problem.

[OneMoreFarang]

On 1/26/2025 at 11:11 AM, Hammerheads said:

My wife is very concerned about the lack of safety in Thailand.

Where does she get her information from?

Looking at certain (social) media I am sure one can get that impression.

 

But maybe she just doesn't want to live in Thailand and is looking for a rational reason to convince you.

[fredwiggy]

The smartest thing you can do is keep your home in England, so you can return if things aren't to your liking here. Whole different way of life and not for everyone. Seeing you already have a Thai wife, you should know about some of the customs here but to really know them you have to live here awhile, so renting is an option you might consider. Stay out of the big cities and tourist areas, especially for living,and you won't encounter most of the problems. Driving is dangerous everywhere so don't trust anyone on the roads and drive defensively.

[KhunLA]

1 hour ago, fredwiggy said:

The smartest thing you can do is keep your home in England, so you can return if things aren't to your liking here. Whole different way of life and not for everyone. Seeing you already have a Thai wife, you should know about some of the customs here but to really know them you have to live here awhile, so renting is an option you might consider. Stay out of the big cities and tourist areas, especially for living,and you won't encounter most of the problems. Driving is dangerous everywhere so don't trust anyone on the roads and drive defensively.

@Hammerheads  Agree with above 100%

 

Don't sell off home in UK, or buy in to a home in TH, until you live in TH for a couple years, and test a couple areas.  TH isn't for everyone.

 

The heat can be very oppressive, and the cooler northern areas, can have horrendous smog almost half the year.

[newnative]

     I feel safer here than anywhere I lived in the US--and also safer than most of the countries I have visited.  Many rather petty crimes that would not even be covered in the West are given overwrought publicity here--which leads to the false impression your wife has.  I'm starting my 15th year here and have never been the victim of any crime.  I would not let the crime situation here stop you from coming.

[OneMoreFarang]

2 hours ago, fredwiggy said:

Stay out of the big cities and tourist areas

Why?

Some of us like big cities.

Some of us like food in restaurants from all over the world. That's what you find in tourist areas and big cities.

 

That doesn't mean you have to live in these areas, but I don't think they should be avoided.

[KhunLA]

6 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

Why?

Some of us like big cities.

Some of us like food in restaurants from all over the world. That's what you find in tourist areas and big cities.

 

That doesn't mean you have to live in these areas, but I don't think they should be avoided.

Yes, as I've lived, live outside big cities & tourist area, and easy to enjoy the benefits, and ignore the negatives.

 

Depending on the area and your tolerance, can be a mere 5 mins away, or 30+ minutes.  Many areas have easy access, so may not even need your own transport.

[IsaanT]

I'd like to expound on my experience of Living in Thailand.

I live 25km south of Roi Et, in a rural area.

 

I'd like to address some of the concerns expressed by the OP's wife.

I hear that drugs is an increasing problem in Thailand (as it is internationally), and I have no doubt that it is present in the NE as much as any other region of the country.  However, I've seen no evidence.  My partner is close friends with the village head man's wife, and my partner's brother-in-law is a deputy head man and is lined up to be the next head man so my partner has good awareness of what is really happening, and none of it appears to concern her.  It feels like England apparently used to be in the 50's and 60's.

Corruption does exist but I'll give the only example I've seen in the two years that I've been here.  When making a purchase of land, we went to the Land Registry office and found it was very busy.  The seller's beneficiary had travelled up from Bangkok for the day to collect the money and was very keen to get back, for family reasons.  As there appeared to be a chance we might not complete that day, my partner spoke to one of the officials to ask if there was a way to expedite our situation.  A few hundred baht changed hands and we were finished 30 minutes later.  It's not exactly going to make the news headlines, is it?

I could understand that crime might be higher in big cities but here it's apparently non-existent.  Don't shoot the messenger but, like Britain now, the big cities are multi-racial - here in the sticks, they're not (no Chinese, Germans, Russians, or any other foreigners in our village as far as I can tell, other than me).  Understandably, I had a novelty factor when I first arrived but they've calmed down now.  😉 I smile at the locals when I'm out and about and they invariably smile back.  Many have been very friendly and helpful to my Thai partner and me, and I try to help them at any opportunity (harvest time presents endless physical opportunities).

Now my experiences.

I concur with what an earlier poster said about leaving keys in vehicles when shopping, leaving some shopping dangling on the cargo hooks or the handlebars of our scooter, and not bothering to lock our gate or front door.  I rarely bother locking the car on the drive, because sometimes I like to get something out and it saves the bother of fetching the keys.

Everyone here owns a machete, me included (two, in fact).  This shouldn't cause alarm - we use them to trim trees and other large plants, and for other practical purposes like cutting baling twine, etc..  I am not aware of anyone here who owns a gun.

My peace of mind is probably aided by the fact that I am calm, level-headed and don't drink to excess - if I wasn't able to say this, any one of these things could potentially cause issues in the Thai culture (or perhaps anywhere else in the world for that matter).  I respect my host country, even if there might be the odd thing that I find objectionable, e.g. cockfighting.

I recently had a wonderful experience with one of the locals.  I am interested in the Thai kites that fly overnight and make a distinct relaxing humming noise (it's an old tradition here in rural areas, particularly here in the NE).  I saw one of these kites flying during the day (they usually get launched at dusk and taken down shortly after dawn) so I jumped on the scooter and found the farm where it was flying from and introduced myself and complimented the farmer on his kite.  Soon, I asked if he could show me how to make one.  He said he was happy to help and immediately handed me a machete and some bamboo and led me to his work area to start whittling the bamboo down to the slender tapered sticks required (and all without any plans or blueprints!).  I don't speak much Thai and he didn't speak English but Google Translate and sign language and gestures sufficed.  We spent three hours that Saturday afternoon and he asked me to return the next morning to finish it.  I arrived at 9am as agreed and was offered breakfast when I arrived.  I'd already eaten but it's just typical of the generousity of my community.  Another three hours work later and we were test-flying my new kite.  On completion I thanked him and said I'd like to reward him for his time.  He replied that he was happy to make the kite as a gift to me.  I remind you that we'd never met prior to me turning up on his farm uninvited the previous day.  Naturally, I told him that in my culture I would feel guilty accepting such generosity so we agreed that I'd buy some of his favourite beer.  I value these experiences.

We travel a lot.  I observe that traffic issues are directly related to traffic density.  When I'm in Bangkok or any big coastal towns, I expect worse standards so drive accordingly and shrug it off.  Where I live, it just isn't an issue.

The rural life isn't for everyone.  Not everyone wants to own several rai and have idyllic peace (yet be 400m from the village with 7-Eleven, Lotus, two markets, etc.).  However, the dark skies are truly dark at night and my telescopes are a great way to relax in the evenings at this time of year.

The north of Thailand has great scenery but is unfortunately saddled with poor air quality in the post-harvest period - we only have a few days a year (maybe 4-6) here in the NE when it's smoky (never smog) so it's just not a concern and we just keep doors and windows closed those days.  I respect that we're all different, and I'm sure, like all communities, there are good places to live in all the cities.

I wonder how the OP's wife formed her opinion, or what might possibly be driving her concern.  As has been shown be all the respondents before me, it appears to be an exceptional view.  Like any big commitment, I also endorse the 'try before you buy' approach before you make any big decision as prudence pays.

 

[chipperPDU]

On 1/26/2025 at 11:11 AM, Hammerheads said:

My wife is a dual passport holder British/Thai. I am keen to come and live in Thailand after spending the last 20 years in the UK. My wife is very concerned about the lack of safety in Thailand. Her concerns surround the heavy increase in drugs, crime by Thais towards farangs, widespread corruption etc. I'm keen to hear from anyone about their experiences. We do not plan to live in a big city - probably somewhere like Ao Nang, Hua Hin or Khao Yai national Park.

Are you sure your wife is Thai?

 

[Hammerheads]

Am I sure she's female? I did check years ago... I know what you mean, unfortunately she seems to have a bit of a downer on the country. Trouble is we live in a very safe place and I think it's all a little bit too much you tube clickbait she's watching. 

[Hammerheads]

Thank you to you all for your supporting words and stories. Good luck to you all, see you in Thailand. I have lived there previously for 12 months. When it gets a bit hot either the a/c goes on or I slip into the pool. Sorted 🤪

[persimmon]

Life in rural Thailand - sounds idyllic , but there are a few downsides ...

 

#  setting up home with a new wife / gf often involves buying land or building a house , fine , until the relationship founders , then all that investment is lost .

# health insurance / medical costs

# poor air quality in many areas 

# many Thais don`t actually like foreigners 

 

[Will B Good]

On 1/26/2025 at 11:11 AM, Hammerheads said:

My wife is a dual passport holder British/Thai. I am keen to come and live in Thailand after spending the last 20 years in the UK. My wife is very concerned about the lack of safety in Thailand. Her concerns surround the heavy increase in drugs, crime by Thais towards farangs, widespread corruption etc. I'm keen to hear from anyone about their experiences. We do not plan to live in a big city - probably somewhere like Ao Nang, Hua Hin or Khao Yai national Park.

 

Hand on heart ignore your wife's concerns......they sound like they spring straight out of the pages of press releases from the Daily Fail and Daily Excess......total b****x.

[Nick Carter icp]

On 1/26/2025 at 4:51 PM, Tropicalevo said:

I live on Koh Samui (25 years now) and there is very little obvious crime.

I live on a private development where there is very basic security and I have never locked my doors or windows.

When my wife was alive, she felt very safe wherever we lived in Thailand.

(She had been mugged twice in her home town in the UK - Birmingham.)

 

 

   What kind of television do you have and have you got any guard dogs ?