Thailand - Land Of Low Crime

[Sunderland]

Many people like myself have been here for a decade or more and sometimes like to comment on how much safer we feel walking the streets of Bangkok than a city in the UK or the USA.

While any statistics on crime are open to rejection due to it being impossible to know if every crime is reported, there are some interesting stats here http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/cri_tot_...imes-per-capita which back up the feeling that Thailand is a pretty safe place to live. Although the stats may go back to 2000, I don't think there have been significant changes to life here in the last 7 years.

I would summarize some of the main findings from the various stats like this:

The average person is ten times more likely to be a victim of crime in the UK or US than here in Thailand. I would predict that the chances of a foreigner being a victim in a tourist area such as Pattaya, Phuket, Samui, Krabi, Chiang Mai, Kanchanaburi or even the Sukhumwit/Silom neighbourhoods of Bangkok are greater than in a less well known area of Bangkok or small town upcountry off the beaten track.

While homicide rates are high and invariably involve guns more than in most other countries in the world, they are more often than not used to settle disputes, rather than random robberies. In fact the chances of being the victim of a random robbery or mugging here are extremely low and less than in the UK or the USA.

The chances of being burgled here are tiny compared to the UK or the USA. I would imagine that is largely due to the fact that many people have nothing worth stealing and others have so many bars and locks on their doors and windows that the only way in would be to dig a hole under the house!

Overall, rape here is much less common than in the UK and the USA. Some may argue that the availability of prostitutes is connected to that.

Over 20% of Thailand's population is female, which is the highest of any country that took part in the study. Good cause for those who worry about their Thai girlfriend/wife planning to stab them in the back and steal their worldly possessions to continue worrying!!

While not wishing to draw anyone into a false sense of security, I think that Thailand is still the enjoyable place I first came across 11 years ago. If you treat the locals with respect, don't get drawn into disputes, take care not to get too drunk and put bars on your windows and doors ... you should be able to enjoy a happy, long and peaceful life here. In fact, you're more likely to run into bother with trouble making chavs on holiday here from the very place that you escaped from in the first place!

Cheers

[onzestan]

I agree that Thailand is more safe than, for example my hometown Antwerp in Belgium.

Your safety in Thailand depends for a great deal on your own behaviour and a bit of common sense,

whereas again in Antwerp it's more a matter of luck and staying home.

cheers

onzestan

[Smithson]

Overall, rape here is much less common than in the UK and the USA. Some may argue that the availability of prostitutes is connected to that.

Extremely difficult to believe, my guess is that a great deal of rapes are either unreported or never go to trail because the victim is paid off. I think many victims would rather take the cash than go through a court case.

Over 20% of Thailand's population is female, which is the highest of any country that took part in the study.

Is something missing here?

[tijnebijn]

Overall, rape here is much less common than in the UK and the USA. Some may argue that the availability of prostitutes is connected to that.

Extremely difficult to believe, my guess is that a great deal of rapes are either unreported or never go to trail because the victim is paid off. I think many victims would rather take the cash than go through a court case.

Over 20% of Thailand's population is female, which is the highest of any country that took part in the study.

Is something missing here?

surely something is missing .

[lopburi3]

It is not impossible to know that reported incidents are far, far lower in Thailand than in most other countries because of the feeling that it will not do any good, that reports will be actively discouraged, and that it will bring shame to person (in the case of rape and other such crimes). The true rates are much higher here than what the statistics reflect. Nobody should assume Thailand, or any other country, is safe. You should use the same cautions here as anywhere else. One area that is probably much lower here is the random violent robbery type attack so that does indeed make walking the streets relatively safe compared to many other places. But even these have been much more likely to occur in the last few years (with the drug problems) and do not believe many Thai consider walking a dark soi (or even lighted soi) alone to be safe. Foreigners are not often subject to these attacks but they take place often as most Thai will at least have a gold chain of value.

[H2oDunc]

The difference for me between the Uk and Thailand.

UK

I park my bike in town. I put the steering lock on, U lock and disc lock on front wheel. Back wheel large heay duty chain and high tensile steel padlock ( both very expensive and I have to carry them everywhere ) and then alarm the bike. Im still never sure ( lost 2 ) that the bike will be there when I get back.

THAILAND

Park the bike switch off and leave the bike with helmet thrown on mirror and sometimes even forgetting to take out the key and often leaving a bag of shopping on the bike. Never lost anything here.

UK

walking home from bar late at night I always used to carry a heavy scaffolding spanner in pocket. Cannot be classed as an offensive weapon as I was a scaffolder and just had the thing returned to me by a friend.

THAILAND

staggered home in all sorts of places throughout Thailand very drunk, though must admit never frequent the big tourist sites like Pattaya, Phuket or Samui, and never once felt threatened though yes things do occur. Ive never felt in danger anywhere here

[edwardandtubs]

When the issue of crime comes up people always say how they "feel" safer in Thailand than the UK (or wherever) but that proves nothing. People generally feel unsafe in the UK because of the hysterical crime reporting in the tabloid newspapers. In Thailand, on the other hand, crime is under-reported. I've never been a victim of serious crime in either country and I should think that's true of most people. Thailand does have the world's third highest rate of gun murder (after South Africa and Columbia) but I feel so much safer that I'll only get shot if I get into a dispute with someone.

[sriracha john]

Another nationmaster thread?

[NanLaew]

Overall, rape here is much less common than in the UK and the USA. Some may argue that the availability of prostitutes is connected to that.

Extremely difficult to believe, my guess is that a great deal of rapes are either unreported or never go to trail because the victim is paid off. I think many victims would rather take the cash than go through a court case.

Over 20% of Thailand's population is female, which is the highest of any country that took part in the study.

Is something missing here?

Katoeys?

[qualtrough]

As a previous poster said, 'Another Nationmaster thread'? This has come up periodically from time to time, and it is eventually pointed out that there are some serious inconsistencies in the data, particularly for gun crime, etc. Do a search and you should find one of those threads. I am not going to step into the debate about crime, but will say that basing anything on the Nationmaster data would be a bad move.

[GuestHouse]

Many people like myself have been here for a decade or more and sometimes like to comment on how much safer we feel walking the streets of Bangkok than a city in the UK or the USA.

While any statistics on crime are open to rejection due to it being impossible to know if every crime is reported, there are some interesting stats here http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/cri_tot_...imes-per-capita which back up the feeling that Thailand is a pretty safe place to live. Although the stats may go back to 2000, I don't think there have been significant changes to life here in the last 7 years.

The view that crimes against foreigners in Thailand have increased dramatically in recent years is one that is frequently the topic of discussion on TV, other Thailand related web-boards and in letters to Thailand's English Language Press.

I would summarize some of the main findings from the various stats like this:

The average person is ten times more likely to be a victim of crime in the UK or US than here in Thailand.

You need to be careful with the 'Average Person' - If we are talking expatriates, then an expat moving to Thailand to take up a position in a Merchant Bank is likely to come from and move to a completely different environment to an expat privately moving to Thailand from a suberb of (for example) Liverpool

I would predict that the chances of a foreigner being a victim in a tourist area such as Pattaya, Phuket, Samui, Krabi, Chiang Mai, Kanchanaburi or even the Sukhumwit/Silom neighbourhoods of Bangkok are greater than in a less well known area of Bangkok or small town upcountry off the beaten track.

I'm not sure I'd entirely agree with that - it depends where the 'out of the way' place is. In the tourist areas one might expect to have a lesser chance of becoming a victim in a crowd (the old shoal of fish thing) wereas the only foreigner in another area might be teh sole magnet for thieves.

While homicide rates are high and invariably involve guns more than in most other countries in the world, they are more often than not used to settle disputes, rather than random robberies. In fact the chances of being the victim of a random robbery or mugging here are extremely low and less than in the UK or the USA.

It really doesn't matter why you get shot - you are dead/injured just the same. But you are right, disputes are a problem and as you say getting into a dispute in Thailand can result in getting shot - sometimes and often over very minor issues.

Again the 'evironment' the expat is from and the 'environment' he moves into plays a role here.

I've never personally known anyone who has been shot in the UK - I've personally known three expats who have been shot in Thailand.

The chances of being burgled here are tiny compared to the UK or the USA. I would imagine that is largely due to the fact that many people have nothing worth stealing and others have so many bars and locks on their doors and windows that the only way in would be to dig a hole under the house!

Sorry I nearly choked when I read that.

If I told you how many people I know have been burgled in Thailand you'd no doubt respond that I was making number up to defeat your argument. - Litterarly dozens.

I know three people in my UK home community who have been burgled - two by the same guy.

Again the evironmnent thing comes into play but I think you are way off the mark saying Burgalry rates are tiny in comparrison with the UK/US

Overall, rape here is much less common than in the UK and the USA.

You are now assuredly taking the p!ss

Rape is endemic in Thai society. I have Thai women friends who I know who have been raped and I have personally had to deal with a serious sexual assault on one of our femal staff who only just managed not to become a victim of Rape - The resulting investingation revealed the guy had raped two other members of staff.

Rape in Thailand, as in many places, is hugely under reported.

Some may argue that the availability of prostitutes is connected to that.

While others would make the more credible argument that the Thai societal view of women being sex objects is the root cause of Thailand's endemic rape problem

Over 20% of Thailand's population is female, which is the highest of any country that took part in the study. Good cause for those who worry about their Thai girlfriend/wife planning to stab them in the back and steal their worldly possessions to continue worrying!!

I presume you meant to say 'Prison Population - I think we discussed violent Thai women a few weeks back

While not wishing to draw anyone into a false sense of security, I think that Thailand is still the enjoyable place I first came across 11 years ago. If you treat the locals with respect, don't get drawn into disputes, take care not to get too drunk and put bars on your windows and doors ... you should be able to enjoy a happy, long and peaceful life here.

True of anywhere on the planet

In fact, you're more likely to run into bother with trouble making chavs on holiday here from the very place that you escaped from in the first place!

Take another look - A fare few of these Chavs are not on holiday

Cheers

[JetsetBkk]

my guess is that a great deal of rapes are either unreported or never go to trail because the victim is paid off. I think many victims would rather take the cash than go through a court case.

I think that many of the victims take the money before they are raped - if you get my drift... they are victims of the Thai way of life.

[sumrit]

When the issue of crime comes up people always say how they "feel" safer in Thailand than the UK (or wherever) but that proves nothing. People generally feel unsafe in the UK because of the hysterical crime reporting in the tabloid newspapers. In Thailand, on the other hand, crime is under-reported. I've never been a victim of serious crime in either country and I should think that's true of most people. Thailand does have the world's third highest rate of gun murder (after South Africa and Columbia) but I feel so much safer that I'll only get shot if I get into a dispute with someone.

I would have answered in a similar way to you untill I started thinking about it.

I've spent most of my adult life in a provincial town in Shropshire. During my 30ish years there I have been burgled five times (the last two even though an alarm was fitted), had my car stolen once and broken into three times with the stereo stolen, my sons van has been broken into six times even though nothing is ever left on it overnight and my daughters moped was stolen even though it was chained up. My son was also mugged for his mobile. About six months after one of the burglaries I was visiting somebody and they had one of my TV's that was stolen (he had bought it from somebody we had suspected) but when I reported it to the police they didn't want to know saying that even if they went to see the person he could just say he'd bought it second hand out of the paper so they wouldn't even get off their <deleted> to check. Workwise in eleven years working for a major TV rental company we had our workshops broken into twice, the local shop five times and my car eleven times, nine by the same person. When he was finally caught he was given three months and his wife went round boasting he'd made £65,000 from theiving, where else could he earn that in three months! Whilst at my last company armed robbers (guns) broke into our warehouse at night tied up the warehouse staff and loaded up one of the lorrries with plasma TV's, computers, laptops, etc and calmly drove off.

That works out at about one crime per year and I would have described myself as an average bloke with an average life.

I've been coming to Thailand for extended holidays for about fourteen years and lived here for the last two. In that time we have had just one problem, my ten year old stepdaughters mobile phone was taken by a classmate whilst at school. The school phoned his parents who first made him apologise to the school then phoned us to ask if they could bring him round to our house to apologise to us in person. When they arrived he had obviously been crying a lot and was scared sh*****ss but he apologised to each of us in turn. And my wife still had a go at him because she said his parents would have expected her to.

I'm not sure if this makes Thailand safer or not, but I know where I'd rather be and I'm sure that ten year old thai boy learnt much more from his 'punishment' than the british guy did from his three months in a UK prison.

[Nickthegreek]

I would have to agree with the last post..

Although I do feel safe here in thailand,personally i think the figures are skewed.

I had my car stolen in Thailand after owning it for three weeks,to be told after it was stolen that there was a toyota gang in Ayutthaya and I should of had more security,not to mention when it was stolen a lot of the surrounding thai folk that we know, all knew of someone who has had a car stolen.

I think back to when I lived in the uk,that was in Colchester,I did not know anyone who had a car stolen.

Thats not too mention petty theft,I have a game online shop and at least once a day previously, shoes were stolen/swapped,call it what you will.now we get them to bring them into the shop,smells nice..

I think these surveys all come down to who can be bothered to complete them,

Lets face it if they survey at 10.00 in the morning at the local market what mix of people will they get,the same could be said for those shopping presinct surveys in the uk.

I read a survey about six months ago about travelling as a backpacker and Thailand came in second as the highest risk of having something stolen,or do back packers not count.

and of course if you do watch the Thai televsion you will see the sometimes graphic reproductions of murder and theft..

Edited November 24, 2007 by Nickthegreek

[ThaidleHands]

Do any of you guys saying Thailand has lower crime than the UK watch the Thai news or read the Thai language papers?

Whenever these comparisons come up no one seems to be able to explain to me why Thailand has one of the largest Police Forces in the World and has an extremely high number of Police officers per capita. Not to mention literally hundreds of thousands of security guards and other such personnel.

It is interesting that none of my Thai friends share this opinion that Thailand is a relatively crime free utopia.

Because in Thailand law enforcement is not a public service occupation it's a for-profit activity. This goes hand-in-hand with the woefully low official crime statistics which record only convictions and formal arrests but not temporary detentions where no charges are ever laid. The crime is negotiated away with money, never goes on the books and Officer Somchai gets a backhander.

[KireB]

I've lived here for 4 years and was robbed many times. This country is full of crime! Never seen something like it.

The robbers here smile and ask me where I'm from and are wearing police uniforms! Today again; did nothing wrong but was robbed for 200 baht!

[pointofview]

I've lived here for 4 years and was robbed many times. This country is full of crime! Never seen something like it.

The robbers here smile and ask me where I'm from and are wearing police uniforms! Today again; did nothing wrong but was robbed for 200 baht!

Thailand is one of the most dangerous places on the planet - when violence kicks of it more often than not ends up in death. Thai logic and the face thing doesnt allow standoff.

[suegha]

As a farang I get ripped off every time I shop!

[brahmburgers]

Overall, rape here is much less common than in the UK and the USA. Some may argue that the availability of prostitutes is connected to that.

Completely unbelievable. Thai people are world renown for not wanting to 'rock the boat' and not wanting anyone to lose face - even a rapist. Due to cultural stigmas, there's more to be gained for a girl not reporting a rape than reporting it.

[bendix]

Overall, rape here is much less common than in the UK and the USA. Some may argue that the availability of prostitutes is connected to that.

When i first read this i couldnt believe anyone with an ounce of intelligence could post such a ridiculous statement. Then i looked at who posted it.

And then it all made sense.

[edwardandtubs]

my guess is that a great deal of rapes are either unreported or never go to trail because the victim is paid off. I think many victims would rather take the cash than go through a court case.

I think that many of the victims take the money before they are raped - if you get my drift... they are victims of the Thai way of life.

You have a warped way of thinking if you believe that. There's no moral comparision between consensual prostitution and rape.

[baboon]

Could I suggest that lack of knowledge of the language and nuances [forgive my spelling] is part of the reason many of us percieve Thailand to be so much safer than our home countries? For example if one was to be likened to a womans vagina in the UK, one could be sure the accuser is a common hooligan subject to prosecution. In Thailand the perception is all too unfortunately "well that is how it is here. They dont mean anything by it." Maybe they do.

[SamuiBond]

Been around and I gladly promote Samui safe as heck. You compare it with places where you've lived (holiday type of...) and its hard to come by this mixture: Great food, -chicks, -restaurants, -spas, -beaches, -lifestyle, -friends, -weather, -shopping, -prices and -LIVING. So security does lack a bit but choose any destination and you'll have your problems. If you get to know locals your chances of getting any problems ever are next to nil. They are these local things that when someone lives here, will get

to know eventually.

People do get bored living even in "paradise" but hit the road and find out where there is better money/value/security/weather/disaster/entertainment/opposite sex island or place in the world. Let me know the day you find out...

[DamianMavis]

Wow, dont want to insult the op but WOW! THANKYOU GUESTHOUSE FOR CLEAR THINKING.

Here's a hint at why rape isnt reported: I reported the rape of someone very close to me (with her) and she was forced to tell her story 3 times to different groups of LEERING SMILING men and then they THREATENED TO DEPORT ME.....

Damian

[girlx]

It is not impossible to know that reported incidents are far, far lower in Thailand than in most other countries because of the feeling that it will not do any good, that reports will be actively discouraged, and that it will bring shame to person (in the case of rape and other such crimes).

i agree and i have to say i have had a lot more problems in thailand than i ever had anywhere else, and that includes the 5 years i lived in New York City.

[Sunderland]

Criticism of my original posting taken on board and accepted.

I clearly move in different circles from those who have witnessed such high levels of crime in Thailand.

[mittheimp]

Crime statistics are often better indicators of prevalence of law enforcement and willingness to report crime, than actual prevalence (as it said under the stats list!)

I think people worry most about Violent crime, and random violent crime in particular. Walking through british city centres at closing time always has a feeling of tension and possible stupid violence, something you dont get in other countries ive lived in (Australia, Thailand and South Korea). South Korea is no23 on the list but after living here for 1 year it feels virtually crime free - ive seen no evidence or heard about anyone effected by even the smallest crime since living here.

[TonyLeung]

depending where you stay, every city has large discrepancies in violence and crime. There are many ghettos in the USA, places where I wouldn't want to go without an armored tank and drugs are being openly dealt. I have not seen anything similar in Thailand. Maybe they exist, I have no idea.

Whenever I go to the smaller towns in Thailand I always feel unsafe. I feel like I stick out and I always think to myself, if they were to rob me and bury me, who would ever find out? This is probably an irrational fear, and it doesn't stop me from traveling and enjoying these places, but I am definitely more comfortable in Bangkok.

[JetsetBkk]

my guess is that a great deal of rapes are either unreported or never go to trail because the victim is paid off. I think many victims would rather take the cash than go through a court case.

I think that many of the victims take the money before they are raped - if you get my drift... they are victims of the Thai way of life.

You have a warped way of thinking if you believe that. There's no moral comparision between consensual prostitution and rape.

So - you don't get my drift, do you?

[SamuiBond]

Thailand does have the world's third highest rate of gun murder (after South Africa and Columbia)

Luckily Thais don't care about farangs. They pretty much make sure they hit their target when they walk in to packet disco ro restaurant to shoot a fellow thai that caused it (shooting). They could not care less about you unless you jumped in front of the bullets. Farangs get shot here because of the normal reasons: greed, business went sour, someones possessions (could count as one) and plain stupitidy.

Over 20% of Thailand's population is female, which is the highest of any country that took part in the study. Good cause for those who worry about their Thai girlfriend/wife planning to stab them in the back and steal their worldly possessions to continue worrying!!

This must have been massive mostake. 60 % is my guess... In some China provinces you got the worst numbers anywhere and there you have 60% men. Not more even they chose to get rid of female babies in order to get a male babe as they are aloud only one child nowadays.