Thailand - Land Of Low Crime

[sriracha john]

Whenever I go to the smaller towns in Thailand I always feel unsafe....

....it doesn't stop me from traveling and enjoying these places

Care to expound on this rather odd couple of statements?

[Scott]

One big difference here is that people really, really don't like to go to the police or report things to the police. My boss had her bag full of money snatched a week ago--It didn't contain a huge amount of money, but over 10,000 baht (as well as credit cards etc). I said did you call the police. She replied no. She said they wouldn't do anything anyway. She said if her ID card had been in the bag, then she would have "had to call" the police.

The other one I've seen is where they "talk" to the victim and explain there isn't anything they can do, and don't bother with a report.

It would be interesting to find out (maybe ABAC could do a reasonable poll for a change), on how many people have been the victims of an unreported crime by category (and am't--if money or property taken).

[PeaceBlondie]

If we can assume that the FBI uniform crime reports are fairly accurate (with a certain level of unreported crimes), the average American leading an average lifestyle in the average community, is the victim of violent crime every 200 years!

Excellent comments by Guesthouse, as usual. In spite of having numerous invited Thai young men in the house during 4.5 years, the only burgling was apparently done by an uninvited farang teenager. The only violence to which I've been the victim was two Thai dogs and several hard Thai pavements while falling off my motorcycle. Rest assured that your mileage will vary.

I'm still considering moving back to Mexico, where the most obvious drawback is the far higher crime rate.

[Smithson]

I went to the tourist police with a farang woman to report an assault by a farang man. They wouldn't file a report and blamed me, I wasn't there at the time of the incident, so it was my fault!

We were also burgled, reported it to the police but not sure if they actually filed the report. The visited our house several times offering 'special help'. We had a strong idea who it was but they wouldn't pursue it, even though the ppl seemed to be organized thieves.

The level of security at apartments and moo bans suggests crime is a real problem.

On the other hand I do fell safe here, Thais aren't so keen to make trouble with farang and random attacks are rare. Back home there's always the chance that some DH will single you out. Also, the streets are busy at night with 'average' people eating, shopping etc, so this makes moving about after dark safer.

[grantbkk]

Today's The Nation has an in depth article on the 1,000 assassins that the police are going to be keeping an eye on during the run-up to the election.

A few years back the last former prime minister asked Thai press publicly to reduce the number of reports of crimes against tourists because it negatively impacts the tourism industry. He made the same plea that obviously is still in effect regarding tourists and ex-pats who are suspected of committing suicide. Some of these suicides are of course not suicides. The two shots to the head and the hangings with the plastic bags over the victim's heads while their hands are tied behind their back come to mind. These are not isolated incidents and reliable crime statistics her in Thailand may be decades away. I think without the services of the Pattaya City News we would never hear about any crime in Thailand.

Logic dictates that because of the poor to rich ratio, economy, unemployment, gangs and willing pool of farang victims Thailand, it is actually one of the most dangerous places in the world if you're not careful. Most violent crime in major cities happens between 10:00 PM and 5:00 AM. Many involve drugs and alcohol which fuels a lot of violent behavior. Going home early or staying in a large group provides a degree of security.

A false sense of security is dangerous.

[kmart]

I can agree with the OP in that casual violence / burglary seems to be much more of a problem in eg; the UK than Thailand. However, the stakes here in LOS are a lot higher, and the consequences of getting involved in violence or disturbing an intruder can be much more serious.

[meemiathai]

Thailand tops 'most dangerous holiday destination' list

Holidays from hel_l

On the face of it, holidaying in Thailand may seem less dangerous than, say, Iraq or Afghanistan. But according to new Foreign Office figures released this week, Thailand is the place where British tourists are most likely to get into the sort of trouble that requires consular assistance. For a start, more British tourists die there than anywhere else. Some 224 Britons died in Thailand between April 2005 and March last year - a toll five times higher than in the second deadliest tourist destination, India. "Most of those deaths are of long-term elderly British residents," says a Foreign Office spokesman. But not all of them. Among those 224 Britons was student Katherine Horton, 21, who was raped and murdered by two fishermen in January last year on Koh Samui.

Thailand most dangerous

I think this post also tells us something about the behaviour of the brits. No?

[TheDon]

Well there are alot of idiot British tourists too, I nearly had a fight with a british tourist talking like shit to some girl he paid for the week, also alot of them seem to pi$$ me off too, generally there good people but there is alot of guys who go there and seem like there trying to destroy the place

[JetsetBkk]

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

Don't believe the NationMaster's figures - they don't add up:

Murders with firearm per capita - Thailand 3rd with 0.312/1,000

Murders per capita - Thailand 14th with 0.080/1,000

How does this add up?

How can there be more murders with firearm than total murder? (By a factor of 4! )

Total murders with firearms - Thailand 3rd with 20,032

Total Murders: Thailand 8th with 5,140

Same error - about a factor of 4.

Perhaps somebody should tell NationMaster their figures are wrong.

And DP25's post explains why here: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?s=...t&p=1573400

Simply put, whoever got the figures from the official police stats ( http://ftp.police.go.th/statistic/stat/cy48_total.pdf ) wasn't too good at reading Thai, and messed them up. And now people are saying Thailand is number 3 in the world stats for gun murders. It's simply not true.

Edited November 26, 2007 by JetsetBkk

[GuestHouse]

If crime is so rare in Thailand why are the windows and doors of almost all Thai houses kitted out with so many bars?

Perhaps the Thais know something that expats don't.

[tropo]

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.

Have you ever been to Pattaya? Going by the "tabloids" you'd think it's the most dangerous place on earth.

[DamianMavis]

I was told they stopped reporting Pattaya crime in the Pattaya papers that involved Thais against Falangs, since the military take over. Is this not true?

Damian

[tropo]

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!

Everyone seems to have different experiences. In Pattaya in almost 2 years of riding around I've only been stopped twice by the police, and both times I was at fault and paid the standard fine.

[tropo]

I was told they stopped reporting Pattaya crime in the Pattaya papers that involved Thais against Falangs, since the military take over. Is this not true?

Damian

NO, it's business as usual.

[tropo]

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.

Sunderland, does the NationMaster Crime Statistics list include "White Collar Crime"?