30 Farang Murders A Year

[JetsetBkk]

so presuming Brits aren't being murdered or dying at a higher rate than other nationalities.....

I dont want to bash brits, but im pretty sure the average brit on holiday in Thailand got a higher probability to get murderd than other nationalities.

But you just did.

[siamamerican]

Not apples to apples. What is the murder rate for people visiting England compared to vacationers or x-pats? Many x-pats put themselves in harms way.

[siamamerican]

Unbelievable but not surprising that people STILL want to live with their head in the sand and ignore facts about the safety issues in Thailand. And you have to keep in mind that alot of events dont make the news, and many events (murders) are written up as suicides or natural causes (like heart attacks). One particularly ridiculous news story was about the 2 falangs that were found dead almost on top of eachother in their hotel room..... the police decided that it was quite obviously a simultaneous heart attack due to over drinking.... this was actually how it was reported in news papers.

Why would you criticise a search engine and infer that it is not a believable source of information?! Like I said, unbelievable.

Damian

Really, the source please. The manner that many e-pats behave, it is no surprise. When I stumble home at 3am. the risk of death or lessor offenses is greater.

[ironhut]

What's with all the paranoia on this board?

People yelp about pickpocketing, mis-monitoring of metal detectors at malls, soi dog attacks, uneven sidewalks, corrupt police, and ultimately the fear of being murdered...

You would think we're all living in a hotel in West Beirut back in the 70's!?

Honestly, Bangkok is one of the safest large cities (and 10 million is LARGE) in the world. There are no real crime zones, drug scenes, or areas to be avoided.

I feel totally comfortable going anywhere and am more concerned about some of the twisted farangs than any of the Thais. In some cases, I think we get some of the world's "wretched refuge" by the looks of many of the Euros, Aussies, and Americans who descend upon BKK.

But forget relativity since I think many on this board would complain about heaven being too bright.

It's okay to share concerns when merited, but to paint the community, city, and country as a "poor excuse for demilitarized zone" is unbelievable. I don't see it that way at all.

Our kids (both blonde) and family spend much of our time downtown when not in school. We love it here and have zero concerns of murder, rape, and some of the other things mentioned here...and definitely less concerned here than in the states (and we lived in the peaceful midwest).

I guess if any of you are that concerned,...then leave.

Hopefully some of you here aren't the same ones trying to overbargain the Thais. It's sickening to watch wealthy farangs routinely and rudely trying to nickel and dime Thais out of the little profit they may make...knowing full well the poverty of most of these merchants.

[jumnien]

A lot of macho blokes like to paint the picture that they are going off to this violent and dangerous part of the world and return home with their brave stories of adventure. The truth is, unless you are looking for it, there's not much trouble to be found. Just rice fields, smiles and lattes. The best of spirit charmers say that the most dangerous place on earth is between one's two ears. Thus, if one's ears happen to be in Thailand, I suppose it could be a dangerous place.

[lukey1979]

so presuming Brits aren't being murdered or dying at a higher rate than other nationalities.....

I dont want to bash brits, but im pretty sure the average brit on holiday in Thailand got a higher probability to get murderd than other nationalities.

How do you figure on that one Einstein?? Im a Brit and i know what your implying on this one. That the average Brit In Thailand is a drunk fighting lout? Right? Your probably not far from the truth on that one my friend but you are wrong in your assumptions If you believe that the Brit stereotype hooligan drunk is more likely to get murdered than anybody else. Why? Because the the average murder victim is somebody more vunerable than most. Ie women or elderly men, easy prey and likely victims of robbery etc. Granted there have been Brits Killed fighting in Thailand but the majority who are in a drunken fight don't end up dead, they end up in the local clinic with non life threatening injuries. Granted ,by getting yourself into a fight whilst drunk you wont lessen your odds to getting killed but most murders you read about are Rape, drug , robbery related. usually some poor woman or vunerable male in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Yes i know drunk Brits can be deemed as vunerable people. But brits when drunk are a handful and not in general an easy target for robbery etc. Im speaking from experience of my younger years here. I used to go to Pattaya 3 times a year with about 15-20 friends do the usual non stop drinking escapades and being the usual stereotype Brits. I was in a few scuffles with other Farangs but at no time have i seen anybody close to getting murdered. As we all know most bar fights end up with the bar staff wrapping a sprite bottle around the trouble makers head and ending the situation immediately.

Theres a variety of farangs from all over the world fitting the Brit stereotype these days in Bangkok and Pattaya, To say that Brits are more likely to get murdered is utter Bull crap.

Edited January 6, 2008 by lukey1979

[Citra]

Of course Thailand is more risky. It's all about how you manage the various risks. (or, accept those risks).

[Citra]

Many ladies also find Thailand a safer vacation destination than most places in the world.

Quite possibly that's exactly what that girl in Samui said on the phone to her parents, just before being raped and clubbed to death.

A newbie tourist's perception on safety is really not worth more than all kinds of other opinions on Thailand they end up with.

[stevemiddie]

Many ladies also find Thailand a safer vacation destination than most places in the world.

Quite possibly that's exactly what that girl in Samui said on the phone to her parents, just before being raped and clubbed to death.

A newbie tourist's perception on safety is really not worth more than all kinds of other opinions on Thailand they end up with.

From one newbie to another.

I certainly feel safer here than I do in my home town in the UK.

[Gravelrash]

The OP purely made an interesting observation that Thailand is perhaps more dangerous that we may have thought statisically compared to home countries. Seems some of the replies are a bit bizarre.

In reality the chances of being murdered are probably small anywhere, however it happens. I have had 2 guys turn up to my house here 10 years ago with a gun, and had serious death threats 5 years later. Neither had anything to do with me going looking for it or being involved with crooks, bars, booze, drugs etc. Needless to say I am still here. It can happen, doesn't hurt to be aware of it.

No country likes to promote itself as a "get killed" destination. Things are often not what they seem here, risk will be proportionate to lifestyle, location, girlfriend and luck. I don't think anyone suggested losing sleep over it, likewise don't be an ostrich.

[Thaiboxer]

Thailand, according to one of my Fodor's travel books (1997), has one of the highest murder rates in the world. I doubt that number has decreased in the last 10 years or so. However, these murders are often committed against Thais for reasons that would get you killed in pretty much any country (drugs/organized crime/etc). I feel much safer in BKK at night than some places in my home state in the daytime! Sure, foreigners do get taken out, and often it's written up as a "suicide" or something like that. However, if you dig deeper, you'll see that in most cases, the person who got murdered put him or herself into that situation in the first place.

When foreigners get murdered, it attracts A LOT of attention most of the time, compared to locals being killed. This is another reason why a foreigner is in even less danger that most would think. If you keep your nose clean, use common sense, and heed the good advice of long term travellers/expats, you should be just fine.

[lukey1979]

No country likes to promote itself as a "get killed" destination. Things are often not what they seem here, risk will be proportionate to lifestyle, location, girlfriend and luck. I don't think anyone suggested losing sleep over it, likewise don't be an ostrich.

Excellent commant mate! Never a truer sentence said.

For me situation awareness and basic street savvy is something i've developed over the years. After all it's a dangerous world we live in. Just take reasonable security precautions, never let your guard down and enjoy life!

[chiang mai]

Unbelievable but not surprising that people STILL want to live with their head in the sand and ignore facts about the safety issues in Thailand. And you have to keep in mind that alot of events dont make the news, and many events (murders) are written up as suicides or natural causes (like heart attacks). One particularly ridiculous news story was about the 2 falangs that were found dead almost on top of eachother in their hotel room..... the police decided that it was quite obviously a simultaneous heart attack due to over drinking.... this was actually how it was reported in news papers.

Why would you criticise a search engine and infer that it is not a believable source of information?! Like I said, unbelievable.

Damian

Really, the source please. The manner that many e-pats behave, it is no surprise. When I stumble home at 3am. the risk of death or lessor offenses is greater.

If I'm not mistaken the deaths that Damien refers to were of a Canadian and an Australian in Chiang Mai about eighteen months ago? That being the case the deaths were confirmed as being drug related and as I understand it from close friends of one of them, that was indeed the case.

As for the stated murder rates for Brits in Thailand my intuition tells me the "official" numbers are way too low although I have no facts to confirm this.

Edited January 6, 2008 by chiang mai

[Tafia]

As a regular visitor to Thailand wont call it the land of smiles because it isnt any more why should they smile if

they are unhappy with their lot.

UK news tonight two teenagers already murdered in England. Peace please, they could have been yours or

mine, the victims or the perpetrators, think about your children in 2008. Happy new year you and yours.

"

I agree....

26 Teenagers killed in the UK in 2007 as a result of gun or knife gang killings.....

and the start for 2008 isnt good, its almost a weekly occurance where teens in the Uk are victims of violance thro guns or knives...safer in our own country...I think not

Edited January 6, 2008 by Tafia

[chiang mai]

Honestly, Bangkok is one of the safest large cities (and 10 million is LARGE) in the world. There are no real crime zones, drug scenes, or areas to be avoided.

Nonsense. You don't know Bangkok. At all.

Khlong Toey slums are huge and are a very real and very large crime zone. Yaabaa is dealt openly in the alleyways of these slums. Other slums proliferate many areas in Bangkok along the banks of rivers and out of the sight of the unknowing Westerner. I would say these areas are indeed dangerous and no go areas for foreigners. These shanty towns are everywhere, hidden from sight behind large office blocks, modern housing estates and obscured from view. Estimates are that millions live there.

Another crime ridden and no go area in Bangkok is the housing estate next to Muang Thong Thani.

There are many more.

It must be nice in fantasyland this time of year.

Oddly, I agree.

[Tafia]

Honestly, Bangkok is one of the safest large cities (and 10 million is LARGE) in the world. There are no real crime zones, drug scenes, or areas to be avoided.

Nonsense. You don't know Bangkok. At all.

Khlong Toey slums are huge and are a very real and very large crime zone. Yaabaa is dealt openly in the alleyways of these slums. Other slums proliferate many areas in Bangkok along the banks of rivers and out of the sight of the unknowing Westerner. I would say these areas are indeed dangerous and no go areas for foreigners. These shanty towns are everywhere, hidden from sight behind large office blocks, modern housing estates and obscured from view. Estimates are that millions live there.

Another crime ridden and no go area in Bangkok is the housing estate next to Muang Thong Thani.

There are many more.

It must be nice in fantasyland this time of year.

If you are a tourist or expat..... Why would you go there?

These places are no different to any other run down slum area in any other city in the world, there are places in every country that normal law abiding people avoid....

Be street wise and use common sense and be safe.

[Jimjim]

The problem is we have to go on assumptions as statistics are hard to find. You can't really accept the math in the OP because it relies on too many assumptions on which mathematics as a study is not based, of course.

Perhaps the best way would be to poll every foreign embassy in Thailand if they would actually release the figures. Also, a lot of those called "tourists" are in fact residents of Thailand who have been living in Thailand permanently or several months out of the year on tourist visas or even just visa exempt 30-day stamps. I'm sure that would skew the figures, somewhat.

Statistics for crime and murder in Thailand that are reliable are extremely hard or impossible to find. I could only say that Thailand is not the most dangerous place in the world for violence but it's also not the safest for tourists. Somewhere in the middle or even a bit above average, perhaps. All arguments I see come from personal experiences and perceptions with little to back them up either way. We just don't have the statistics. And someone please don't link to that crime stats website (can't remember the name but google will find it) which has been linked to many times and has been shown that someone made a serious and obvious transcription mistake in the statistics for Thailand.

[Jimjim]

Yes there are certainly some areas to avoid. There are also small, isolated sois all over the city that are popular targets for thieves on motorcycles, such as the soi I used to live on where many women were robbed over the course of a couple of years. In one case a gun was used to threaten. They almost always targeted women who were alone, however. I've heard and read of other sois like this in varied parts of Bangkok as well.

[Thaiboxer]

emperor tud...Don't be offended by my post...it wasn't in any way meant to paint all farang murder victims with the same brush. If you read my post again carefully, you'll see that I mentioned "most", not "all", so those poor victims of random crimes are certainly in the minority. Also, drunken bar fights and arguments involving people under the influence can, and very often do, get people killed in what you called "more civilized" societies. Many things that occur here in Thailand seem uncivilized to us, but surely the Thais who've spent time abroad could say the same thing about our countries.

Some of your posts make Thailand seem more dangerous than the slums of LA, but I think we both know it's not as bad as the media and some other tv posters make it out to be. If Thailand were really THAT dangerous, most of us farangs would probably be dead by now. That said, I certainly wouldn't advocate a midnight stroll in what are considered dangerous areas, but in general, your physical safety is probably in no greater danger than it would be back home.

[Theyreallrubbish]

but in general, your physical safety is probably in no greater danger than it would be back home.

The statistics dramatically disagree with you.

I think most people are fooled because the Thais smile and aren't physically imposing whereas thugs in the West look sullen and violent.

[Theboss]

What's with all the paranoia on this board?

People yelp about pickpocketing, mis-monitoring of metal detectors at malls, soi dog attacks, uneven sidewalks, corrupt police, and ultimately the fear of being murdered...

You would think we're all living in a hotel in West Beirut back in the 70's!?

Honestly, Bangkok is one of the safest large cities (and 10 million is LARGE) in the world. There are no real crime zones, drug scenes, or areas to be avoided.

I feel totally comfortable going anywhere and am more concerned about some of the twisted farangs than any of the Thais. In some cases, I think we get some of the world's "wretched refuge" by the looks of many of the Euros, Aussies, and Americans who descend upon BKK.

But forget relativity since I think many on this board would complain about heaven being too bright.

It's okay to share concerns when merited, but to paint the community, city, and country as a "poor excuse for demilitarized zone" is unbelievable. I don't see it that way at all.

Our kids (both blonde) and family spend much of our time downtown when not in school. We love it here and have zero concerns of murder, rape, and some of the other things mentioned here...and definitely less concerned here than in the states (and we lived in the peaceful midwest).

I guess if any of you are that concerned,...then leave.

Hopefully some of you here aren't the same ones trying to overbargain the Thais. It's sickening to watch wealthy farangs routinely and rudely trying to nickel and dime Thais out of the little profit they may make...knowing full well the poverty of most of these merchants.

Read this thread with interest, and yours is a real good post for a Yank, esp your last paragraph, I have seen many of your countrymen winging, whineing about a few baht, and screwing the locals, YOU AINT GODS IN SOMEONE ELSES COUNTRY ! treat people how you would like to be treated yourself.

I will be back in LOS in just over a week and here is my way of doing it, I drink here in UK but never in T/land, I am polite courtious to everyone, and never had any different back, and if someone has ripped you off for a few baht "so what" its a national pastime for what are basiclly poor people. I have read the pathetic posts on here about a waitress here or overcharged 50 baht there , shame on you !

For most if not all westeners T/land is dirt cheap ! There are A/holes in every city on the planet, just try not to be one or join them ! Anyone going to wish me a safe trip ? lol

[siam2007]

The OP has cause for concern. He has just scratched the surface when it comes to violent tourist crime and crime where the victims are farang. I wish Thai Visa could become a clearinghouse for all violent crime against tourist and foreigners living in the Kingdom. Absolutely on one has a handle on what is happening in the capital or the provinces. Years ago Prime Minister Thaksin told the media not to report suicides involving non-Thais as it would negatively effect tourism. I suspect that many of the farangs that shoot themselves twice in the head may actually be murder victims no matter what the police say. The term "Pattaya Plunge" was coined years ago and again I suspect many of the victims received assistance getting off of the buildings. The suicide death of the farang found hanging from a billboard in Bangkok with his hands tied behind his back with a plastic bag over his head seems suspicious to me. I'm fairly sure the number of deaths on both sides of the conflict in the deep south is at least double of the numbers being reported to the public. In my view this is a very dangerous place and precautions should be taken by just like Los Angeles, Detroit, Houston, New Orleans, London, Berlin, Rio, Madrid, Paris, etc.

I dont remember any tourist being murdered in Berlin in the past few years..... for sure some have been robbed or been victims of pickpockets there, but the chance to loose your life through a crime there is almost zero..... thats the big difference to Thailand.....

[girlx]

Honestly, Bangkok is one of the safest large cities (and 10 million is LARGE) in the world. There are no real crime zones, drug scenes, or areas to be avoided.

actually it does have spots like that to be avoided, but i think the greatest danger in thailand is that danger spots are not OBVIOUS as they are in the rest of the world. this culture is unpredictable. so a seemingly innocuous situation can quickly turn dangerous.

Edited January 7, 2008 by girlx

[grantbkk]

The OP has cause for concern. He has just scratched the surface when it comes to violent tourist crime and crime where the victims are farang. I wish Thai Visa could become a clearinghouse for all violent crime against tourist and foreigners living in the Kingdom. Absolutely on one has a handle on what is happening in the capital or the provinces. Years ago Prime Minister Thaksin told the media not to report suicides involving non-Thais as it would negatively effect tourism. I suspect that many of the farangs that shoot themselves twice in the head may actually be murder victims no matter what the police say. The term "Pattaya Plunge" was coined years ago and again I suspect many of the victims received assistance getting off of the buildings. The suicide death of the farang found hanging from a billboard in Bangkok with his hands tied behind his back with a plastic bag over his head seems suspicious to me. I'm fairly sure the number of deaths on both sides of the conflict in the deep south is at least double of the numbers being reported to the public. In my view this is a very dangerous place and precautions should be taken by just like Los Angeles, Detroit, Houston, New Orleans, London, Berlin, Rio, Madrid, Paris, etc.

I dint remember any tourist being murdered in Berlin in the past few years..... for sure some have been robbed or been victims of pickpockets there, but the chance to loose your life through a crime there is almost zero..... thats the big difference to Thailand.....

perhaps your right about Berlin, Germany but not Berlin, New Hampshire.

Berlin needs more crime to be great city

By Till-Ted World

Berlin likes to believe it is the measure of all things in Germany and sometimes anywhere else when it comes to cities, but the metropolis on the Spree River once again is a huge disappointment--the crime here is a scandal.

Interior minister Wolfgang Schaueble released the 2006 statistics for Germany and Berlin was third in crimes registered behind Frankfurt and Hannover, two forgettable places. Frankfurt registered 17.57 crimes per 100,000 residents, Hannover 15.69 and Berlin lagged at 15.030.

Crime dropped 2.4 percent in the capital, and hopes are dwindling that Berlin can ever measure up to real world cities like New York, Paris, London. We just don't have any one here with enough money to shake down. But that can't serve as an excuse--something is wrong in the capital when our only proficient criminals steal bicycles and our only reliable source of violence is leftist punks beating up neo-nazis or vice versa.

Losing to Frankfurt is a shame, but understandable. The financial center's downtown empties out at night as people flee work to the suburbs, leaving the downtrodden behind, which makes it the most American of German cities. That is explanation enough for a high crime rate.

If Gertrude Stein had seen Hannover, she might have said "There is no there there" before wasting it on Oakland. Generally, however, the city doesn't inspire anyone to be that clever.

Throughout Germany there was a 1.4 percent drop in crime, leaving 6.3 million unlawful deeds. Police solved 54.4 percent of them, allowing Schaueble to beam at the cameras: "Germany belongs to the safest countries in the world."

That sounds right--its hard to feel unsafe here unless you are coked out. But German gentility makes Berlin's third place crime record even more pathetic. We can't develop into a hardboiled place worthy of the words "big city" if no one is motivated enough to stage a decent driveby shooting. Our wealth of sidewalk cafes packed with bodies during the summer is second to no city--it should be easy to splatter window panes red with blown brains as your vehicle streaks by.

One can walk the streets at 3 a.m. in Berlin without a fear in the world, but great cities are defined by hordes of messed up people seething at the coldness in the metropolis until they lose it and keep the crime rate impressive. Think Taxi Driver, Naked City. Stories, legends, books, music and films are composed of these things.

Miami didn't really get popular until the drug trade took off. What was your first association with the city? Miami Vice, right? Until then, the city was known as a warm place where old people with rheumatism retired.

Since Germany is a country of perfectionists, many still found worrisome signs in the low crime stats. "Daily brutality alarms politicians and police," was the headline from Der Spiegel.

The respected weekly meant murder and manslaughter dropped nine percent, but attempts rose nine percent. That means Germans still haven't gotten the hang of crime. They should spend more time in the United States or take a crash course in Baghdad, then bring their know-how to Berlin.

Traditionally it's the newcomers at the bottom, the foreigners snubbed by society who have lifted crime to whole new heights in a city, typified by gang killings in Chinese and Italian restaurants. I know many of you here in Berlin are English football thugs, crackheads from Cleveland, on the Russian Mafia payroll, Polish car thieves or Arabs dealing drugs in Veteranen Park. Despite those credentials, however, we just haven't made a dramatic difference in Berlin's crime rate.

We need to redouble our efforts to increase the squalor in Berlin, create human tragedies and make fear on the streets a palpable reality--in short, create sexy legends and for once put places like Rio, Washington and London to shame. We need to show the world we have arrived, that we aren't a city of Mr. Beans.

Conrad Freiberg, chairman of the police union, said the statistics don't tell the whole story. "More and more often police officers run into uninhibited brutal violence," he said. The day those words ring true is the day Berlin will be on the sure path to greatness.

[GuestHouse]

Once again we have that heady mixture of a conflict between what our emotions tell us and what the statistics demonstrate.

And once again the response is to question the statistics without questioning the emotions.

But let's for a moment question the emotion 'I feel safe in Thailand' - What is this based on and why is it that while foreigners in Thailand may report feeling safe, this 'feeling' is almost certainly at odds with the feelings of Thais with respect to safety in Thailand.

Don't believe me, ask your Thai girlfriend/boyfriend/wife/husband about how safe they feel in Thailand.

That an individual 'feels safe' in a country has such high crime and murder rates and where that feeling is seldom shared by the local population is more an indication of their blissful ignorance of the facts, as demonstrated by the statistics and as supported by the views of Thais (who understand what is going on around them, are aware of the news [hidden or otherwise] and who are able to read the danger signs most foreigners do not see).

Ask yourself how many times Thais have warned you about situations, areas to avoid, things to avoid etc, cautioning that something you plan to do is not safe.

I for one can't keep count of the good council I've had on Safety from Thais - and I give that a lot more credence than the 'emotion' of some foreigner who feels the need to protect his dream of heaven here on earth.

[kat]

do you have nightmares after watching crime watch?

Not at all. I just saw some numbers, played with them and found the result fascinating.

I know what Thailand is and am aware its not really that safe. To have numerical guide to how less safe it is is interesting to me. Maybe not to anyone else. Maybe I'm just weird by being fascinated by numbers and facts.

I also think its interesting that Thailand is constantly portrayed as being safe when its quite clearly much more dangerous than the home countries of farang tourists and probably more dangerous than many other tourist destinations.

Great bit of PR by the Tourism Authority of Thailand to plant the idea in every one's head its safe. I think we should give them more credit than we do!

*Yes, indeed you are weird for being factual on this board, but you're not the only one.

However, these murders are often committed against Thais for reasons that would get you killed in pretty much any country (drugs/organized crime/etc).

Don't forget loss of face, road rage and drunken bar brawls that escalate into murder. These are equally common as any organised crime or drug related homicides, if not more so.

Those kinds of things certainly shouldn't get you murdered in any civilised country.

Yes, and let's not forget the POLICE! That's surely something that sets Thailand apart: foreigners regularly murdered by the POLICE and/or their associates.

^Excellent post as usual, GH.

Edited January 7, 2008 by kat

[yorkman]

But let's for a moment question the emotion 'I feel safe in Thailand' - What is this based on and why is it that while foreigners in Thailand may report feeling safe, this 'feeling' is almost certainly at odds with the feelings of Thais with respect to safety in Thailand.

Don't believe me, ask your Thai girlfriend/boyfriend/wife/husband about how safe they feel in Thailand.

Hmm yes true. But a lot of the perception is also coloured by where you live, your own lifestyle etc etc.

Apart from some of the international headline cases, most of the farang deaths seem to result from being drunk in the wrong situation (place, relationship or whatever) . A generalisation I know, but how many do you see where it's a random mugging for example that just went too far?

Just a modicum of common sense, and some advice from your significant other, does, I would suggest, reduce the likelehood of this happening to yourself to a very unlikely event.

Touch wood....

[Scott]

Sadly, the country isn't very safe and people need to take due care here. When I have friends/relatives visiting, if I am not accompanying them, I keep them directed toward the regular tourist spots/attractions with a minimum of worry.

I think some of the tourists who are more 'adventurous' will be at a higher risk. Unfortunately, this probably has to do with several things, such as the income level and the amount of time people are staying. I think rather than directing this at certain nationalities, it might be wise to look at how their touring habits are different from other groups.

When folks start 'experiencing the culture' by going to less well travelled areas, risks increase. Someone who is good at this sort of analysis might want to look at some of the circumstances--average time, location or remoteness of the location (in a bar, versus soi, versus, jungle etc), motive etc.

I do know one very big difference is that when you cause a local to lose face, you may have some dire consequences.

[Thaiboxer]

Thais do get murdered by the cops...typical in any country where corruption is rife.

Guesthouse has a point, but if his intention is to lable people who aren't afraid of Thailand as "ignorant of the facts", then he needs to take a deeper look at the backgrounds of the typical farang who winds up getting injured or killed by locals. People who aren't afraid of Thailand are not necessarily ignorant, they just refuse to be paranoid.

There are two sides to every story, and the "unbiased" statitistics shown by the media are only telling one side. I've been here for five years and have yet to be assaulted or even threatened by a Thai (with the exception of boxing camps I've trained at ). Many of the foreigners who are threatened and/or assaulted by Thais are very often seedy characters themselves who get involved with the scum of society. People who feel threatened in Thailand need to examine themselves and their lifestyles, friends, etc. If all those factors are in check (common sense will dictate that) then perhaps they need to relocate.

Cheers!

[girlx]

Many of the foreigners who are threatened and/or assaulted by Thais are very often seedy characters themselves who get involved with the scum of society.

I am interested to hear how you know this to be a fact.