Home Security - What Have You Done To Your House?

[Tokay]

Around 4am someone tried to jimmy his way into our back door of the new house. When I say new, we have been here just a few days and the bars on the walls were not all in place and the back door bar was not yet hung in the frame. "Tomorrow" we have been told for about 2 weeks now on this.

I was still awake and heard the noise, woke up and turned on the light. The noise stopped and 20 seconds later we heard a motobike start up and drive off. The police were called and of course as suspected were of no help at all.

My lady believes the crook was probably one of the boys who have delivered something to the house, the beds, desks, TV or what have you. She is probably right.

So my question is, besides the bars everywhere, which if you ask me are just monkey bars that help them to climb over, what are you doing to protect your home?

A second question is, what happens legally if a Thai gets injured breaking into your home, be it on his own or per something I put there to help protect my property?

Thanks all.

[pluto_manibo]

- a perimeter wall and gate

- motion sensor lights around the outside of the house

- an alarm system connected to a central respond service

- a dog

- spray foam on underside of roof(mainly for insulation purposes but also makes it harder to lift the tiles)

If they really want to break in they will....so these are just detterents.

[bkkblueeyes]

Sorry to here of your news.

Lucky you where awake.

Could be some punk dude high on yaba

He ran so he was not so violent.

No one dares to step on my girls Property.

But for security we have these Bars on every windows that are rather stylish and dose not make you feel like a prisoner.

Now we have 2 Golden receivers. German Shepard, a dog name snow that really looks like a snow ball. And 3 street dogs that I feed regally and they do a good job of keeping other critters off

Also have a Fake Samurai Sword witch is still sharp and good for Cutting down mango and scaring passing pedestrians.

And my favorite! A Modified Tear Gas Gun that shoots rounds of tear gas (mace) with A sharp pellets that would kill or end someone in hospital .gas with the pellet blue out the window.

That would be danger for me if the intruder got his hands on it somehow as well. So I don’t care about locating it so much if needed.

So a few trained dogs are fun and good investment for security.

I don’t know but I have asked the question a few times if a killed someone on the land that was a threat to the family .

They say it is fine. It will be investigated and if checks out your free to carry on with life.

Good lucky to you!

[teacup]

If you don’t feel like eating someone randomly

Then I would suggest…..

A big angry dog, have him trained to attack

Lights on timers on variable schedule, also radio or TV left on a timer.

And

Try to possess nothing worth stealing

[joskydive]

Around 4am someone tried to jimmy his way into our back door of the new house. When I say new, we have been here just a few days and the bars on the walls were not all in place and the back door bar was not yet hung in the frame. "Tomorrow" we have been told for about 2 weeks now on this.

I was still awake and heard the noise, woke up and turned on the light. The noise stopped and 20 seconds later we heard a motobike start up and drive off. The police were called and of course as suspected were of no help at all.

My lady believes the crook was probably one of the boys who have delivered something to the house, the beds, desks, TV or what have you. She is probably right.

So my question is, besides the bars everywhere, which if you ask me are just monkey bars that help them to climb over, what are you doing to protect your home?

A second question is, what happens legally if a Thai gets injured breaking into your home, be it on his own or per something I put there to help protect my property?

Thanks all.

Broken glass cemented on the top of all the perimeter walls, nice sharp spikes on top of the gates.

Lights all around the perimeter walls.

Motion sensor lights and hidden cameras above the doors.

15 dogs. Some outside - some inside. So, if they try to poison the one's outside they still have the problem inside.

All my doors and windows have the iron bars on them and they aren't screwed in either. When I moved two windows during a revamp on my house, they had a hel_l of a job getting the iron bars off the wall.

This was done all after the fact though because, like you, someone broke into my house when I had just moved in and again the police were of no use. The thief was also one of the builders who were fixing my house at the time, I took the Police to his home and he admitted his wrong doing and still nothing was done.

You could also get one of those stinger things that you keep charged up with the mains. They are quite small but very effective and can be kept on your bedside table if someone does actually get in. A nice electric charge through their bodies generally lets them know they are in the wrong place. I keep one on my person.

Not sure about the legalities of damaging an intruder on your property but I'm sure you can do them for Trespass, breaking and entering, assault, damages, theft etc., and for only this reason I haven't put a nice high volt electric fence around my area.

By the way, sorry to hear this has happened to you. It can be a very scary experience even when they didn't get in.

[Tokay]

Great info from all. Thank you. Will do exactly all of that, minus the dogs.

The bars we have on the window are bolted in, very easy to remove should the intruder have the time to do so. Does anyone know where to get those "security screws" that are so popular back in the states. I don't know a name for them other than that.

Was also thinking about razor barbed wire. The kind they put around jails. It would look ghetto I suppose, but no more ghetto than the bars already in place.

[TheDon]

My Wife and my home in Thailand built by her father put up walls around it that is 3 and 1/2 meters with barbed wire on top. Her sister is living in it as we dont want to live in Thailand for a few years. ALso there is 2 dogs that protect the place, we even had a green snake enter the place and the dogs killed it. Also a gun in the house helps

[Heng]

-no razor wire or glass (that stuff inevitably deteriorates and leaves stuff for kids and employees to accidentally step on) but 1.5-2 meter high walls

-employees that are in an office working on property pretty much all day and night... besides a short window in the middle of the night... whereas intruders would have to deal with:

-iron bars

-motion sensor lights, but more importantly anyone can light up the whole compound with halogen spotlights from master switches at their house

-half a dozen dogs, none particularly vicious, but enough to wake up any of the dozen firearm equipped family members that spend about few thousand rounds each at the both the close quarters handgun and rifle ranges year in and out.

-all homes also have panic buttons that turn on fire alarm buzzers and sirens for their particular house (so just locking yourself in your bedroom until the gun fire dies down is another option).

The last is the most cost effective IMO. You can set it up yourself with stuff from Home Pro for less than 1,000 Baht per house (depending on how many lights you want, but one buzzer is plenty loud enough).

Definitely not the place to decide to break into.

[GuestHouse]

We have an open fence - I don't like the idea of providing a screan for any would be housebreakers to be able to hide behind.

Motion switched lights (with power back-up) and a neighboourhood watch.

[Smithson]

We have an open fence - I don't like the idea of providing a screan for any would be housebreakers to be able to hide behind.

Motion switched lights (with power back-up) and a neighboourhood watch.

You seem to be the only one who isn't living with a siege mentality. I can't believe how many ppl have guns in their houses! I wonder how many of you are from the US, which has big gun culture. Statistically isn't it much more likely that you will shoot a family member?

Heng, surely with ppl present all the time you don't need so much security. I've noticed Bangkokians seem to live in fear, always locking gates and looking nervous. They also don't look out for each others homes, neighbourhood watch programs have proved very effective, but my neighbors won't even say hello to each other.

I have 3 dogs, two look mean and have mean barks, but wouldn't actually hurt anyone (unless an intruder got violent). I also have few things of value because I'd rather not have the worry.

I never let anyone I don't know into my house. On occasions where deliveries are made, I tell the drivers my dogs are trained to attack if I'm not there. The seem to believe this simply because they can sit on command!

Edited May 19, 2008 by Smithson

[onzestan]

The bars we have on the window are bolted in, very easy to remove should the intruder have the time to do so. Does anyone know where to get those "security screws" that are so popular back in the states. I don't know a name for them other than that.

I had the bolds welded to the frame.

cheers

onzestan

[TheDon]

Bigger the gun, the more scared the robbers. I thought about putting pictures of my biceps around to scare people off. But the problem with that is, it will actually attract female robbers.

[Smithson]

I grew up with a security obsessed father, alarms all over the place. After a while the neighbors learn to ignore them because they're always going off by mistake.

[GuestHouse]

BARS ON WINDOWS.... Not good if your house catches fire.

[TheDon]

BARS ON WINDOWS.... Not good if your house catches fire.

not if there is keys for them.

You can get bars on windows where your suppose to have Keys a few meters on a hook where a robber cant reach and anyone in a house can reach. Also the Robber cant see the key hole so wont know where it is as they look like just normal bars

[pnustedt]

We have security guards on the Mu Baan, heavy duty security grills, a dog and a .38 Smith & Wesson (licenced). I am told by chief of police that it is OK to kill an intruder in your house.

[Smithson]

For all those with guns, pls let me know if you're from America. That's true about bars on windows, all security can backfire, including dogs biting kids, friends etc. Is it that dangerous over here? When a farang is robbed or killed here, it's often the wife!

[pnustedt]

For all those with guns, pls let me know if you're from America.

From UK and HK.

[Smithson]

For all those with guns, pls let me know if you're from America.

From UK and HK.

Did you have a gun in the UK? They have strict firearm laws. Do you really feel it's so dangerous over here that you need a gun? When I was young a lot of Australians had guns, I used to go around to my mates place and we'd take them out and play around with them. I was about 13.

[PrBkkPr]

What you need is to invest in some high-tech security for your home. There some good reputable companies in Thailand run by expats and they can set up a proper tailored system according to your needs. In my retreat home in Phuket, I have security cameras, alarms, high-tec locks,etc. Besides a high wall, I also have other special bobby traps set up for intruders.

Forget about guns, there is a new special device that you can buy from Australia or The US that looks like a telescope but it is shoot tiny darts (Dartscope) that are coated with a range of poisons that can cause a whole range of effects including some delayed one. Try checking on the internet. I bought a couple of sets from Paddingtons in Sydney two years ago.

Dying to try in on any Thai intruder who tries to break in. Would love to see the bastard or bastards paralysed for life!

[zaza]

What you need is to invest in some high-tech security for your home. There some good reputable companies in Thailand run by expats and they can set up a proper tailored system according to your needs. In my retreat home in Phuket, I have security cameras, alarms, high-tec locks,etc. Besides a high wall, I also have other special bobby traps set up for intruders.

Forget about guns, there is a new special device that you can buy from Australia or The US that looks like a telescope but it is shoot tiny darts (Dartscope) that are coated with a range of poisons that can cause a whole range of effects including some delayed one. Try checking on the internet. I bought a couple of sets from Paddingtons in Sydney two years ago.

Dying to try in on any Thai intruder who tries to break in. Would love to see the bastard or bastards paralysed for life!

I use only

[simon43]

My security:

- no bars, no locked doors, no dogs, no security system, no guns, no mace, no walls, no broken glass, nothing worth stealing, never any problems....

Simon

[zaza]

Bigger the gun, the more scared the robbers. I thought about putting pictures of my biceps around to scare people off. But the problem with that is, it will actually attract female robbers.

I don't think robbers will be interested (neither scared) in pornography whilst they are already "inside" your house..

[slackula]

We have a dog who is normally extremely placid with people we have introduced her to, but pretty noisy and impressive with strangers. We also have great neighbours on both sides who look out for us as much as we look out for them.

I refuse to live in a siege mentality, if I felt that threatened I would move. If I ever thought I needed a gun in the house I would move somewhere else too. It's not worth it imho.

[pnustedt]

Did you have a gun in the UK?No, it was illegal They have strict firearm laws.

Do you really feel it's so dangerous over here that you need a gun? Yes, in my circumstances it is necessary

When I was young a lot of Australians had guns, I used to go around to my mates place and we'd take them out and play around with them. I was about 13.So?

[Pepe']

I leave all doors and windows open and silent alarm connected to police and private security on.

If someone comes in theres not much to take besides a lap top maybe and they don't have much time because response time is very good.

Land Of Bars (metal) razor wire and broken glass...

[pnustedt]

My security:

- no bars, no locked doors, no dogs, no security system, no guns, no mace, no walls, no broken glass, nothing worth stealing, never any problems....

Simon

A good friend of mine had a similar philosophy - until a couple of weeks ago when his in-laws' house was burgled whilst he, his wife and 12-month son were sleeping there. He, and his wife, came to ralise the fact that life is cheap in Thailand. Take care!

[Neeranam]

When I build my house, I'm going to have a moat.

[ClaytonSeymour]

Around 4am someone tried to jimmy his way into our back door of the new house. When I say new, we have been here just a few days and the bars on the walls were not all in place and the back door bar was not yet hung in the frame. "Tomorrow" we have been told for about 2 weeks now on this.

I was still awake and heard the noise, woke up and turned on the light. The noise stopped and 20 seconds later we heard a motobike start up and drive off. The police were called and of course as suspected were of no help at all.

My lady believes the crook was probably one of the boys who have delivered something to the house, the beds, desks, TV or what have you. She is probably right.

So my question is, besides the bars everywhere, which if you ask me are just monkey bars that help them to climb over, what are you doing to protect your home?

A second question is, what happens legally if a Thai gets injured breaking into your home, be it on his own or per something I put there to help protect my property?

Thanks all.

When I do make the permanent move to Thailand, I'll be investing in an electric security fence & I'll also have the Smith & Wesson at hand.

I made enquiries in the Isaan forum re: electric fences - I was put in the direction of these people:

http://www.wasp-security.com/index.php

As another poster has mentioned, in Thailand, you're within your rights to kill an intruder & rightly so.

[Rhys]

Well.. you do need some type of Noise maker alert system.. A DOG is a first choice.. and cheapest...The high tech answers are expense.. Best wishes.. Get to know your neighbors...

Edited May 19, 2008 by Rhys