Chiang Mai tops for human security, Bangkok and Phuket worst

BANGKOK: -- Human security is worst in Bangkok, while Chiang Mai is the most liveable province, according to a 2007 government survey.

"Phuket is second from bottom," Suwinai Wattatham, a senior official at the Human Security and Social Development Ministry, told a seminar yesterday.

Against the average human-security score for the whole country of 69.65 per cent out of a possible 100, the capital managed only 11.62 per cent, while Chiang Mai marked 87.87 per cent.

Besides Phuket at 34.13 per cent, scoring under 50 per cent were Samut Prakan, Samut Sakhon, Nonthaburi and Chon Buri.

Suwinai said the human-security score was calculated using comprehensive criteria, including the ratios of hospital beds/doctors to the population, student/teacher ratio, household income, employment rate, crime rate, divorce rate, population density, telephone and Internet access, and election turnout.

"The report identifies the strengths and weaknesses of each province," he said. "The information will be useful in improving the human-security situation".

Other top-graded provinces were Phrae (85.96 per cent), Lamphun (85.52 per cent), Nan (84.35 per cent), Phayao (83.85 per cent), Yasothon (83.62 per cent), Mukdahan (82.73 per cent), Maha Sarakham (82.60 per cent), Lampang (81.84 per cent) and Samut Songkhram (81.15 per cent).

-- The Nation 2008-09-30

Good to note that internet access plays a part in my 'human security!' <deleted>!

It speaks volumes that they are even prepared to publish something like this. I wonder, does the report factor in air quality/pollution as a part of human security?

Quiet please - Please don't pass this information on......we've been trying to keep Chiang Mai a secret for a long time now! We keep putting out false rumours of pollution & smoke, to help keep people away & so far, it seems to be working well! This sort of information doesn't help us one little bit! Call us selfish if you will.......

I know they mentioned chonburi however it would be interesting to see how Pattaya would fare!

Bangkok, Samut Sakhon, Prakan etc, are places where big industry exploits workers - especially foreign migrants and their families.

Don´t trust a statistic you not have manipulated yourself !

Bagsida

P.S.:

Phuket I believe

anybody know how these figures compare with other places, such as Bogota, Gutatemala City etc?

Well they did just bust (pun intended) the Chaing Mai Katoey Gang

that was rolling and 'molesting' drunks in their cars late at night.

My deriere would feel safer there now...

Interesting that Phuket is less safe than Pattaya...

I have always felt safe in Phuket, and rarely felt safe in Pattaya.

No clue where Samui rests.

Here the katoeys just pop up naked in front of Thai pop stars,

and super models have hotel staff stealing their computers.

Of course traffic lowers Samui Safety in quantum leaps.

Edited September 30, 200817 yr by animatic

what exactly is unsafe about bkk?

Give me a break. More useless statistics brought to you by the inane and incompetent statisticians at the Thai government. The mere name of the index "human security" is a misnomer. And Bangkok is doomed if one of the main factors is population density. Human security denotes safety and I doubt that your life is that much safer in Chiang Mai rather than Bangkok. This is more foolhardiness and waste of time.

what exactly is unsafe about bkk?

Human security - maybe not for you. But how about a Burmese maid, or a child beggar from Cambodia? This isn't just about 'tourists'

anybody know how these figures compare with other places, such as Bogota, Gutatemala City etc?

Nobody will ever know because it is a farcical exercise that no other country would pursue, particularly with indicators such as teacher-student ratio, election turnout and telephone and Internet access, which have no effect on HUMAN SECURITY.

Whoever posted this item should be hit in the windpipe twice.

So is Bangkok 88.38% unsafe?

So is Bangkok 88.38% unsafe?

No no no, in fact BKK has a new slogan to attract tourists.

Bangkok, now with 88.38% more adventure!

what exactly is unsafe about bkk?

"Climb upon my knee , sonny boy----"

Should you have an hour or six to spare , the more knowledgeable will likely explain and ease your dilemna .

Where can we read this report/study and how does Surin compare?

Thanks!

Quiet please - Please don't pass this information on......we've been trying to keep Chiang Mai a secret for a long time now! We keep putting out false rumours of pollution & smoke, to help keep people away & so far, it seems to be working well! This sort of information doesn't help us one little bit! Call us selfish if you will.......

It's like all that rain in Portland, Oregon. Sure, it does rain, but the locals really talk it up whenever they meet a visitor.

thanks for todays humour....

complete <deleted> with no shame whatsoever in the telling.

ChiangMai is wonderfully comatose, thank you & good night All.

I live in Phuket and can think of a lot worse place to be especially in the UK.

anybody know how these figures compare with other places, such as Bogota, Gutatemala City etc?

Nobody will ever know because it is a farcical exercise that no other country would pursue, particularly with indicators such as teacher-student ratio, election turnout and telephone and Internet access, which have no effect on HUMAN SECURITY.

Whoever posted this item should be hit in the windpipe twice.

You are out of touch, I'm afraid. Studies of the same kind are very commonly seen in USA and Canadian newspapers, magazines and even real estate demographic studies, often using the same criteria that the Thai Government report relies upon. It's common to see article which list the top ten cities in magazines like Forbes, Conde Nast, etc.

lI think that the term "human security" is just a poor use of English that should have been expressed differently. What the survey intends to express has to do with the most comfortable places to live in terms of safety, schooling, medical care and the general "creature comforts" which we all seek to have more enjoyable lives. There's a broad grouping of factors which make up the foundations of good living, but there's also that "different strokes for different folks" part of the equation to deal with.

Sometimes what you want may be anathema to the wants of others.

Pure sillyness.... The list of contributing factors for the most part has little to do with "human security", whatever that is supposed to mean. And, taken as a whole, the whole group of factors is going to tend to downgrade any urbanized, densely populated city areas.

I'll sleep so much better at night knowing that the long list of places that ranked high in the evaluation -- mostly all out-of-the-way places where a coconut falling from the tree is the highlight of the week -- are the best that Thailand has to offer.

Trying to keep up the smokescreen for Chiang Mai so that the lower-country riff-raff does not invade our pristine, Northern provinces...

I cannot imagine that Thai provinces differ in their teacher/student ratio. Classrooms filled with 45 to 55 kids are commonplace. Chiang Mai has excellent hospitals, which I prefer to Bangkok, but Lamphun and other provinces have poorer facilities and staffs.

I know, it's the som tam. When Bangkok Post had an education seminar up here, those nicely dressed Thai ajarn ladies told the Heng-ish Thai-American transplant that his grandmother's Krungthep recipe had all the wrong ingredients.

I agree with pjalittle - the English term is something like "Most livable city" or "Best place to retire on less than $7,000 per month."

We have nicer katoeys here.

Give me a break. More useless statistics brought to you by the inane and incompetent statisticians at the Thai government. The mere name of the index "human security" is a misnomer. And Bangkok is doomed if one of the main factors is population density. Human security denotes safety and I doubt that your life is that much safer in Chiang Mai rather than Bangkok. This is more foolhardiness and waste of time.

agree with all the above. A better title would be 'Quality of Life' survey. Thailand is generally safe - compared to other regions, particularly Latin America and Africa.

Instead of an inane 'survey' with unrelated conditions given by subjective respondents, the government could get info out to locals and farang alike - 'how to avoid being scammed' and/or 'simple and inexpensive ways to improve quality of life.'

Can we get the 'Canine Security' index next week?

Since "voting turnout" plays a part in "Human security" (somehow), the North will of course be way ahead since they get paid to vote much more than the South. Or should I say, more people in the North get paid to vote, although each person probably gets paid much less that people in the South.

What the hel_l do they mean by Human Security, I think what they are refering to is quality of life. But who really cares

How does it compare to London, Manchester, Birmingham etc mmmmmm need I go on?

Chiang Mai tops for human security, Bangkok and Phuket worst

BANGKOK: -- Human security is worst in Bangkok, while Chiang Mai is the most liveable province, according to a 2007 government survey.

...and it took 9 months to deliver the results ?

LaoPo

Chiang Mai tops for human security, Bangkok and Phuket worst

BANGKOK: -- Human security is worst in Bangkok, while Chiang Mai is the most liveable province, according to a 2007 government survey.

And so on ...............................Complete CAK! Even the briefest of searches through other areas on this forum relating to murders of both Farang and Thai alike, reveal that a Chaing Mai and the surrounding area has had more than it's share of Murders, Robberies, etc, etc than anywhere else in Thailand, at least for the past year or so.

Pure sillyness.... The list of contributing factors for the most part has little to do with "human security", whatever that is supposed to mean. And, taken as a whole, the whole group of factors is going to tend to downgrade any urbanized, densely populated city areas.

Really? So, perhaps a city area like Chiang Mai? Ha ha. Get real, man, Chiang Mai is the second biggest province/city in the country. And Phuket? Not much of a city. You just don't want to think Bangkok is dangerous so you choose to dismiss it.