Chiang Mai - Is It Safe?

[KevinHunt]

As fascinating as it is to hear that it's raining in Hang Dong, or to find out how much we should be paying for onions, and since the 'Tourist Numbers Drop By Almost One Million' post has ended up as a debate about the murder rates of Thailand, I thought it might be slightly more interesting to hear how safe people feel visiting, or living in, Chiang Mai. 

If we can forget about the inherrent dangers of stubbing your toe on an uneven footpath, death from falling coconuts or the obvious dangers of driving in Chiang Mai and instead concentrate on the general question of personal safety or threat of violence, then personally, I would have to say that I feel very safe here. A critic (such people do exist) once suggested that I was burying my head in the sand over a similar debate and even pushed the point further by attaching a picture of an ostrich!!! Hopefully, he has, since then, been savaged by rabid soi dogs (a  topic of debate in itself, but some other time, maybe).

So, what do you think? Should I continue to wander about with a care-free attitude, a song in my head and a spring in my step, or should I be looking over my shoulder and avoiding the shadows?

PS - If we could hold back on the graphs and statistics, that would be nice. And if you're looking for 'subliminal advertising' - there ain't none.

PPS - If you're new here .... you might want to take the comments from the Knife-man of Bangkok and the guy who thinks he's a primate, with a little pinch of salt.  

Edited October 25, 2009 by KevinHunt

[anselpixel]

I sincerely hope the primate man speaks up on this matter.

His highly evolved instinctual perceptions would be most useful in assessing environmental threat levels.

[slapout]

Since finding that Straightdave lives in Bangkok I feel very safe in CM, thankyou.

[Loaded]

I've never had a problem with Thais. I know it's there but have only ever felt threatened by the drunken behaviour of foreign tourists.

[pjclark1]

I feel safer in CM than anywhere else I have lived in the world.

I also seem to have lost any fear of having my property stolen.

The only danger I have encountered is of some girl trying to convincing me to buy her a house/car/motorcycle.

A little bit of will power pretty much takes care of that danger.

[Rasseru]

I feel very safe in Chiangmai.

[Ulysses G.]

I felt safer in Japan than Chiang Mai, but safer in Chiang Mai than San Francisco.

However, I don't think that Chiang Mai is all that safe for women.

[thaimiller]

I feel safe, never had a problem in Chiang Mai, but then again I do walk round with a 38kg pit bull no seriously I find Chiang Mai and mainly Thailand in general a safe place to live.

[alant]

i always think of chiangmai as safe, even when coming across dissapointed man u fans late at night (sorry).

my mrs is concerned about me taking late night tuk tuk rides home but i cant see the problem. any coments on this?

[iainiain101]

I feel safe in Chiang Mai, but would feel safer if the BIB did not carry firearms and Thai females were not allowed to drive cars.

Iain

[gotlost]

Lets see want to be NASCAR drivers, kamikaze tuk tuk and motor bike drivers avoiding the eye candy on Loi Kroh. Sunday long lines at Carrefour. It's safer in Chiang Mai than most place in this world.

[piercefilmlid]

I feel very safe in CM, especially away from main tourist areas.

[Donnyboy]

never been threatened with violence here in 5 years

it seems i might find it if i carry a knife thou

[WinnieTheKhwai]

i always think of chiangmai as safe, even when coming across dissapointed man u fans late at night (sorry).

my mrs is concerned about me taking late night tuk tuk rides home but i cant see the problem. any coments on this?

As a guy, my main concern would be getting a drunk tuk tuk driver.

For a single woman, would not let them use a tuk tuk alone at night if it could be avoided. (Was in this situation last Saturday, and decided to drive the girl back to her hotel myself). However sometimes that option just doesn't exist; in that case what I would personally do if you must take a tuk tuk is to ask some of the bar/restaurant staff to find/recommend a tuk tuk driver who's a decent guy (and not drunk), and then still make sure there's plenty people around to identify the driver & vehicle. (You coudl ask a restaurant staffer to flag a tuk tuk and write down the license plate registration).

Female night time bar staff are pretty much in that situation every day of the week, so they would know the good guys from the bad. They might even offer to accompany a single woman to the hotel, then drive back.

Calling a meter taxi would be another option, though the same safety measures would apply there as well.

So, overall, there's a lot you can do to be safer. Finally a thing to keep in mind is that a tuk tuk is essentially a tin can on wheels with no seatbelts or safety features to speak of, and you'll be riding it at nighttime among much bigger vehicles with very drunk drivers at the wheel. It is not ever something I would do with children. Go for a meter taxi in that case.

Edited October 26, 2009 by WinnieTheKhwai

[doppa]

we've nealy been here 6mths, and in comparison to phuket , chiangmai feels far safer, and far more relaxed and civilised,than the mad house of the former, although a drunk driver who nearly took me and several others out , had my temper off the charts, the other day.

[RubbaJohnny]

Seems only real hazards are the drivers as everywhere and pollution.Seems safer here in my village but for a big city remarkably friendly and unthreatening.After San Sebastian and Sydney my favourite city

I also notice despite being a pale skinned falang that after 10years the ladies,massage vendors and tuktukistas no longer accost me,they most sense I'm a local resident now ,no I dont have a big Jatukom or Nehru shirt,but some how I must look different to the holidaymaker.

This year Ive been in Spain France Ireland Dusseldorf all full of shutters drunks and menacing streets and even friendly Penang seems less safe than Mai.Well done to the locals Police and tourists who enjoy fun without spoling it for others.

Well done Thailand and the friendly Lanna people who are having a tough time with tourist recession and being out of favour in the capital.

A good time to come for those in Pattaya and Phuket the weather is perfect no crowds and never a better time to get good rates.

10/10 Sanook unlimited

[gpdjohn]

Since finding that Straightdave lives in Bangkok I feel very safe in CM, thankyou.

As the last few minutes wind down before I leave for my annual pilgramidge ( a new word I just made up ) back to the U.S. I always felt extremely safe in CM...

I was gunna ask SD if he would follow me around LAX with his blade pointing at everyone because now I'm scared to be in the "Excited States".. wonder if the bangers around south central would eat him alive..

And as for Thaimiller, I have had the wrath of that pit bull thrown at me, his claws cut my arms whilst he was attempting to lick me to death..killer.

Back in 6 weeks..wish me luck cuz I'm gunna need it without a "blade"..

[getgoin]

I have already voiced my opinion that Chiang Mai is a very safe town and I think that away from the large city centers the country has to rate somewhere near the top of the safe list.

I would have to say however that as Chiang Mai has grown so has its social deviants and problems.

[stevehaigh]

definitely safer than Baghdad i would say.

and the air seems very clear today, very low cancer risk at the moment

[SM7WGP]

Its not safer in Chiangmai then anywhere else. Its only destiny to be at the wrong place at the wrong time .

So I think you can feel very happy as long as you walk around day time, but beware of late nights many funny people out there,

Thais Burmese and Farrangs.

[Donnyboy]

the following news story could happen in CM

worth a read (esp if you happen to produce a knife upon confrontation)

CLICK ME

[PeaceBlondie]

Safer than working unarmed in a conflict zone.

Kevin, ostriches don't bury their heads. "Contrary to popular belief, ostriches do not bury their heads in sand.[27] This myth likely began with Pliny the Elder (A.D. 23-79), who wrote that ostriches "imagine, when they have thrust their head and neck into a bush, that the whole of their body is concealed."[28] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ostrich

[Drew Aitch]

Unlike central areas of Bkk, you don't have to drift far at night in CM to find yourself it dark parts of the city that are so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Dark quiet roads and side streets where lonely pedestrians can be found walking along late at night or in the small hours of morning, are the places where most muggings and rapes go on wherever it happens to be in the world. If you happen to be off your face, for the criminals, it's like taking candy from a baby (whatever it is they are wanting to take!).

Drunken brawls outside brightly lit busy night spots after kicking out time are rife in most places that excite the crowds with scantily clad dolly birds and heavy drinking.

That said, I'd sooner walk around most cities alone late at night in Thailand than I would back home in England, where a good beating can almost be excepted in certain areas, whether you deserve one or not!

In addition to the above, most towns and cities around the world have areas that are notorious for trouble, so avoiding such places at certain times of night, and especially alone, and particularly if you're a woman with a skirt up to her arse, are simple preventative measures. Unless of course, you're one of those people who are up for a late night grapple with the locals.

There were a couple of nutters in a car once that came speeding onto the pavement in the UK (New Years Eve) and rammed into our happy group. One lad got hit and lay unconscious on the ground with a thick stream of dark red blood flowing from his head. We didn't even know those who did the hit and run, yet they sped off tooting and yelling out of the windows excited by their result. We later found out that the driver was a 55 year old man and his 22 year old nephew was his passenger!

Another time, I was very savagely beaten and mugged in Rotterdam in Holland, where i was living at the time. I couldn't even pull myself out of an arm chair for the first few days without someone's help, and once out, i had to shuffle along the floor on my arse because my legs and back couldn't take the pain of standing upright.

I've been in Thailand for 6 years now, 2 or which have been in Bangkok, and I've never had so much as a Boo! Not from the locals or the minority of unsavoury foreigners that reside in this country. Not bad going for someone who used to be what some might consider a Soi Dog ha ha lol!

Aitch

Edited October 26, 2009 by Drew Aitch

[IanForbes]

Maybe I'm just too happy a guy and move around like I own the joint. I've never even come close to feeling threatened in Thailand. And, I've walked late at night through all sorts of weird places in Pattaya. Chiang Mai is a pussy cat compared to Pattaya. But, I'm never drunk either. I walk a lot and move at a good speed. Maybe I look too dangerous to be a victim. I might feel entirely different if I was a woman.

The ONLY dangerous thing I do in Thailand is play with venomous snakes and ride a motorcycle. I haven't been able to find any tigers to molest.

[swain]

Driving in Thailand is not really like driving its like floating down the street. More like a river. No real rules come into play just keep your eyes open and your peripheral vision keen. Its not like the USA where you can put your mind into check when driving. So a bit dangerous for someone who is no paying attention. Soi dogs can be a problem, but I now have my motorcycle equipped with a telescoping night stick that fear has subsided. I do fear that I may kill one of them one day, but I have been lucky up to this point.

Feel safer here than in Los Angeles thats for sure.

[isanbirder]

In 16 years in Chiangmai I only once saw a gun pulled on the street! My friend and I left the area rather fast. But you can find danger in any city if you're stupid enough, and Chiangmai is no exception. For normal law-abiding folks, it's as safe as anywhere in Asia.

[sendbaht]

Growing up in Los Anglels you bet I feel safer here in Chiang Mai. Even safer riding my motorcycle due to the fact that there are many other motorcycles on the road with me.

Edited October 26, 2009 by sendbaht

[Ulysses G.]

I'll hire the knife fighting guy in Bangkok - who thinks that he is in Chaing Mai - as a personal companion.

Edited October 26, 2009 by Ulysses G.

[Paagai]

Seems every few months this topic comes round again.........

And every time I read all the, "it's so safe here" comments I wonder if I live in the same city

Sure, for the vast majority of Farang's living here, it is a reasonably safe place, especially if you don;t drink, don't ride a motosai, don't go out late at night and stick to tourist/ex-pat venues or ex-pat club meetings. Yep, you can enjoy a long and happy life here waiting for heart disease, or cancer to get you

But, step across the tracks into the Thai side of town and its a very different story. I've lived in some rough places before but here in CM, among Thais, and especially Tai Yais, I've seen more fights, nastier fights, the biggest bar brawls, more guns, knives machetes, samurai swords, sling shots, serious wounds inflicted by all of these weapons, more drugs, more people effected by drugs, more people stealling anything to feed their addictions (Drugs and gambling), more people with serious alcohol problems (lao Kaao) more people killed or maimed in motobike accidents, more people mugged for their motosai or torasap, more kids savagely beaten because of the school they attend, big gang fights, etc, etc, etc than I ever did even in the roughest places in the west.

The OP may have a sucessful "No riff raff" policy and Farang orientated bars are largely probelm free (apart from the occasional drunken Farang trying to restart the last world war), but get out into the burbs and its another world. Whilst personally I've never had a problem, I've seen many local people hospitalised from violent incidents here, not to mention a good friend violently murdered. If you think CM is really a safe city it's time to wake up and smell the coffee.

Anyway, "Safety First" I always go out with my infamous bodyguards and leave the fighting to them Or if the bodyguards are busy there's always the Katoeys - No one messes with them

Edit: Second thoughts, that's two friends murdered in the last year, and another acquaintance in jail for murdering someone else! And another scumbag who ought to be in jail is still happily walking the streets.....

Edited October 26, 2009 by Paagai

[getgoin]

Seems every few months this topic comes round again.........

And every time I read all the, "it's so safe here" comments I wonder if I live in the same city

Sure, for the vast majority of Farang's living here, it is a reasonably safe place, especially if you don;t drink, don't ride a motosai, don't go out late at night and stick to tourist/ex-pat venues or ex-pat club meetings. Yep, you can enjoy a long and happy life here waiting for heart disease, or cancer to get you

But, step across the tracks into the Thai side of town and its a very different story. I've lived in some rough places before but here in CM, among Thais, and especially Tai Yais, I've seen more fights, nastier fights, the biggest bar brawls, more guns, knives machetes, samurai swords, sling shots, serious wounds inflicted by all of these weapons, more drugs, more people effected by drugs, more people stealling anything to feed their addictions (Drugs and gambling), more people with serious alcohol problems (lao Kaao) more people killed or maimed in motobike accidents, more people mugged for their motosai or torasap, more kids savagely beaten because of the school they attend, big gang fights, etc, etc, etc than I ever did even in the roughest places in the west.

The OP may have a sucessful "No riff raff" policy and Farang orientated bars are largely probelm free (apart from the occasional drunken Farang trying to restart the last world war), but get out into the burbs and its another world. Whilst personally I've never had a problem I've seen many local people hospitalised from violent incidents here, not to mention a good friend violently murdered. If you think CM is really a safe city it's time to wake up and smell the coffee.

Anyway, "Safety First" I always go out with my infamous bodyguards and leave the fighting to them Or if the bodyguards are busy there's always the Katoeys - No one messes with them

Sorry that you are living in the fuc_ked up part of Chiang Mai. For me, violence is reserved for Thai punk peers and not directed at foreigners or gay sadomasochist. A respectful thing I always say. Try living in a different world. If you like hanging with these losers then you get what you want.

If you wonder if you live in the same city the answer is that you do not. We live in a peaceful land where all the people smile when confronted, just before you give them the 500 Baht.

And please change your avatar, it is disrespectful. You might not think so but it is.