How Safe Do You Feel In Thailand

[JR Texas]

you know I dont know about any of you but seriously

There is no such thing as a safe place. as humans we have always had crimes long before any of us where ever even born. I believe the only thing to do is to be aware, stay away from bad areas, prevention. Seriously long after were all dead crime will still exist. Its called human nature.

Note look at the percentage of crime ratio in a major city vs little city.

Crime seems to have increased dramatically in Thailand over the past 20 years.........especially the last ten. Some areas in Pattaya-Jomtien and Bangkok are no longer safe. I think this should concern real estate investors and foreigners considering on retiring in Thailand.

[HardenedSoul]

I feel very safe in Bangkok . . . even when walking down Sukhumvit 22

Having said that though, I was born and raised in Notting Hill, West London (WAY before Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts' version hit the silver screen and long before European bankers with sweaters tied around their shoulders arrived) when the police needed steel grilles over the windows of their vans to drive through Portobello so I guess I've spent a significant portion of my life on the look out for violence. . . and I've witnessed very little in the way of menace from the Thais. Most of the violence I HAVE seen involves foreigners. Usually the Brits . . . and usually over a girl

Edited January 15, 2010 by HardenedSoul

[Tanaka]

wakey wakey, we all know these thais are big smile when you go in there shops to spend money. so dont give it all that....i have my veiws of this place, as i will say again EACH TO THERE OWN, & by the way im the most politest person you will ever meet. so i bid you good day SIR PS i know england is not the best place in the world but atleast i will feel safer & get a pls & thx from people .

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Bud69er!!!

I dont care what ever you are or not are!! The situation you describe is easy to fall into. And it is not easy to take yourself out of it. When I read about your life as you describe it, I got the feeling that you mostly have a hard time because you do not understand a shit of life here. You say that you understand thai-language to 90%. hmmm it is like people looking arround and cannot see anything, mostly because they are not LOOKING!!

You are right Bud69er they do not give us thank you, they do not say thank you to their own kind, so why to us falangs?? i think you expect too much really!

Your business is a shitbusiness as you say, so leave it, if you cant stay here without it, leave, Do not spend your lifetime here unhappy, it is not worth it. You know life doesn´t go in a rerun, so do the right thing now.

if you decide to stay, you realy really really have to start to adapt. look that word up,,, adapt..... and if you hate life in Phuket there are so many wonderful places here in Thailand that not are that bad as you descibe. If you lack money, as I KNOW you are, come up to Isaan, we have a very good and cheap life here, dinner 35 baht, same for lunch

Welcome mate..

Glegolo

No, no, no! Don't give him any ideas that he would be welcome in Isaan! He would not. Not with his attitude. Just let him piss off back to Nongartjuk, Moscow or whereever he emanates from.

[MJP]

My cigarettes are in constant peril here where I live. As are my tea bags. Hundreds get murdered every month by these savages!

I'm not feeling too safe right now. Chewit, a mad old rice farmer has come to visit followed by his wife who are now sat behind me murdering cups of cha!

[rgs2001uk]

Move to Pattaya, It is very friendly and all the Thais love foreigners - they show nothing but respect for all and consider it an honour to sleep with a handsum farang. The baht bus drivers are friendly and helpful as are the motorbike taxis and it is very safe as well. I am sure there was no-one killed yesterday (but I could be wrong)

Live in Pattaya where the scum floats right to the top of the barrel.

A Bangkok teacher????

A jealous guy

carry on with working hard and i will continue my early retirement in this lovely place.Get down to Patts and i will love to meet you and introduce you to my floating scum friends.We will all be happy to see you

Yaaaaaaaawn, where exactly in Thailand is Patts?

Dont hang out in the dogs bollixs per chance do we?

[Seismic]

In answer to the OP's original question, I have been coming here for 29 years, I feel reasonably safe here compared with many other countries I have visited, like Congo, Angola,Ivory Coast to name a few. I do remember visiting the UK a few years ago and was quite shocked to see all the pubs in my small town now had very large men with radios standing around waiting for trouble to start. I have also spent a lot of time in the phillipines in the 1980's and noted that even small shops had a guard with a pump shotgun standing around. I would say that for a night out Bangkok is much safer than central Huddersfield, but I would also say, I am generally respectful to Thai's I meet and have never had a real problem with them (its their country and their culture and you need to understand the customs and the pecking order), I have, however, had a few problems in the US,UK and Australia with people who had had a few too many.

I would add that I generally say thank you for a decent meal in any class of restaurant I visit, then again, so does my wife, although I accept that it is not customary here, I dont accept the many comments that Thai's look down on people serving food and have no thought to give a thank you, I have seen many Thai's, from all stations of life, thank the employees at a restaurant for a good meal, especially if it is a place they frequent. I do feel the OP should try a little bit harder to understand the local culture, because from his posts I feel he thinks the locals should act just like those he knew in his own country.

regards

[David006]

Translation anyone?

He came on holiday, met a Thai girl, fell in love, wanted to stay, had very little money, bought a cheap restaurant, business provides him only a Thai income, he wants a western income, has no money for a bigger business, now going home, has no job in UK, no money in UK, poor Thai girlfriend cast adrift as he cannot pay to get her to go with him.

Bottom line is not enough cash but wanted to live the dream.

hahaha, so true

Plus I have heard restaurant owners say the same thing about people everywhere, thats what running a restaurant is like.

Yes true , my ex and I bought a coffee shop & restaurant in Vancouver Canada, great fun...NOT!!!..low margins , high fixed and variable expenses including very high rent......f..g hard work..seemingly high percentage of dirty, arrogant customers ...worst line of business I can imagine ...anyplace...although it was a great place to get a "street level" MBA!

...not surprised by the OPs' comments he should have bought a rice wholesales shop or maybe buy the GF a a motorcycle and sidecar vendor outfit to sell noodle soup....??