Has Safety For Farangs In Bkk Recently Changed?

[whatamidoinghere]

I live in a condominium in a quiet residential neighbourhood with town houses, wooden bungalows and a few apartment buildings for 4 years. I have never felt unsafe in Thailand and never had any kind of problem. On Sunday a guy on a motorcy tried to rob me from my bag near my home but failed, nevertheless I got seriously hurt in the process, suffered 5 fractures and needed to be hospitalised. A hospital employee told me that since the protests ended, such crimes on foreigners have dramatically increased and people were brought in to the hospital every day. Is there a campaign going on by certain Thais to make our lives more difficult? Any advice to remain alive and well in my lovely street in Din Daeng?

[londonthai]

sorry to hear about your ordeal - just bad luck, but there is an economic crisis since 2008 and more and more unemployed and desperate people around. Often it's the druggies.

there is no an organised campaign against the foreigners, but since the country is in a bad political shape, a lot of people are frustrated and angry. Some of this anger and frustration can be vented through crime, vandalism, antisocial behaviours, heavy drinking etc

[SomTumTiger]

Bad Luck - there is no "Get the Farang" conspiracy (if there was, it would be created by the "Sino-Thai Galactic Empire of Doom" which gets mentioned so often ) . Aside from the scam artists who populate any major urban area. Be more vigilant, and move on. Enough Thai and Farang bashing threads for the moment, imo.

[philliphn]

I think that you are going to see more of this type of occurence.

The reason for this is the economic downturn. When people become desperate to feed their famalies this will happen. As well as drug adicts without income

You are "Farang." So you are viewed as wealthy. An obvious target. Also, many people are resentful against others who they view as different and having more than themselves.

It used to be in the past that people could go back to the country side and farm. This is not true any more. There is a new generation that have have lost their farming skills and are not used to the hard physical labor involved in farming in Thailand. Combine that with severe drought.

Bangkok is in the process of becoming a much more dangerous city for "farangs".

I have a good friend who loves Bangkok and used to live there. He foresaw these developments. As a result he moved to Changmai. He felt it would be safer their. Though even their he reports the need to be much more cautious then in the past. This is due to the same sort of dynamics.

[gravion]

i am curious, i see heaps of ppl withdrawing bulks of cash from the atm, yesterday i saw this old man withdrawing probably 40k from the atm and putting them in this left front pocket... if i am a druggie or someone really desperate for money, i could easily have followed him around and take the opportiunity....

i even thought about doing it....

also what's up with atm cards that do not require pin to purchase items dawg

[SomTumTiger]

i am curious, i see heaps of ppl withdrawing bulks of cash from the atm, yesterday i saw this old man withdrawing probably 40k from the atm and putting them in this left front pocket... if i am a druggie or someone really desperate for money, i could easily have followed him around and take the opportiunity....

i even thought about doing it....

Your Mother must be so proud....

[sanook2me]

Yup, its changed but its been a slow change.

With more farangs here than ever percentages must show that there will be an exponential increase in crime on farangs.fact???

Plus the lo-so crime thugs years ago would not bother with a farang as it would be publicised and the police would react fast but now farangs are the norm and so they are not deterred by farang status.

We are no longer walking superstars!

How I loved those years and it was only a few years ago...the oldies who were here over 20 - 30 years ago must have been Hollywood...

I walk down a soi to get to my badminton club and keep my wallet in my pocket as i carry a shoulder bag and my sports raquets on the other shoulder and would gladly lose a bag full of smelly wet sports clothes or my raquets compared to my wallet.

I have thought about the motorcycle snatch boys and so am ready to lose my bag easily replaced..

Think people now have to respond living in Thailand/bangkok as they would back home in the West...paranoid behind fear of violence and little police protection...

[waza]

Yup, its changed but its been a slow change.

With more farangs here than ever percentages must show that there will be an exponential increase in crime on farangs.fact???

Plus the lo-so crime thugs years ago would not bother with a farang as it would be publicised and the police would react fast but now farangs are the norm and so they are not deterred by farang status.

We are no longer walking superstars!

How I loved those years and it was only a few years ago...the oldies who were here over 20 - 30 years ago must have been Hollywood...

I walk down a soi to get to my badminton club and keep my wallet in my pocket as i carry a shoulder bag and my sports raquets on the other shoulder and would gladly lose a bag full of smelly wet sports clothes or my raquets compared to my wallet.

I have thought about the motorcycle snatch boys and so am ready to lose my bag easily replaced..

Think people now have to respond living in Thailand/bangkok as they would back home in the West...paranoid behind fear of violence and little police protection...

I agree as times get harder people are more desperate to make an easy living, tourists and foriegners are seen as a soft or easy target. It happening in Aussie too.

[utneflyte]

If you compare somewhat similar cities such as Manila, Kuala Lumpur. Bangkok is still a lot safer then these places.

I'm sure stories like this could increase a little until the economy improves... But I still think it's a very safe city. Never been mugged or anything like that... then again, only been here for a few months.

[Alwaysright]

:whistling:Bangkok is safer than most big cities,especially for me. :D :D :D

[robblok]

I never felt unsafe in Bangkok. However i never go to quit streets late at night alone. I am also a big guy and that helps a bit too. Still i would not want to fight with someone who has a knife or a gun. Much easier to give up a few baht then to get hospitalized or worse.

I still think its quite safe in general but you can always be unlucky.