I have had a few fly into the house, but luckily they normally fly out and are not a problem. But what are they? Wasps? Do they have a sting? If so, is it painful? They look as if they can pack a punch. I would not want to mess with one.

You mean these guys

Vespa Velunita (hornet family)

I hear the sting is nasty, and they can attack en masse.

Not good if there are kids about.

Edited November 9, 201015 yr by canuckamuck

If they look mean they probably are, please no mother in law jokes.

At least it isn't one of these guys

Asian Giant hornet

Apparently their sting can be deadly

Found in Japan

Edited November 9, 201015 yr by canuckamuck

The OP needs to post a photo to establish the type of 'wasp' he is talking about.

The joy of Thai wasps (IMO) is that they don't follow you about - they ignore you. They might pack a nasty sting, but as long as you leave them alone they have no interest in people.

Big dark brown things they are. Whenever the wife puts out beef to sun dry they come around and take their share. They do pack a real sting but don't appear to be aggresive.

The wasps in Thailand don't appear to live in large nests, rather they live as individuals or small groups.

This probably explains why they are less aggressive as nest wasps tend to be very protective of the nest. The Thai wasps aren't so bothered. Mess with them directly though and I think they'll have something to say about it.