Phuket Murders

[katabeachbum]

I feel very safe. More safe than in most locations in the world.

The few conflicts I have been involved in have been business related or road rage. Solved.

Keep smiling

If you are in fact being truthfull..why then do you feel the need to live in a fort knox security type residence, have at the ready a 9mm pistol or two [ you once said you had two pistols in your bedroom ] and a large black dog to protect you??? doesn't really gell does it? or is it only because of these features that you feel very safe...?? in that case your comments are irrelevant because nobody i know needs all this in order to say that they feel safe...anywhere

I am truthfull, indeed

For the past 8 years I have spendt 350 nights a year in Thailand

I feel very safe in Thailand

because I have never been mugged or anyone tryed to mug me, despite walking dark alleys rather drunk when most people sleep.

because I have never experienced a pick pocket

because I can send my 1000 baht across the bar to pay my bill, and always get exact change back

because despite the insane looking traffic, I have not been close to a major accident with a thai rider/driver

because my savings are safe in the banks

because my shares are safe in SET

because I have never had anything stolen from me privately, except for one pair of sunglasses from my motocy basket when parked

because I have never had a brake in in any of my homes or vehicles here

because my cars or bikes have never been vandalized, and on the occasions I forget the key in any of them, no one wants to steel them either

because I can enter 7-eleven despite having a bunch of testostoride bikers "watching" me, without the discomfort this would usually involve in other countries. Smile and they smile back

because I am allowed to protect/defend myself with a 9mm in case someone would be silly enough to burglar/trespass my home

I do not live in "a fort knox type security residence", there is only one simple lock on all my doors and windows, and an easy climb to come inside without breaking the door. My dog would get angry though. Why I have a Rottweiler? Its my third one, and hard to get another breed when you have had one. Best working- and familydog in the world

How is that compared to Australia, UK, New Zealand, USA or anywhere else in the world?

It seems as if you are a very lucky man as my experience has been somewhat different, let me explain: --

-- I have been attacked in the early hours of the morning walking home down my own Soi.

-- the house behind me has been broken into and some of the contents stolen, so the owners put bars on the windows.

-- after that was done, someone managed to break into the front door whilst the occupant was asleep and steal his computer, television and the wallet beside of his bed.

-- a friend was shot (in the side and sustained no more than a "flesh wound".....lucky man) when coming to the rescue of a Thai lady who was having her handbag stolen, and this just metres away from a busy street in Patong.

-- another friend has had his car "coined" for no apparent reason.

-- a bar owner I know was robbed at gunpoint whilst on his motorcycle and clubbed unconscious.

-- a gentle giant of a man who would do no harm to anybody was beaten around the head by a Thai man wielding an iron bar. He had not even spoken to this person, and had no prior knowledge of who this person was.

None of the people concerned(me included)had any previous knowledge of, or interaction with, the perpetrators.

IMO, once the police start to do what they are supposed to do and protect the innocent, rather than being part of the problem, things may well improve. Until that time, events like those listed above will continue to happen.

That may be true for you/your friends, but the majority of expats and tourists coming to Phuket are not exposed to such risks. It is safe, and the "exciting" episodes are being overcharged by aggresive tuk tuks or sunglass vendors. As long as you are polite (in Thai culture), you are likely to be very safe here.

[pmgthailand]

Complete and utter BS! Phuket is the wild west with no sheriff.

I am truthfull, indeed

For the past 8 years I have spendt 350 nights a year in Thailand

I feel very safe in Thailand

because I have never been mugged or anyone tryed to mug me, despite walking dark alleys rather drunk when most people sleep.

because I have never experienced a pick pocket

because I can send my 1000 baht across the bar to pay my bill, and always get exact change back

because despite the insane looking traffic, I have not been close to a major accident with a thai rider/driver

because my savings are safe in the banks

because my shares are safe in SET

because I have never had anything stolen from me privately, except for one pair of sunglasses from my motocy basket when parked

because I have never had a brake in in any of my homes or vehicles here

because my cars or bikes have never been vandalized, and on the occasions I forget the key in any of them, no one wants to steel them either

because I can enter 7-eleven despite having a bunch of testostoride bikers "watching" me, without the discomfort this would usually involve in other countries. Smile and they smile back

because I am allowed to protect/defend myself with a 9mm in case someone would be silly enough to burglar/trespass my home

I do not live in "a fort knox type security residence", there is only one simple lock on all my doors and windows, and an easy climb to come inside without breaking the door. My dog would get angry though. Why I have a Rottweiler? Its my third one, and hard to get another breed when you have had one. Best working- and familydog in the world

How is that compared to Australia, UK, New Zealand, USA or anywhere else in the world?

It seems as if you are a very lucky man as my experience has been somewhat different, let me explain: --

-- I have been attacked in the early hours of the morning walking home down my own Soi.

-- the house behind me has been broken into and some of the contents stolen, so the owners put bars on the windows.

-- after that was done, someone managed to break into the front door whilst the occupant was asleep and steal his computer, television and the wallet beside of his bed.

-- a friend was shot (in the side and sustained no more than a "flesh wound".....lucky man) when coming to the rescue of a Thai lady who was having her handbag stolen, and this just metres away from a busy street in Patong.

-- another friend has had his car "coined" for no apparent reason.

-- a bar owner I know was robbed at gunpoint whilst on his motorcycle and clubbed unconscious.

-- a gentle giant of a man who would do no harm to anybody was beaten around the head by a Thai man wielding an iron bar. He had not even spoken to this person, and had no prior knowledge of who this person was.

None of the people concerned(me included)had any previous knowledge of, or interaction with, the perpetrators.

IMO, once the police start to do what they are supposed to do and protect the innocent, rather than being part of the problem, things may well improve. Until that time, events like those listed above will continue to happen.

That may be true for you/your friends, but the majority of expats and tourists coming to Phuket are not exposed to such risks. It is safe, and the "exciting" episodes are being overcharged by aggresive tuk tuks or sunglass vendors. As long as you are polite (in Thai culture), you are likely to be very safe here.

[xylophone]

Quote Katabeachbum: "That may be true for you/your friends, but the majority of expats and tourists coming to Phuket are not exposed to such risks. It is safe, and the "exciting" episodes are being overcharged by aggresive tuk tuks or sunglass vendors. As long as you are polite (in Thai culture), you are likely to be very safe here".

Don't quite know how you have arrived at the, "it is safe" conclusion, when in my fairly limited circle of friends there have been physical attacks, robberies, muggings, beatings and shootings!! Not to mention the fact that there has been little short of 50 murders on the island in one year. And for the record, none of these folk did anything at all to antagonise the perpetrators.....in fact they did not know them, and none of them are involved in anything "shady".

Being realistic, with the crime statistics readily published on this island, and the first-hand knowledge of the above, one would have to say that you could not consider this place "safe".

[stevenl]

Safe ore not safe are personal feelings, depending on our own experiences, friends experiences, etc.

I have not been robbed, there have been no burglaries in my area, and yes I live in Rawai, and feel perfectly safe here. I also think nearly all tourists feel perfectly safe on the island, and will never see any crime.

All those crime stats are to nearly all tourists, and I believe a vast majority of expats as well, despite the occasional negative sentiment here on the board, totally irrelevant.

[F1fanatic]

There can be little doubt that Phuket crime is increasing.

I was burgled (during the night) within 6 months of moving here, but they only took money and phones. I've moved and have adopted some 'soi dogs' that are incredibly protective, whilst being as soft as butter - as long as I'm around and relaxed.

A friend was beaten up by Thais (in a car) whilst out on his motorbike one night because they thought he had 'cut them up'. The three of them were young and he was old, but that was irrelevant to them.

Both in Rawai.

There have been too many muggings, murders etc. for anyone who lives here to feel completely relaxed, especially in Rawai.

Even so, whilst I am aware of the dangers I'm not frightened, even though I'm a single Western woman living in an isolated area with nobody nearby.

a) I rarely go out on my motorbike after dark (not worth the risk).

If I go out with friends at night, I use a taxi driver I know.

c) I have dogs! If anyone comes near my house, my dogs bark aggressively and frighten people away.

Works for me.

[logbags]

I remember going to Rawai 25 years ago to visit a Thai friend who had moved there. It was really underveloped then and I remember he basically said the locals were one evolutionary step above total savages. This was a guy from Phang Nga too! Rawai always had a seedy reputation. When I first went there, there wasn't even electricity in many villages. It was dirt poor too. Mostly sea gypsies and labourers who worked on the rubber farms etc.

The other place is Nai Yang. I like Nai Yang and often go riding my bike around the boonies there. I see a few abandoned houses there and my Thai friends said it has a very unsavoury reputation for robberies etc.

I think Farang houses are obviously targeted as it is easier to track a farangs movements and they are more likely to have modern easily sold items like cameras, laptops etc. My niece said no matter whatever people on here think, Thais cop it as much as farangs if not more when it comes to crime. Thai houses do usually have someone home whilst a farang retiree usually only has a wife and if he likes to go out for a drink it don't take supercrim rob his house.

I dunno where it will end, I remember when I first came to Thailand Takua Pa was considered a rough place with gambling dens and drugs everywhere. It was a left over from tin mining days in the 70's and early 80'S. I remember there was this particular police station in Surat Thani, not a week went by without it getting blown up. It used to crack me up, they'd fix it up and five minutes later....... boom

Nothing much changes, it just moves around a bit more now and news travels faster.

[surangw]

get a motion sensor keyed to a decent speaker system ( indoors) with an mp3 recording of some vicious dogs barking

( or for a laff, a few lions thrown in for good measure)

[logbags]

In Thailand if the cops are too soft crime flourishes. If they go hard they are condemned. What about the two young drug dealers who opened fire with a roscoe just because they thought the guy had cut them off. They shot and killed a young kid.

They would of known the heavy mob was after them and they would be killed. It is understood in Thailand that if you intentionally kill innocents or bystanders your going to get killed unless you arrange to surrender.

The problem is low police salaries have all the police needing to be corrupt just to survive in the system of patronage. Half of them moonlight as bouncers or bodyguards for politicions protecting their empires.

However I keep it all in perspective. Near my house last night some innocent riding his bike was jacked by a gang of young Africans who kicked his head in for a mobile phone. This is common here but uncommon in Thailand.

I'd like the police here to be able to take off the gloves and crack some heads like in Thailand. Here all the crims would be screaming for compo if the police swore at them. That or play the race card.

[siam2007]

I feel very safe. More safe than in most locations in the world.

The few conflicts I have been involved in have been business related or road rage. Solved.

Keep smiling

If you are in fact being truthfull..why then do you feel the need to live in a fort knox security type residence, have at the ready a 9mm pistol or two [ you once said you had two pistols in your bedroom ] and a large black dog to protect you??? doesn't really gell does it? or is it only because of these features that you feel very safe...?? in that case your comments are irrelevant because nobody i know needs all this in order to say that they feel safe...anywhere

I am truthfull, indeed

How is that compared to Australia, UK, New Zealand, USA or anywhere else in the world?

okay, I will tell you how it is "anywhere else in the world" - maybe you have completely lost the overview of what is actually going on the world, because you spend 350 days per year here.

(I spend 345 days per year in Asia too, but this does not make me see things through rose-colored glasses)

In the city in Europe where I grew up ( more than 1.000.000 inhabitants, plus PLENTY of Tourists/Visitors) there have been 3 (three) cases of murder/homicide in the full year of 2008 (all have been solved, by the way). now how does that sound compared to the same number of cases in tiny Phuket within one month ?

maybe you grew up in the BRONX and are used to crime in that scale, but many others who hail from Europe are not.....

[DougLee]

My home town has 650 000 habitant, half of it is poor.. homicides happen once every few months.. and usualy its drug dealer vs drug dealer.

[katabeachbum]

I feel very safe. More safe than in most locations in the world.

The few conflicts I have been involved in have been business related or road rage. Solved.

Keep smiling

If you are in fact being truthfull..why then do you feel the need to live in a fort knox security type residence, have at the ready a 9mm pistol or two [ you once said you had two pistols in your bedroom ] and a large black dog to protect you??? doesn't really gell does it? or is it only because of these features that you feel very safe...?? in that case your comments are irrelevant because nobody i know needs all this in order to say that they feel safe...anywhere

I am truthfull, indeed

How is that compared to Australia, UK, New Zealand, USA or anywhere else in the world?

okay, I will tell you how it is "anywhere else in the world" - maybe you have completely lost the overview of what is actually going on the world, because you spend 350 days per year here.

(I spend 345 days per year in Asia too, but this does not make me see things through rose-colored glasses)

In the city in Europe where I grew up ( more than 1.000.000 inhabitants, plus PLENTY of Tourists/Visitors) there have been 3 (three) cases of murder/homicide in the full year of 2008 (all have been solved, by the way). now how does that sound compared to the same number of cases in tiny Phuket within one month ?

maybe you grew up in the BRONX and are used to crime in that scale, but many others who hail from Europe are not.....

used to travel a lot

been living/working in several different countries

did not feel safe in Moscow and most of eastern Europe, parts of US, parts of South America, Phillipines, back streets in most south European countries, list is long.

Do feel safe in Phuket