IanForbes Posted January 21, 2011 Share Posted January 21, 2011 Is it safe in Chaing Mai? Well if I was farang woman and walked around drunk and half naked after 2AM then maybe I wouldn't be safe. If I was stupid, drunk farang male who flashed gold and a full wallet in the early morning hours in the sleazy parts of town then maybe I wouldn't be safe. If I got drunk and started fights with the locals or the police then I wouldn't be safe. If I had never ridden a motorbike or scooter before and I took off drunk on a rental bike then I CERTAINLY wouldn't be safe. But, for the 98% of the rest of us we can walk around at any hour of the day or night and remain reasonably safe. It all depends on the mental capacity of the person involved. Some victims almost advertise that they are vulnerable. In the many years I've been hanging around the sleazy parts of Chiang Mai after hours I've never had the slightest problem. That is a WHOLE LOT MORE than I can say for the Pilippines where I've had 4 acquaintences murdered. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChiangMai2 Posted January 22, 2011 Share Posted January 22, 2011 Is it safe in Chaing Mai? Well if I was farang woman and walked around drunk and half naked after 2AM then maybe I wouldn't be safe. If I was stupid, drunk farang male who flashed gold and a full wallet in the early morning hours in the sleazy parts of town then maybe I wouldn't be safe. If I got drunk and started fights with the locals or the police then I wouldn't be safe. If I had never ridden a motorbike or scooter before and I took off drunk on a rental bike then I CERTAINLY wouldn't be safe. But, for the 98% of the rest of us we can walk around at any hour of the day or night and remain reasonably safe. It all depends on the mental capacity of the person involved. Some victims almost advertise that they are vulnerable. In the many years I've been hanging around the sleazy parts of Chiang Mai after hours I've never had the slightest problem. That is a WHOLE LOT MORE than I can say for the Pilippines where I've had 4 acquaintences murdered. Eew..Would not want to get on the wrong side of you! Admitting to it in public too.. Wow Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Contractor Posted January 22, 2011 Share Posted January 22, 2011 . That is a WHOLE LOT MORE than I can say for the Pilippines where I've had 4 acquaintences murdered. Eew..Would not want to get on the wrong side of you! Admitting to it in public too.. Wow Very good. I feel very safe in Chiang Mai. It is alcohol and motorbikes that cause most harm. Rgds Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mystwoodcol Posted January 22, 2011 Share Posted January 22, 2011 One of the safest Asian cities you will find. Much safer than China Town in most western cities And a lot more fun Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CMX Posted January 22, 2011 Share Posted January 22, 2011 Yep. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sanpakwan Posted January 22, 2011 Share Posted January 22, 2011 Overall I feel much safer in Chiang Mai then I did living in America As others have mentioned - road safety is a concern - be very careful, EXPECT the unexpected That's hardly a comparison - comparing a town in SEA to the entire USA. I would like to say beware of pickpockets, everytime I get home after a night out on the town my pockets are empty! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sfokevin Posted January 23, 2011 Share Posted January 23, 2011 (edited) it's all about observation, anticipating and adapting to the road conditions. Once you accept and understand the 'rules' it's fine, you get used to (and are expecting) cars and bikes coming at you on the wrong side of the road etc etc! I think a lot of westerners expect the same degree of driving standards as the west... Once you learn that all those lines on the road, signs and lights are just for decorative purposes it make perfect sense... And I agree that driving here is much more fun! Where else can you, with cell phone in hand, change 3 lanes of traffic and then make a U turn in bumper to bumper traffic without ANYONE laying on the horn!!! Phom Chooop Mai Ben Rai :jap: :jap: :jap: Edited January 23, 2011 by sfokevin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jsflynn603 Posted January 23, 2011 Share Posted January 23, 2011 The one guy talked about chiang mai having alot of auto accidents.Like new york don't have any. Chiang mai,the biggest problem there is there are to many foreigners there.They have just about ruined the city.About 10 or 15 years ago you could buy things at low prices,not anymore.Prices are around the same as bangkok ,maybe some things are more expensive.But safety,it is A safe city. New York City has a traffic death rate of about 5.5 per 100,000 people. Chiang Mai has a traffic death rate of about 21 per 100,000 people. (CM's source is in my prior post, search "New York City Metro Area Rpeort Card" for NYC's metrics.) Yes, about 10-15 years ago I could buy a 22kt gold chain that weighed a troy ounce for about $300 US today it's about $1400US--those terrible farang have not only ruined the market here, but apparently it's spread to the whole darned world! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sfokevin Posted January 23, 2011 Share Posted January 23, 2011 (edited) New York City has a traffic death rate of about 5.5 per 100,000 people. Chiang Mai has a traffic death rate of about 21 per 100,000 people. (CM's source is in my prior post, search "New York City Metro Area Rpeort Card" for NYC's metrics.) In New York most drivers are inside cars where they are much more protected in the event of an accident... Here most are on motorcycles... One could make the argument that the higher death rate here is due to the above fact and not a function of them driving worse than the New Yorker... Edited January 23, 2011 by sfokevin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ulysses G. Posted January 23, 2011 Share Posted January 23, 2011 One could make the argument that the higher death rate here is due to the above fact and not a function of them driving worse that the New Yorker... One could make that argument, but it would not be true. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
venturalaw Posted January 23, 2011 Share Posted January 23, 2011 At least one, if not the major problem is that Thai drivers appear to never have been 'taught' how to drive. For instance, they will almost consistently execute a turn without attempting to be in the lane closest to the direction that they are turning; i.e. - when making a left turn, they will proceed from the middle or right lane. This happens so often that I have concluded that one of the rules that I learned in driver's education - when executing a turn do so from as close to the curb/lane in the direction that you are turning as possible, has never been taught. That coupled with the flagrant disregard for traffic rules and the 'me first determination', translates into a higher accident/death rate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
softgeorge Posted January 23, 2011 Share Posted January 23, 2011 I have no fear of being assaulted or bothered here by anyone - One of the safest and friendliest places on earth in that regard... The one caveat I would make - Watch the traffic!!!... Realize that they drive on the opposite side of the road here - so if you cross a street look to your opposite way FIRST!... Also realize that the driver is sitting on the opposite seat in the car and many have tinted windshields that do not allow you to make eye contact with an oncoming driver... Also do not assume (As in the West) that you as a pedestrian walking on a crosswalk, driveway or SIDEWALK have the right of way!!!... :jap: I agree with you on most except that they drive on the wrong side of the road. I can only think of one country that does this but to mention the name is forbidden here as they feel it is an attack Don't want a holiday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gotlost Posted January 23, 2011 Share Posted January 23, 2011 (edited) I have no fear of being assaulted or bothered here by anyone - One of the safest and friendliest places on earth in that regard... The one caveat I would make - Watch the traffic!!!... Realize that they drive on the opposite side of the road here - so if you cross a street look to your opposite way FIRST!... Also realize that the driver is sitting on the opposite seat in the car and many have tinted windshields that do not allow you to make eye contact with an oncoming driver... Also do not assume (As in the West) that you as a pedestrian walking on a crosswalk, driveway or SIDEWALK have the right of way!!!... :jap: I agree with you on most except that they drive on the wrong side of the road. I can only think of one country that does this but to mention the name is forbidden here as they feel it is an attack Don't want a holiday. Look as if your in the minority. Red correct side, Blue wrong side. Edited January 23, 2011 by gotlost Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
softgeorge Posted January 23, 2011 Share Posted January 23, 2011 I have no fear of being assaulted or bothered here by anyone - One of the safest and friendliest places on earth in that regard... The one caveat I would make - Watch the traffic!!!... Realize that they drive on the opposite side of the road here - so if you cross a street look to your opposite way FIRST!... Also realize that the driver is sitting on the opposite seat in the car and many have tinted windshields that do not allow you to make eye contact with an oncoming driver... Also do not assume (As in the West) that you as a pedestrian walking on a crosswalk, driveway or SIDEWALK have the right of way!!!... :jap: I agree with you on most except that they drive on the wrong side of the road. I can only think of one country that does this but to mention the name is forbidden here as they feel it is an attack Don't want a holiday. Look as if your in the minority. Red correct side, Blue wrong side. And who's on 1st? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gotlost Posted January 23, 2011 Share Posted January 23, 2011 I have no fear of being assaulted or bothered here by anyone - One of the safest and friendliest places on earth in that regard... The one caveat I would make - Watch the traffic!!!... Realize that they drive on the opposite side of the road here - so if you cross a street look to your opposite way FIRST!... Also realize that the driver is sitting on the opposite seat in the car and many have tinted windshields that do not allow you to make eye contact with an oncoming driver... Also do not assume (As in the West) that you as a pedestrian walking on a crosswalk, driveway or SIDEWALK have the right of way!!!... :jap: I agree with you on most except that they drive on the wrong side of the road. I can only think of one country that does this but to mention the name is forbidden here as they feel it is an attack Don't want a holiday. Look as if your in the minority. Red correct side, Blue wrong side. And who's on 1st? China by the looks of things. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thedistillers Posted January 23, 2011 Share Posted January 23, 2011 Re: walking. I walked pretty much everywhere in Chiang Mai without any problem at all. It's actually a very nice city to walk, compared to the rest of SE Asia. There was only 1 street I had difficulties crossing (Bunrueang Rit (?)) near the hospital to go to the mall. I really don't see how the traffic in CM is worse than the rest of SE Asia. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Igor Posted January 23, 2011 Share Posted January 23, 2011 I've lived all over the world. I feel safer here than I did in northern Scotland. Certainly safer than I did in my native SW USA. I'm a night owl. I go to town late at night and walk the considerable distance home. I don't tempt fate by having a wad of banknotes sticking out of my pocket. I don't drive if I've been drinking. I don't hang out with rowdy drunks. Come to Chiang Mai and be happy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Igor Posted January 23, 2011 Share Posted January 23, 2011 Wait! Wait! After thinking it through, I have to say, CM is a terrible place to live. Very dangerous to foreigners. One of the worst places in the world for foreigners to come to. Stay away! Stay away! Wild elephants roam the streets. Rabid roti on every corner. Save yourselves. Don't come here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yelly Posted January 23, 2011 Author Share Posted January 23, 2011 Wait! Wait! After thinking it through, I have to say, CM is a terrible place to live. Very dangerous to foreigners. One of the worst places in the world for foreigners to come to. Stay away! Stay away! Wild elephants roam the streets. Rabid roti on every corner. Save yourselves. Don't come here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
venturalaw Posted January 24, 2011 Share Posted January 24, 2011 Wait! Wait! After thinking it through, I have to say, CM is a terrible place to live. Very dangerous to foreigners. One of the worst places in the world for foreigners to come to. Stay away! Stay away! Wild elephants roam the streets. Rabid roti on every corner. Save yourselves. Don't come here. :jap: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Priceless Posted January 24, 2011 Share Posted January 24, 2011 The one guy talked about chiang mai having alot of auto accidents.Like new york don't have any. Chiang mai,the biggest problem there is there are to many foreigners there.They have just about ruined the city.About 10 or 15 years ago you could buy things at low prices,not anymore.Prices are around the same as bangkok ,maybe some things are more expensive.But safety,it is A safe city. New York City has a traffic death rate of about 5.5 per 100,000 people. Chiang Mai has a traffic death rate of about 21 per 100,000 people. (CM's source is in my prior post, search "New York City Metro Area Rpeort Card" for NYC's metrics.) Yes, about 10-15 years ago I could buy a 22kt gold chain that weighed a troy ounce for about $300 US today it's about $1400US--those terrible farang have not only ruined the market here, but apparently it's spread to the whole darned world! According to another source ( http://www.driveandstayalive.com/info%20section/statistics/stats-multicountry-percapita-2004.htm#bkmk_navbar ) the per capita traffic death rate in the USA is 14.53 deaths / 100,000 people. If the recent newspaper numbers (originally from the Ministry of Public Health, if I remember correctly) are correct, the corresponding figure for Thailand would be 17.46 deaths / 100,000 people. That would mean that there is certainly a lot of room for improvement, but USA might not be the ideal to strive for. The US figures are roughly three times those of e.g. The Netherlands, Sweden and the UK... / Priceless Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yaangcome Posted January 24, 2011 Share Posted January 24, 2011 Spent 19 days in CM with the wife & 3 young kids, did a lot of walking tuk tuk travel. Night market at night no problems at all. Tuk Tuk drivers same all over LOS, explain where you want to go & no where else. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WinnieTheKhwai Posted January 24, 2011 Share Posted January 24, 2011 The one guy talked about chiang mai having alot of auto accidents.Like new york don't have any. Chiang mai,the biggest problem there is there are to many foreigners there.They have just about ruined the city.About 10 or 15 years ago you could buy things at low prices,not anymore.Prices are around the same as bangkok ,maybe some things are more expensive.But safety,it is A safe city. New York City has a traffic death rate of about 5.5 per 100,000 people. Chiang Mai has a traffic death rate of about 21 per 100,000 people. (CM's source is in my prior post, search "New York City Metro Area Rpeort Card" for NYC's metrics.) Yes, about 10-15 years ago I could buy a 22kt gold chain that weighed a troy ounce for about $300 US today it's about $1400US--those terrible farang have not only ruined the market here, but apparently it's spread to the whole darned world! According to another source ( http://www.driveands...htm#bkmk_navbar ) the per capita traffic death rate in the USA is 14.53 deaths / 100,000 people. If the recent newspaper numbers (originally from the Ministry of Public Health, if I remember correctly) are correct, the corresponding figure for Thailand would be 17.46 deaths / 100,000 people. That would mean that there is certainly a lot of room for improvement, but USA might not be the ideal to strive for. The US figures are roughly three times those of e.g. The Netherlands, Sweden and the UK... / Priceless I don't know this for a fact, but I do recall that a point of attention when making comparisons is to look at the definition of a traffic death. It's possible that in Thailand they only count deaths that occur on the scene, not two days later in hospital. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SadieMBeagle Posted January 24, 2011 Share Posted January 24, 2011 I have lived in Chiang Mai for 15 months. I find that I generally always feel safe here. I did, however, have my purse/bag stolen about 13 months ago by a Thai man when I was in the tourist area, and I know another female friend that this has happened to as well (plus have heard a couple of anecdotes about female tourists getting their bags ripped off their shoulders). Economic times are desperate here, as well, which causes people to perform desperate actions. So, when out in the tourist area, keep your hands on your bag. My theft happened when I was sitting at an outdoor table eating dinner. My bag was on the table, literally an inch from my hand. Someone reached from behind me and grabbed my bag. I froze for a second, then ran after him (probably not smart). He jumped on his motorbike and roared away. I grabbed at his jacket, but it was not enough. Fortunately, my financial losses were not great, so I guess that was a good wakeup call to be more alert. My friend's theft happened when she was walking around (not sure where). I think 2 men approached her. One grabbed her bag, then the other pushed her down so they could escape. Harsh! I hope this is not making CM sound like a hotbed of crime. It seriously isn't. Just be aware, especially in the areas where tourists go, and maybe keep your valuables (passport, extra money, etc.) in one of those money-belt thingies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tokay Posted January 24, 2011 Share Posted January 24, 2011 After living many years and Pattaya then spending a few weeks in Chiang Mai (and surrounding area) over the holidays, I thought I was in heaven. We rented bikes and rode them everywhere. Not one time did I feel unsafe other than when driving on some of the busier roads during the 7 deadly road days. If Chiang Mai is "unsafe" I'll take it as much of your unsafe as you've got and be thankful it's not even close to Pattaya's unsafe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uptheos Posted January 24, 2011 Share Posted January 24, 2011 Economic times are desperate here, as well, which causes people to perform desperate actions. So, when out in the tourist area, keep your hands on your bag. I don't think you need to be an apologist for crime. I've lived in places suffering more hardship than downtown Chiang Mai, where no-one would even think of stealing your purse. I agree with all your other comments. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Priceless Posted January 24, 2011 Share Posted January 24, 2011 The one guy talked about chiang mai having alot of auto accidents.Like new york don't have any. Chiang mai,the biggest problem there is there are to many foreigners there.They have just about ruined the city.About 10 or 15 years ago you could buy things at low prices,not anymore.Prices are around the same as bangkok ,maybe some things are more expensive.But safety,it is A safe city. New York City has a traffic death rate of about 5.5 per 100,000 people. Chiang Mai has a traffic death rate of about 21 per 100,000 people. (CM's source is in my prior post, search "New York City Metro Area Rpeort Card" for NYC's metrics.) Yes, about 10-15 years ago I could buy a 22kt gold chain that weighed a troy ounce for about $300 US today it's about $1400US--those terrible farang have not only ruined the market here, but apparently it's spread to the whole darned world! According to another source ( http://www.driveands...htm#bkmk_navbar ) the per capita traffic death rate in the USA is 14.53 deaths / 100,000 people. If the recent newspaper numbers (originally from the Ministry of Public Health, if I remember correctly) are correct, the corresponding figure for Thailand would be 17.46 deaths / 100,000 people. That would mean that there is certainly a lot of room for improvement, but USA might not be the ideal to strive for. The US figures are roughly three times those of e.g. The Netherlands, Sweden and the UK... / Priceless I don't know this for a fact, but I do recall that a point of attention when making comparisons is to look at the definition of a traffic death. It's possible that in Thailand they only count deaths that occur on the scene, not two days later in hospital. You are of course quite right. If one wants to compare statistics from different sources, one needs to do some research on definitions, methodology etc. You should also strive not to compare incomparable objects. The poster 'jsflynn603' compares the average per capita death rate for all of Thailand ("21 per 100,000 people") with the rate for "New York City Metro Area", hardly comparable entities. What I have tried to point out in this post, and in my previous reply to 'jsflynn603', is that one should be VERY careful when making comparisons like this (and get one's math right). / Priceless Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jsflynn603 Posted January 25, 2011 Share Posted January 25, 2011 According to another source ( http://www.driveands...htm#bkmk_navbar ) the per capita traffic death rate in the USA is 14.53 deaths / 100,000 people. If the recent newspaper numbers (originally from the Ministry of Public Health, if I remember correctly) are correct, the corresponding figure for Thailand would be 17.46 deaths / 100,000 people. That would mean that there is certainly a lot of room for improvement, but USA might not be the ideal to strive for. The US figures are roughly three times those of e.g. The Netherlands, Sweden and the UK... / Priceless I never suggested that the US is the proper role model, simply responded to the comparison to New York City to Chiang Mai which was the discussion. But now that I am enlightened if we can import a hundred thousand each of Swedes, Brits and Dutch to CM, the death rate should plummet and CM will become a very safe place to drive my motorbike! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justcruisin Posted January 25, 2011 Share Posted January 25, 2011 Just one thing that hasn't been mentioned. It really irks me when I see foriegners blissfully cruising along in the right lane on a moped or a pushbike.They will get a big wakeup call when the guy in the black Vigo roars past you doing 80 or if on any of the ring roads doing 100-130! It is one few laws here that most Thais adhere too. Keep Left..especially after 10:00 Pm you can safely assume that at least 75% of the people driving around town are DUI. Witnessed an accident late at night on the moat a couple of years ago,a guy ran clean over a young guy on a bike ,killing him,the assh#le tried to do a runner but the body was stuck under his car forcing him to stop.Just be very vigilant when riding a bike at night. Rant over but did any one hear about a shooting near club 51 last night in Chang Puak,my wife was there with a work colleage afterwork at 11.00 pm when all of a sudden lots of police and people yelling 50M away at an adjacent apartment building.According to her there were 3 or 4 shots fired as well..drug arrests? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IanForbes Posted January 25, 2011 Share Posted January 25, 2011 Is it safe in Chaing Mai? Well if I was farang woman and walked around drunk and half naked after 2AM then maybe I wouldn't be safe. If I was stupid, drunk farang male who flashed gold and a full wallet in the early morning hours in the sleazy parts of town then maybe I wouldn't be safe. If I got drunk and started fights with the locals or the police then I wouldn't be safe. If I had never ridden a motorbike or scooter before and I took off drunk on a rental bike then I CERTAINLY wouldn't be safe. But, for the 98% of the rest of us we can walk around at any hour of the day or night and remain reasonably safe. It all depends on the mental capacity of the person involved. Some victims almost advertise that they are vulnerable. In the many years I've been hanging around the sleazy parts of Chiang Mai after hours I've never had the slightest problem. That is a WHOLE LOT MORE than I can say for the Pilippines where I've had 4 acquaintences murdered. Eew..Would not want to get on the wrong side of you! Admitting to it in public too.. Wow Well, hitmen have to make a living too, you know. Besides, the pay is good and and it's seasonal, part time work. And, it's much easier bribing the Philippines police. Most filipino police run every racket in town. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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