Thailand Tourist Attacks Common

[scorecard]

I have never in the slightest felt threathened in Thailand and I've drunken many beers and whiskies and staggered home at nigth. Random violence is so rare in Thailand. Most people who get into problems in Thailand do so because they seem to think they can behave any way they like without consequence.

I tend to agree with you. If a person continually pushes the limits on ANYTHING then eventually it will come home and bite you. I've taveled all over Thailand and stayed in some pretty raunchy places. I often come home at night alone in the wee hours of the morning, but I never get drunk or act stupid. I don't recall ever feeling threatened. But, I have had problems in the Philippines in the notorious Angeles City. However, if I got drunk and hung around Soi 6 in Pattaya on a regular basis then I'd probably get mugged at some point in the game. I don't care where you are in the world, there are some places that strangers are not welcome.

Consider that for foreigners in Thailand, some parts of Pattaya, such as a huge, dirt cheap brothel soi, is probably the lowest moral point in the country and then I think it's suprisingly safe. I have been in the Philippines as well and the area around Malate, which is far less seedy than Pattaya, is a lot more dangerous. Heck, most red light districts in Europe are REALLY dangerous, not even mentioning Eastern Europe, the Carribean or Latin America . The kind of behaviour you regularly see on Walking Street would get stabbed, mugged and shot. I think that is really amazing that the Thais allow hordes of ill behaved foreigners to come and sleep with their daugthers in front of them and they still smile at you.

And more, there are areas of US cities which are quite dangerous to be alone and even moreso at night.

[frankr]

I have never in the slightest felt threathened in Thailand and I've drunken many beers and whiskies and staggered home at nigth. Random violence is so rare in Thailand. Most people who get into problems in Thailand do so because they seem to think they can behave any way they like without consequence.

I tend to agree with you. If a person continually pushes the limits on ANYTHING then eventually it will come home and bite you. I've taveled all over Thailand and stayed in some pretty raunchy places. I often come home at night alone in the wee hours of the morning, but I never get drunk or act stupid. I don't recall ever feeling threatened. But, I have had problems in the Philippines in the notorious Angeles City. However, if I got drunk and hung around Soi 6 in Pattaya on a regular basis then I'd probably get mugged at some point in the game. I don't care where you are in the world, there are some places that strangers are not welcome.

yes and the philippines are much more dangerous. Thailand is easy.

[Swiss1960]

I have never in the slightest felt threathened in Thailand and I've drunken many beers and whiskies and staggered home at nigth. Random violence is so rare in Thailand. Most people who get into problems in Thailand do so because they seem to think they can behave any way they like without consequence.

Agree with your feeling of safety... stay away from the coconut girls, stay away from soi bars at 4 morning... and you should not get into troubles.

I felt more unsafe in Kiev during daytime than in Pattaya during night time... and same can be said about parts of Zurich, Hamburg, Berlin, New Orleans, New York, Cancun...

[RusticCharm]

I think that is really amazing that the Thais allow hordes of ill behaved foreigners to come and sleep with their daugthers in front of them and they still smile at you.

What's amazing about it? They love the money.

[KeyserSoze01]

Been a lot of places on this planet, some safe, some not. I have to say that I have never had a serious problem in Thailand where I felt I was in danger. That is unless you count riding in a Thai bus dangerous!!!

[JurgenG]

in their not so subtle way they are telling us they dont want us here and would prefer we go home after a short holiday.

What's wrong with that ? Most westerners can visit Thailand visa free, no questions asked, for up to 30 days. A tourist visa for a longer period is also easy to obtain. This is an opportunity that most western countries don't offer to Thai citizens. Try to explain a custom officer in a US or European embassy that you're going to stay there for an undefined period of time because it's your "right" to do so. And that you will probably take an undeclared job and be involved in petty crimes but it would be very uncivilized of them not to allow you to do so.

Regarding safety in Thailand, honest people don't have problem. The majority of foreigners victim of attack in Thailand are people involved in petty crimes and the attack is very often the result of an illegal deal that had turned sour. You may take an exceptional case that had made the front page of the news papers two years ago, but given the thousand of tourist that arrive in Thailand every day, your chances of getting mugged in Thailand are pretty low by any international standards.

[kurnell]

in their not so subtle way they are telling us they dont want us here and would prefer we go home after a short holiday.

this is not the first instance and certainly wont be the last.

what kind of message is this sending to would-be criminals who rob or harm foreigners.

from the government ,to the courts, to their highest institutions police and army) they are saying with a collective voice, "we dont want you here"

we provide a different conflicting opinion to what the institutions are saying. we generally back it up with facts. this will not do. it is all baby steps but it will grow and they know that. from the simplist things like my wife refusing to settle for a thai government official giving her the blow off as he is too lazy to perform his duties. i know this seems insignificant but multiply that by thousands of thai wives knowing their rights and then making her family and friends aware of what they should expect. it snowballs and snowballs. things are changing here in Thailand due to the internet and other forms of communication been made available to the masses. people are learning to say "NO" and the foreign influence is being blamed, wether true or not.

i hope this guys father appeals this case but he is surely pissing against the wind. if they release someone on bail for attempted murder and they grant that person a passport to leave, what chance does this father have. if the youth gets 10 years and this is reduced to 3 suspended cause he is too young (bless him) what message is this sending out. please god, i will be gone from here soon to take up an opportunity elsewhere. this isnt the same country i came to visit 9 years ago. it saddens me.

Replace the word "us" with "you" and I think you have hit the nail on the head.

[Berkshire]

Common? I guess that depends on your definition. And your definition of "attack"...like do you discount cases where the victim was more or less asking for it? Picking drunken fights with locals, initiating road rage incidents, getting involved with illegal vice industries, picking up street walkers, hitting on someone else's wife or girlfriend, or generally making themselves a target?

Spot on. I believe this is true in 99% of the cases of violence towards farangs (not involving theft). A good example was the guy that got his ass kicked by tuk tuk drivers in Phuket. Even his supporters conceded he was drunk and being belligerent. And the farang biker in Chiang Mai who got shot--because he flipped-off a driver he had just cut-off. And so on and so on. Rarely will there be a case of a farang getting beat up for just minding his own business.

[WebBangkok]

Yeah I have seen some Thai beat up a few tourists here. In PHuket, Samui and Khao San Rd. Actually a few in Khao San Rd. But it all started with the drunken tourist provoking the Thai's.

[Richard4849]

Exactly. Some people here would want to believe that there is a problem with random racially-motivated attacks against Westerners in Thailand. It just isn't true.

[nontabury]

in their not so subtle way they are telling us they dont want us here and would prefer we go home after a short holiday.

this is not the first instance and certainly wont be the last.

what kind of message is this sending to would-be criminals who rob or harm foreigners.

from the government ,to the courts, to their highest institutions police and army) they are saying with a collective voice, "we dont want you here"

we provide a different conflicting opinion to what the institutions are saying. we generally back it up with facts. this will not do. it is all baby steps but it will grow and they know that. from the simplist things like my wife refusing to settle for a thai government official giving her the blow off as he is too lazy to perform his duties. i know this seems insignificant but multiply that by thousands of thai wives knowing their rights and then making her family and friends aware of what they should expect. it snowballs and snowballs. things are changing here in Thailand due to the internet and other forms of communication been made available to the masses. people are learning to say "NO" and the foreign influence is being blamed, wether true or not.

i hope this guys father appeals this case but he is surely pissing against the wind. if they release someone on bail for attempted murder and they grant that person a passport to leave, what chance does this father have. if the youth gets 10 years and this is reduced to 3 suspended cause he is too young (bless him) what message is this sending out. please god, i will be gone from here soon to take up an opportunity elsewhere. this isnt the same country i came to visit 9 years ago. it saddens me.

Three juveniles high on drugs target a rich tourist and from that you extrapolate that this is a sign that Thais are upset at farangs because they have taught their wives to stand up for their rights? The mind boggles.

Where does he mention "rich tourist" ? Yes Thailand is relatively safe compared to many countries, but every year it's becoming less so.Unfortunately the police and the Thai courts do not believe in justice

as we know it, especially if it comes down to a Foreigner and a Thai, or for that matter an ordinary Thai and a Thai with good connections.

[WebBangkok]

in their not so subtle way they are telling us they dont want us here and would prefer we go home after a short holiday.

this is not the first instance and certainly wont be the last.

what kind of message is this sending to would-be criminals who rob or harm foreigners.

from the government ,to the courts, to their highest institutions police and army) they are saying with a collective voice, "we dont want you here"

we provide a different conflicting opinion to what the institutions are saying. we generally back it up with facts. this will not do. it is all baby steps but it will grow and they know that. from the simplist things like my wife refusing to settle for a thai government official giving her the blow off as he is too lazy to perform his duties. i know this seems insignificant but multiply that by thousands of thai wives knowing their rights and then making her family and friends aware of what they should expect. it snowballs and snowballs. things are changing here in Thailand due to the internet and other forms of communication been made available to the masses. people are learning to say "NO" and the foreign influence is being blamed, wether true or not.

i hope this guys father appeals this case but he is surely pissing against the wind. if they release someone on bail for attempted murder and they grant that person a passport to leave, what chance does this father have. if the youth gets 10 years and this is reduced to 3 suspended cause he is too young (bless him) what message is this sending out. please god, i will be gone from here soon to take up an opportunity elsewhere. this isnt the same country i came to visit 9 years ago. it saddens me.

Three juveniles high on drugs target a rich tourist and from that you extrapolate that this is a sign that Thais are upset at farangs because they have taught their wives to stand up for their rights? The mind boggles.

Where does he mention "rich tourist" ? Yes Thailand is relatively safe compared to many countries, but every year it's becoming less so.Unfortunately the police and the Thai courts do not believe in justice

as we know it, especially if it comes down to a Foreigner and a Thai, or for that matter an ordinary Thai and a Thai with good connections.

But someone with good connections anywhere in the world is always at an advantage.

But I would say tourist attacks from Thai's that are unprovoked are very very low compared to most places on earth.

[geriatrickid]

my mistake. deleted.

Edited October 6, 2011 by geriatrickid

[Tokay]

The only place I've had problems with Thais, on more than one occasion, is in the family destination called Pattaya. Nowhere else have I encountered such rude, short tempered, violent Thais.

But if you live in the sewer, you can expect a lot rats and crap.