Ask any Thai and he will tell you to get a gun. Shooting is practically martial arts here.

Learn jujitsu at a muay Thai camp. Grappling techniques to subdue. Pm the Scottish Ivan for details

I am not scottish!!!!!

For the OP you should have no problem finding special forces personel in Phuket. I have bever met an infantryman only black ops, SAS, Rangers and Navy Seals

........and CIA, MI5, MI6, Mossad, French Foreign Legion, SISMI - and more recently, the KGB and MSS, and the most feared of them all, the Phuket Tourist Police Volunteers.

I know some special forces guys. The type you're most likely to find in Thailand.

I am a Leo. Next.

Learn how to avoid shit holes to start with, anticipate trouble and run.

Much better in my opinion.

However if you really have an interest, I believe there are Krav Maga lessons in Phuket/Pattaya available . These can be taught one on one.

Maximum have some bjj and krav maga, seen them doing some knifefighting aka self defence..

Maximum have some bjj and krav maga, seen them doing some knifefighting aka self defence..

knife fighting that sounds interesting. Where is maximum?

A "couple of moves" will do you no good. You never know what the other guy is capable of even when he is drunk.

Either learn martial arts the proper way or don't get involved.

Reached the dizzy heights as L.Cpl. in ACF &

have a black belt in Origami,

May be overqualified.

It doesn't work like that Jack. You could learn some basics but then you are exactly that basic,

I used to teach basic self defense in India and the UK, taking things from various martial arts that I've studied and adapting them. But, to be really effective you need to study the whole system - which takes time and persistence.

If you have a background of combat sports, or at least contact sports, then you'll know the importance of practice and training. If not then just learning a few moves could be very counter productive in a real life confrontation.

I know people who carry knives or knuckle dusters for protection (readily available in Thailand). They've never trained them and in a real situation would probably get them taken off and used against themselves.

As one poster says, a littler knowledge can be very dangerous.

If you don't have any thought for your own safety by all means learn a few moves, some people really do not have any thought for there own safety and will do anything to win, unless you are expert in a certain discipline you should learn to avoid confrontation, if you are expert in a certain discipline you would not use it against anyone unless there is absolutely no other option!! Learn to walk away or better still do not have eye contact with anyone that seems aggressive, it's not weak to walk away it's regarded as a strength!

Many people carry weapons now days and they are not afraid to use them, gone are the days of fist fights!!

Learn a few moves, build up the courage to use them, sh!t yourself when all does not go to plan & get battered! As many other say, walk away.

Quotes from the OP:

"My horror scenario is if my wife is somehow touched/ messed with by a drunk".

"Of course I don't plan to use something like that in a bar. Definitely not in Thailand. I don't even go to bars".

Just out of curiosity: where do you expect your wife to be messed with by a drunk when you not visit bars?

Serious question.

A self defense method that is very effective. That has been mentioned on Thai Visa previously. Comes to mind. It is called the hiding behind a short Thai woman, who holds, a big knife, technique of self defense.

Maximum have some bjj and krav maga, seen them doing some knifefighting aka self defence..

knife fighting that sounds interesting. Where is maximum?

Beach road Patong, just before the football pitch. Its above the restaraunts

Maximum have some bjj and krav maga, seen them doing some knifefighting aka self defence..

knife fighting that sounds interesting. Where is maximum?

Beach road Patong, just before the football pitch. Its above the restaraunts

For sure ,knife fighting abilities may be useful, at the right time .at the right place but as they say ''you don't take a knife to a gunfight" ...gunfight meaning most scenarios in LOS..