Lots of iron bars on houses for sale in Pattaya

[ronrat]

It allows you to leave windows open at night. Security guards are a waste of time The only use is to watch my dog while I go to 7-11

[peteregion]

property crime up 67% in thailand YOY for the ones that are reporting you be the judge, violent crime up 17% YOY that was the story the thai printer deleted from the international new york times good luck. anywhere else crime was up 67% YOY troops would be walking the streets

And where did the international new york times get its statistics from?????

[akentryan]

I live in a village one km south of Wanasin Market that has homes in the 2.4 to 5 million baht range. We do not have gate security and no street lights at night. There have been no break-ins ever to my knowledge. My next door neighbor, a lawyer, put up security cameras outside. Guess what they stole - the cameras. The property to the west has now been developed and is well lit so the threat from the back is non-existent. I have bars and a chain link fence across the back. Do I still lock my barred doors? You bethcha. I really don't give a damn what they steal while I'm out but would not like to wake up to a burglar inside my house.

[Stevemercer]

It's just a cultural thing and I think the neighbourhood where you want to live is fine. Thais are always talking about break-ins, car-jacking, shootings, rapes by Laotians etc, but I think Thailand is safer than most western countries. My wife didn't want to move into our new house until we had bars installed. It is probably safest to have them on the inside of windows, but the outside is more convenient when opening/closing windows. They are pretty ugly inside the house. I haven't heard about any break-ins out our way.

We have CCTV system which you can access remotely on a smart phone and/or check the recordings over the previous 7 days. Again, I don't think it is necessary, but my wife's son has a security business and installed it (8 cameras) cheap. My wife seems to use it to check whether I am home or not (e.g. if the car/scooter is in the garage or not).

Thirdly, the police have a service where they will give you 'priority' if you call from your home to report a drunk causing problems, loud music or other aggravation. They will also cruise past the house once or twice a night. They also attach a large red 'police box' near the front gate where the officers record there nightly checks visits in a book. The 'police box' may be a deterrent to some. I think the service is 100 Baht per month. We have only used it to get loud music turned down once and to scatter a mob of drunks on another occasion.

[jomcondo]

It sounds like you are a newbie here. If so, I suggest you rent a house for awhile to see if you like it. Unfortunately, even the best villages get broken into. The reality is what good are two sleeping security guards at the gate entrance? Interesting how some of the break-ins occur when the house is vacant and you are away for the weekend or on holiday. Are the guards the informers? Construction workers the informers? Pattaya draws in not only construction workers from Cambodia/Laos but also Thais on minimum wage working for the tourist industry. These folks also want a nice phone or new motorbike so will take the chance to burglarize a place. (bars on windows in SE Asia is common, at least it is not like living in Kenya where you may get stabbed/shot during the robbery so you also have bars on your bedroom door.)

If you have no children, I would move into a decent condo where you do not worry about being broken into.

I haven't moved there yet. My wife is a Thai national. I am just doing initial research. I keep telling her a condo would be best, but she has this thing about wanting a yard. It looks like I need to try harder selling her on a nice balcony with lots of plants is almost as good as a yard.

I have been to Pattaya a few times and Bangkok many times. I have never once felt in danger, so I was a bit surprised to see the bars on the windows. It also appears I just didn't notice them on previous trips. Thanks for the good information.

Oh but I definitely think renting is the way to go for a while, as getting a feel for the area would be nice before writing a check and then being stuck with a house I don't want. Thanks for that.

the wife would prefer a house with a yard (translation: wife wants some assets in her name)

[robblok]

My Moobaan near CM has been up for 3 years.

About 120 of the 250 houses have the bars.

Not one burglary ............ ever.

It's just one of those things Thais like to do.

Here in my Moobaan too almost all houses have bars (so far not heard of burglary but cant be sure it never happened) But its a Thai thing does not have to mean anything.

[Acharn]

In my experience, houses everywhere either have iron bars on the windows or are constructed in such a way that there's no way to keep thieves out. My brother-in-law, 30 years ago, lived in a "house" or "hovel" with only three walls. Had interior partitions dividing it into two rooms, though. Every place I've lived in a town all the houses had bars on the windows. I've always thought it was a Chinese thing. My sister-in-law and other relatives here are all paranoid about thieves. I really don't know why.

[MaeJoMTB]

but I think Thailand is safer than most western countries.

You think wrong!

A western person is 20x more likely to die visiting Thailand than visiting any country in the west.

Rape is extremely common, but most Thai women don't bother reporting it.

[narisarasgroove]

Our house is a 4 storey shophouse style place and, as with all but one of the neighbours, there are bars fitted to the windows. The neighbour that had no bars was burgled a few months ago so obviously the bad boys do watch and take the easiest pickings.

I agree with other posters about the fire risk and for info it can be overcome fairly easily. We fitted bars at strategic windows that have a hinged portion that opens up to allow a person to exit if necessary. They are kept padlocked during normal times but can be easily unlocked and opened in the event of an emergency. Keep the keys on a hook in the vicinity of the window but not within sight or arms reach of an intruder at the window.

20 odd years ago when I worked in Brunei a friend had an electrical fire start in his garage which knocked out all the lights - it was around 9 at night. His house was fully barred and the doors locked. He kept all his keys in a drawer and struggled to find them in the dark. Luckily he managed to get his family to safety but the story stayed with me.

Be safe but also be smart. Know where the keys are and let family and guests know too.

[VIPinthailand]

get a condo in a high rise building.

these Thai jump like monkies from house to house and steal anything they can find.

Edited December 22, 2015 by VIPinthailand

[AdamRich]

Two minutes after you get a house in a third world country without iron bars, you come back and tell us what the crime is like.

[Lucifer]

...and not just Thailand. Here in central London where apartments start at £1,000,000, that are either on the ground floor or first floor, most have bars.

[dcsw53]

buy in a good village with good security no bars no burglaries but wont be cheap 10 million up

Rubbish. Almost no burglaries where we have lived for 4 years and there are plenty of houses in the village for 4 - 6 million.

[mercman24]

re bars, ok not thailand but like it in spain, lot of crime commited by "foreign immigrants.

[dotpoom]

It has been my experience that most houses in Thailand have security bars (including my own) and it has little to do with the type of area one lives in. I lived in Spain for a few years and most properties, like condos and houses had the same. It's like a house would look "naked" without them.

[louse1953]

I would make one comment to the OP about bars on all windows and doors, consider your exit if there is a fire.

Indeed I was wondering about that. I am concerned with such things. Personally I would want a fire extinguisher in every room whose only exit to the exterior is a window with bars. Very good point.

Smoke will kill you before fire.Get smoke detectors,kitchen and bedroom.

[laislica]

Oh Dear Lord.

OP, NEVER visit Spain.

There are iron bars and IRON BARS!

We live about 80 Km west of Bangkok, we all have flimsy bars.

Like another poster said:
So they go to easier picks.....

In Spain we have IRON BARS!!!!!

One poster (at least) said

Don't buy - rent until you understand EVERYTHING!

Best advice (IMHO)

Try before you buy.

Very sensible

What would you do in your home country if moving to an area where you had no knowledge of what's what?

Why check it out, just like you are doing.

So, check it out - RENT!!!!!!!

EDIT

Oops, forgot to mention crazy neighbours, noise, m/c's, lorries, chickens, smell from animals, pigs, the nearby Wat ,,...,,,...,,,...

Edited December 22, 2015 by laislica

[Nuddy]

Bars are good. Take your pick, as a deterrent or as a defence. Yes I understand about fire and bars, anyone would do so!

No bars no security.

We have stainless steel bars and doors. Cost 150,000 baht a couple of years ago

We buy new locks for the front door from time to time.

We feel secure mate. Best way

Regards

[MajarTheLion]

It's just a cultural thing and I think the neighbourhood where you want to live is fine. Thais are always talking about break-ins, car-jacking, shootings, rapes by Laotians etc, but I think Thailand is safer than most western countries. My wife didn't want to move into our new house until we had bars installed. It is probably safest to have them on the inside of windows, but the outside is more convenient when opening/closing windows. They are pretty ugly inside the house. I haven't heard about any break-ins out our way.

We have CCTV system which you can access remotely on a smart phone and/or check the recordings over the previous 7 days. Again, I don't think it is necessary, but my wife's son has a security business and installed it (8 cameras) cheap. My wife seems to use it to check whether I am home or not (e.g. if the car/scooter is in the garage or not).

Thirdly, the police have a service where they will give you 'priority' if you call from your home to report a drunk causing problems, loud music or other aggravation. They will also cruise past the house once or twice a night. They also attach a large red 'police box' near the front gate where the officers record there nightly checks visits in a book. The 'police box' may be a deterrent to some. I think the service is 100 Baht per month. We have only used it to get loud music turned down once and to scatter a mob of drunks on another occasion.

I really like the remote viewing CCTV camera idea, especially given we plan to go back and forth from the US a few times per year. Thanks!

[seancbk]

It's common in Asia and especially Thailand to have security bars on windows. With poor policing, deterrence is important. It's really not correct to paint Pattaya as bad. This is common all over the country. It's the culture.

Yes, this^^^. And very often you will see barbed wire or even razor wire on the tops of security walls and around balconies. In Cambodia home owners are even more cautious with barbed or razor wire across the tops of pointy iron bars. In Phnom Penh the break-in threat is real. I agree with the above. I don't think it's as bad in east-side Pattaya, although you do hear stories.

I've lived all my life in Asia.

Even if I didn't need it, I would still put big spikes and razor wire etc along all my walls.

It's a status symbol that says "I need to protect something"

[Nuddy]

Never buy a safe

That really tells all that you have some stuff worth pinching.

[theguyfromanotherforum]

I am really confused by the op. Bars on windows are so common here that I'd be concerned if there weren't any.

[ttthailand]

I would make one comment to the OP about bars on all windows and doors, consider your exit if there is a fire.

Indeed I was wondering about that. I am concerned with such things. Personally I would want a fire extinguisher in every room whose only exit to the exterior is a window with bars. Very good point.

just have a big hammer. The walls are so thin a few good hits and you can make a nice exit. The same can also be said for breaking in, a big hammer is all you need.

[rocketboybkk]

To the op

How much are you willing to lose, sorry spend?

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[mikiea]

It's your choice, either iron bars on windows or iron clad insurance policy that covers all risks,

and yes, Pattaya might be a fun place but crime is rampant there also now days mostly

to fuel the need for drug's use money....

samo-samo in mainland chine , each apartment has a 1/2 ton of double weld bars on the windows . thief's hang mission impossible style from the roof's and use a battery operated grinder to cut thru locks and bars . every now and then they are caught by the tenant and beaten or thrown out the window . in Xian a whole crew of thief's were thrown off the roof including two that were dangling . kinda funny when you think about it .

[bbbbooboo]

There's a chap I know , who lives in Pattaya,who has pieces of jagged glass embedded in the top of his 2 metre high concrete wall. Serious measures to deal with serious problems I guess?

[manxninja]

Broken glass used to be the norm on top off walls in the UK, not so much now must be a claim thing.

If you get a house get two guard dogs, rotties or pitbulls, treat them mean and teach them to attack on sight, the chances of a break in will be minimal.

[SiSePuede419]

"when you see iron bars on windows"

That means its a Farang prison, where the inmates are there because they are "bad" (at math).

555

[Pattaya28]

I live in East Pattaya.

My house has iron bars on every window.

I have patio doors for entry to my house.

Inside the patio doors, I have sliding iron doors.

My view is that this offers as much protection as possible.

My view is also that burglaries will occur anywhere there is a weakness in security.

And the iron grilled windows need to be fitted internally.

[Sparky420w]

Barred windows and doors? see them all over SE asia, Central and South America. Even up here in our Issan Village some houses have them.

But one poster was correct, very easy to sledge hammer through these cinder block walls,, good thing most are to lazy to do that.