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maximmm · Joined: 04 Dec 2005 Posts: 59

Apparently yesterday 2 women from Russia and one from Ukraine were robbed and knife stabbed yesterday (Thurdsay). Is this a common occurance? Is theft a big issue in Thailand? How safe is one leaving things at home?
http://www.gazeta.ru/travel/2006/01/26_n_526498.shtml
This is the link to the newspaper article, unfortunately it's in Russian.

kenkannif · Joined: 07 Apr 2004 Posts: 550

Personally I find it safer then the UK and I personally haven't had any problems.

It seems it's the tourist areas more so that are dodgy and IMO they picked that up from us.

Kent F. Kruhoeffer · Joined: 22 Jan 2003 Posts: 2129 Location: 中国

Привет maximmm

Russian ladies in Thailand are often "in with the wrong crowd"

meaning that many of them work as prostitutes -

and that business can get mean & dirty.

As kenkannif mentioned ...

the tourist traps are known for over-charging the unaware,

and drunk men sometimes "lose" their wallet or watch,

but violent crime is fairly uncommon.

I'm in my third year now and never had a

problem that needed the attention of a cop.

Go ahead punk. Make my day.

Welshguy · Joined: 06 Jan 2005 Posts: 143

Generally its safer than the UK in my book, two battles in four years wasnt excessive and in fairness I was up to mischief on one occasion. Though the latest victim on samui was from my home town and obviously when a farang dies its big news all over the place and this seems to project a perhaps undeserved image of what is largely a benign and peaceful country to be in for the most part. Stuff happens everywhere in the world.

Plenty of Russian mafia types in Pattaya and places now pimping all the ho's with the consequences that trade and turf war type thing brings on the patch. Maybe those girls were victims of that. Steer clear of clip joints and stuff and the worst that will probably happen to you in your facial muscles will overload with all the smiling.

W

tedkarma · Posted: Thu Feb 02, 2006 9:26 am Post subject:

I think Thailand is FAR safer than where I come from.

My personal feeling is that these things make the news because they are relatively unusual here.

Such stories would hit the local papers back home - but probably wouldn't make the national news at all.

Frankly, if you stay out of the mafia (er, I mean "business") world here - you should have no problems!

Boy Wonder · Joined: 29 Mar 2004 Posts: 453 Location: Clacton on sea

Just don't get into too many arguments with Thai males...it can result in you being beaten to death or having your arm separated from your torso with a machete.....as reported on Stickmanbangkok.com a few weeks ago!!!

I personally know of two male teachers who have been attacked in bars here.....and about 50% of the females teachers i know have either been mugged or grappled by Thais on motorbikes in the area around the school!!

Also if you ever decide to rent/buy a condo by the sea in Pattaya...get a high fence or bars put around it......seems everyday 2 or 3 expat guys are selected for the 'suicide leap' by their Thai GF's and /or secret husband/boyfriend/brother (delete where applicable)!!!!

Spiderman Too · Posted: Sun Feb 05, 2006 6:40 am Post subject:

clock · Joined: 31 Oct 2005 Posts: 38 Location: Thailand

tedkarma · Posted: Mon Feb 06, 2006 11:50 pm Post subject:

Boy Wonder · Joined: 29 Mar 2004 Posts: 453 Location: Clacton on sea

Tedkarma .....isn't your location Phuket?
I am speaking of Bangkok which is where most EFL teachers end up teaching.

Bangkok is not a safe place for women to be out and about unaccompanied at night....and alarmingly, attacks on men are on the increase too.

I am ok though.....like you I lead the quiet life and personally have had no trouble!

tedkarma · Posted: Tue Feb 07, 2006 2:24 am Post subject:

Yes, I live on Phuket. But also lived in BKK for a while - and am in and out of BKK regularly (will spend next week there). I feel quite comfortable and safe there.

My only concern is that some of the alarmist postings tend to get things out of perspective. I would still say that BKK is a lot safer than my old home town back in the USA. And, I still tend to believe that so much of the crime in Thailand gets reported precisely because it is unusual.

However, a good rule is to not do anything in Thailand that you wouldn't do back home. See that dark alley with ten drunken teenagers (at 2AM)? Uh . . . don't walk down it. Though I dare say - you'd be a lot safer doing it in BKK than in Detroit.

In fact, it is probably better that people be more careful abroad. I am quite aware that in some countries I don't know the warning signs of a bad situation/neighborhood. The cues that would be present back home aren't always present in other countries ( a lot of graffiti, hookers on the corner, bums sleeping on the street, you know what I mean) - and some of the cues from back home aren't always relevant in other countries. Why I could tell you a story about a bar in South Africa -near the border with Nambia . . . but I won't! Cool

I am only advocating balance - and perspective. Hoping to avoid the "sky is falling" BS on some of the other boards. And, some of the stories on other boards that you just KNOW are made up by some creative writers - because they just don't fit the situation here.

kenkannif · Joined: 07 Apr 2004 Posts: 550

I know a fair few female teachers in Bangers and they've not had any probs....did know a girl that was raped in Petchaburi (sp?) though.

tedkarma · Posted: Thu Feb 09, 2006 5:53 am Post subject:

I just got a kick out of the word "grappled" - I always thought "grappling" was the same as wrestling?

Must be the English teacher in me . . .

Henry_Cowell · Joined: 27 May 2005 Posts: 3352 Location: Berkeley

Being "grappled" is like being "groped" -- only with a shiny red fruit.

Boy Wonder · Joined: 29 Mar 2004 Posts: 453 Location: Clacton on sea