Lads 32 years on the Force in Hong Kong one of safest cities in the world.
Crime is a problem the world over but you cannot even start to plot Asian cities against Europes .
In brief they have lost control
USA ... they are going to mass release prisoners due to overcrowding!
The economic problems will lead to an increase in crime
Saint is right basic security system triggering a couple of lights and loud alarm
Decent locks, outside lighting and lock up when you go out
I would not recommend anything more than a golf club for self defence, or you will make a mess on that pricless rug
No harm in an insurance policy and safe or bank for the family jewels
Keep the local nick or someone who can call the boys in brown on the speed dial

Do you think there is money in this if I set up a consultancy. Cheers

Juan,,,, very good point

Got a mate live's in nicaragua,shortly after he moved there while living in managua (capital) shareing a 4 bed house they awoke late one evening feeling groggy and not happy as they had overslept,not so they were gassed during the night and house stripped the only things not stolen were the bed's and clothes they had slept in.All the door's tv furniture security grills off window's everything else gone clothes everything.The police there are well judge for yourself,while visiting we were perched at the bar of a very popular watering hole mostly gringo's a massive bang was heard from toilet's,then a local upstanding member of bib emerged soaked from head to toe,he said he tried to clean his magnum.357 when it went off blowing toilet bowel out of the floor and into dust.
Getting caught up in a gunfight in a casino in panama will keep for another day.

MODS NOTE - PLEASE TRY TO KEEP TO THE SUBJECT OF 'DO YOU FEEL SAFE IN UDON'

Deleted for being off topic

the trouble can happen anywhere, don't forget all those young thugs in pattaya are from all
these different places in issan. and they have to go home sometime. crime there is magnified
because there is a higher density of farangs. it can and does happen all over the country.

people talk about how safe issan is but they're finding it necessary to have their homes fortified
like a medieval castle because farangs appear to be "popular" targets for burglary attempts.

I'll just send the wife if i hear anything.She's as snappy as any pit bull

I felt safer when I lived in the states than I do living here for several reasons.

1. I was younger and stronger.

2. I owned guns and knew how to use them.

3. In the states once you call 911 (direct line to the police) they would respond even if you could not explain what the problem was. And response time on a 911 call was within 5 minutes, and a lot less at night time because of the lack of traffic.

4. In the states, police would patrol and would make contact with people who were just hanging around housing projects and would also stop vehicles that appeared "suspicious". I have never seen police in Thailand conduct what in the states were referred to as traffic stops to contact the drivers and/or passengers other then the road blocks. Has anyone ever had a police car or motorcycle cop pull behind them and flash the red lights in your rear view mirror? I have never seen that happen in the few short years I have live in this country.

For these reasons I felt safer than I do here in Thailand.

However, I do feel safer in Thailand walking around during normal hours (5 AM - 10 PM) taking care of business, jogging visiting friends etc. I do feel safer here walking around the parks / shopping malls / outside markets then back home.

At this point in time I still choose to live here than back home in spite of the various challenges that face farangs here in Thailand.

But if unemployment continues to rise (for whatever reasons) and the locals start getting hungry, then things will take a turn for the worse.

When I lived in Pattaya, my home was burglarized once. They didn't take much, a camera/stereo/small amount of cash. Most likely some girl that had visited me and told her boy friend about my home. Most likely didn't have a car so took only what they could carry on their Honda wave.

One thing I want to point out there is huge difference form being paranoid and being Naive. I take the same security precaution here as I did in LA might be why I haven't had a probem.

Places like Radio Shack if you can order from them make simple systems. Probably made right here.

I been have been burgalrised, it's not as a general rule what has been taken that gets to you. It's that someone has violated that one place in the world where you always feel safe. What the value of that.

We use a house sitter because she takes care of the dogs as well. It our houskeeper and her entire family they get extra for doing it. Plu they enjoy some UBC TV and I Aircon so a bit of a vacation for them to. The house is never vacated so never a problem. But we have had the same houskeeper for years and never so much as a satang has been missing.

Me I hate bars, I have yet to see to a set here tht allow a quick release fro a fire escape. Ya I know bricks dont burn but furniture does.

Whatever gives you peace of mind is good. But assuming that things can't and do happen here is rose colored glasses. Don't worry they will fade when the new wears off.

The one in first homes definetly a sit up the items taken were only in the house for hours and never meant to stay there.

Rod & May wrote:Lads 32 years on the Force in Hong Kong one of safest cities in the world.
Crime is a problem the world over but you cannot even start to plot Asian cities against Europes .
In brief they have lost control
USA ... they are going to mass release prisoners due to overcrowding!
The economic problems will lead to an increase in crime
Saint is right basic security system triggering a couple of lights and loud alarm
Decent locks, outside lighting and lock up when you go out
I would not recommend anything more than a golf club for self defence, or you will make a mess on that pricless rug
No harm in an insurance policy and safe or bank for the family jewels
Keep the local nick or someone who can call the boys in brown on the speed dial

Do you think there is money in this if I set up a consultancy. Cheers

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I did not quote to disagree with your post except for self defense tool I am strong believer in using what ever it takes to protect your property and your life and if that means keeping a firearm in the house so be it I also believe 100 % if you pull it use it don't play around shoot first and let the chips fall at least your alive

Well I hope this is a related topic.I was told by a senior policeman that reports of thefts from parked cars show a considerable month to month increase over last years stats. In town, most are taking place in the car parks of big shopping complexes, Tesco, Big C and opposite Chareonsri center.The latter, especially at night.In the villages it appears to be more widespread. Normally eateries and entertainment places are targeted. During our recent mango festival there were several reported incidents. The thing about this sort of theft is often the damage caused to gain entry costs more than the value of the items taken. He advises that nothing of apparent value is left where it can be seen and if in a car , put them in the boot.
Car alarms are not a deterrent with this type of theft ,as normally the vehicle is in an isolated spot and it is a smash and grab what you can, opportunist crime. The thief is long gone before anyone investigates the ringing alarm.

aznyron wrote:------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I did not quote to disagree with your post except for self defense tool I am strong believer in using what ever it takes to protect your property and your life and if that means keeping a firearm in the house so be it I also believe 100 % if you pull it use it don't play around shoot first and let the chips fall at least your alive

You are my friend Ron and I understand your street logic,BUT in Thailand,I think it is more advantageous to be better prepared in ways that don't entertain the idea of lethal weapons unless your wife does the shooting,your life will change drastically for the worse!Being aware of the possible pitfalls and the environment we are in are our greatest defense.
For homes ,there are variety of simple alarms and precautionary actions that will prevent direct confrontation needed to prevent our bodily injury,and revenge or personal justice against a Thai should be considered naive at best and irrational thinking for sure!

yeah aznyron, i have to confess i've been coveting some brass-knuckles i've seen
on display(he-he) but once you start arming yourself, in the event of conflict things
can escalate out of control. even if EVERYBODY else already has guns knives etc.

BKKStan wrote:in Thailand,I think it is more advantageous to be better prepared in ways that don't entertain the idea of lethal weapons unless your wife does the shooting,your life will change drastically for the worse!Being aware of the possible pitfalls and the environment we are in are our greatest defense.
For homes ,there are variety of simple alarms and precautionary actions that will prevent direct confrontation needed to prevent our bodily injury,and revenge or personal justice against a Thai should be considered naive at best and irrational thinking for sure!

Absolutely, I couldn't agree more.

Visible and audible alarms, things that demonstrate you have taken precautions and access won't be easy.

Also don't keep anything of great value in the house (or car) and don't be ostentatious, - don't flash your wealth around (assuming you have any!)

Put it in perspective of the smackhead - looking to steal something to pay for his next fix.
A row of identical houses - surely all of them have something inside which can be sold - anything.

One of them has a strobe light and a siren, and metal grilles on the windows. The others don't

Does the strobe and siren work ? who knows

Much much easier to target the place next door - no bars, no siren and no strobe - easy !

For the opportunist thief - its better to catch him outside of the property than inside, so if you have a passive IR sensor in your living room for example - it means that to trigger it - the thief is already inside your property.

Think about it.

Makes sense to me.

We added some security features to the house and 7-9 foot wall enclosed 1 rai property we bought here. Sure, any burglar worth his salt could get over the spikes on the walls but they would know they're not welcome. Especially by the dogs. We added some floodlights and keep them on all night. The decorative grills/bars on windows really don't look bad IMO. If they get past all of that then they will find that what we have wasn't worth the effort and risk. But the wife feels safe and happy here and that''s all that counts with us.

German neighbor who was burgled and dogs poisoned to death had bought a new truck before the burglary. One Thai neighbor commented that they thought he was "showing off" his wealth ostentatiously. Unbelievable.