More crime in Hua Hin

[Aussie_Al]

The last pint made by Takiap about NOT living in a development.

Raises some interesting issues to me, being relatively new to HH; of seperate dwelling -V- multiple homes inside a fenced compound, in respect of being a target.

So I'd be interested in reading of others opinions regarding this issue, and the potential to be targets.

Speaking for myself, we are in a development a bit out of the main town area, and pay for 24/7 security and ground maintainance etc. in the estate.
Although besides pretty uniforms, and no doubt a deterance effect.
I doubt the "security" would be of much use besides maybe calling Police, in the event of more than one hostile, in helmets, and armed. Whom of course would not use the front, atteneded entrance; but come over a fence around the perimeter.

In any event I personally wish all farang in HH the best, anbd trust all, and their partners/family keep safe

[hhfarang]

We don't live in a development but there are developments behind, beside, and across the road and there have been many burglaries in these developments, especially the one with security guards while, so far (knock wood), we've had no problems. I suspect a lot of development burglaries are inside jobs with development workers or maybe even the security guard(s) themselves involved in some way.

[barrys]

Sad to say that a house where customers of mine are staying on holiday in soi 140 was burgled last night, too!!!

[littlebird]

Same the world over, I doubt HH is any higher than similar developments elsewhere in the world. I got burgled wjile I was having an afternoon siesta a while ago, 99% sure it was the guys working on a house nearby.
They can rob banks so a determined thief will have no problem with a house all you can do is be as careful as possible and try to make things as difficult as possible for the opportunist thief (which I guess most of them are)

[lomuamart]

We live more into town and for years I would take a siesta and not worry about the front gate or the house lock. They were both open. I was great believer in "trust your neighbours". And my neighbours were and are good.
I'd still like those old feelings of mine to come back but my wife has drummed into me that I should be more careful. So, I lock up at lunchtime and it makes me feel a little bit like I don't trust and I'm an idiot.
My worldly possessions as per my golf clubs now get taken in at night after an airing.
I've come back home in the past and fumbled my keys through our gate. So, I scale the wall next door and am immediately nicked by a neighbour at 4am. It's only happened once. Humiliation. It's better to sleep outside until I'm bitten to death by anything moving.
It's sometimes good to be the only whitey around. Maybe they can't understand me and I can't always understand them but it seems to work reasonably OK.
So - have good neighbours.

[richard]

We live more into town and for years I would take a siesta and not worry about the front gate or the house lock. They were both open. I was great believer in "trust your neighbours". And my neighbours were and are good.
I'd still like those old feelings of mine to come back but my wife has drummed into me that I should be more careful. So, I lock up at lunchtime and it makes me feel a little bit like I don't trust and I'm an idiot.
My worldly possessions as per my golf clubs now get taken in at night after an airing.
I've come back home in the past and fumbled my keys through our gate. So, I scale the wall next door and am immediately nicked by a neighbour at 4am. It's only happened once. Humiliation. It's better to sleep outside until I'm bitten to death by anything moving.
It's sometimes good to be the only whitey around. Maybe they can't understand me and I can't always understand them but it seems to work reasonably OK.
So - have good neighbours.

I used to live your end of town and never felt threatened as good neighbours (Thai) took care of me

[Spitfire]

My worldly possessions as per my golf clubs now get taken in at night after an airing.

Bet they are here really.......

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Surrounded by........

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[richard]

Surely the name of the game is MONEY. If you are displaying your wealth or living in a high end residence with loads of security, you are sending out an invitation to the desperate poor Thais

[matthewnoel]

crime is everywhere,but the fact that the police wont do nothing is disturbing.but every farang could be a potential target we all know,.if you have a few bob,then i would bullet proof your bedroom,easily done,steel door,and more bars on the window.this crime aint goin away. you are goin to have to live with it,unless something is done,"what can i do"

[Takiap]

crime is everywhere,but the fact that the police wont do nothing is disturbing.but every farang could be a potential target we all know,.if you have a few bob,then i would bullet proof your bedroom,easily done,steel door,and more bars on the window.this crime aint goin away. you are goin to have to live with it,unless something is done,"what can i do"

Believe me, the police don't do anything about burglaries in the UK either, at least not in Aberdeen. I had my place cleared out there while I was across here for three weeks, and all the police did was take a statement, and then hand me a piece of paper for insurance purposes.


It's all very well saying the police should take finger prints and so on, but I can't see that help to catch the thieves. Even if you have have them on camera, the police can't get the entire country to line up for an ID.

As Richard has pointed out, if your property is a symbol of wealth, then you need to take extra care. It's wrong I know, but that's just life, and again, I do believe the risk is higher in the developments, because let's face it, with those high walls, once the thieves are in, they enjoy the same privacy the home owners enjoy, and as others have said, the security are often in on it. Don't forget, that security guard sitting at the gate is barely getting paid enough to feed himself, so I would imagine many are easily bought.

Stay safe guys

[Super Joe]

crime is everywhere,but the fact that the police wont do nothing is disturbing.

Believe me, the police don't do anything about burglaries in the UK either, at least not in Aberdeen.

They threatened they would do something with us a few years back when my wife, assisting customers, called them up for the 2nd time to another burglary on our first project... they had a real go at her for wasting their time It was basically because things of value were bing left on view on tables/kitchen counters, and that the rear metal security gate/door, just inside the normal wooden back door, wasn't being padlocked.

I do believe the risk is higher in the developments, because let's face it, with those high walls, once the thieves are in, they enjoy the same privacy the home owners enjoy, and as others have said, the security are often in on it. Don't forget, that security guard sitting at the gate is barely getting paid enough to feed himself, so I would imagine many are easily bought.

Yeah, that's been my experience too, that most have been on developments. That could be partly to do with the majority of farangs living in these developments, I doubt many live in real out of the way 'isolated' locations. I do hear a lot of accounts of stand alone properties, ie: in regular residential neighbourhoods, being burgled, there were a spate of them a while back around where we are in soi 94. If a burglar gets caught on a farang development he'll probably get whacked over the head with half a dozen zimmer frames, if it's a farang's house in a prodominently Thai neighbourhood, it's more likely to be rusty machettes, and 6 irons


But they do like the backs of houses where they are out of view what with the walls and everything, they can be working on the back door and the security guard walking up and down the soi past the front door would be oblivious. Although this is rare, as not every guard sleep walks!!! A lot of the time it's the wall of the development that backs onto the jungle, PIR floodlight's would be quite effective in these places, whether anyone sees the light is debatable, but I would image most burglars balancing on top of the wall will slither back down after being lit up by a 500w halogen. Any that proceed over the wall and start breaking in are most likely on drugs, the last of which has probably just fallen out their pockets while getting over the wall. It's the first place I always check

The other thing with developments is you've got builders, pool cleaners, gardeners, termite sprayers, water/gas bottle delivery boys, maids, phone/internet installers, real estate agents and all manner of other riff-raff poking around. They get to have a good look at all the surrounding houses to see what's what, while working at the customer's house.

CCTV cameras can be handy imo, but only if you've got little dogs ours yap at anything anywhere near the house (mainly cats), and I don't think anyone would be able to get in without the dogs sounding off first. When we hear them go off in the night we just look at the cameras on the bedroom TV and know there's no-one around. We don't supply them, but use a Thai company who has good quality systems, 4 cameras, 500GB hard-drive recorder start around 20k installed, then can easily double that depending on spec.

The wireless alarm systems we and other companies in town supply, offer as good a deterrent and protection as you're likely to need without spending silly money or putting armed guards at the gate. We're fitting a complete system, that covers a typical 4 bedroom house here, for 12,000 Baht, which includes control panel, 2no. remote control key fobs, internal & external sirens, 5no. PIR motion sensors, 2no. door contacts, and a load of signs to put around the property saying the house is alarmed in Eng & Thai. The remote controllers have a 'panic' button so you can set the sirens off if you see anything suspicious. One feature that gives peace of mind is that the bedroom sensors can be programmed to work in both 'normal' and 'bypass' mode. So that when you go to sleep at night you can 'arm' the system by remote control to 'bypass' mode, which then activates every sensor in the house bar the bedroom ones.

I would say all that though, wouldn't I

SJ

[hhfarang]

putting armed guards at the gate

I know a couple of ex Blackwater guys who are looking for work.

[steve2]

Personal security is a major reason why I chose to live in a condo! I feel that condo’s with security at the front door serves us better than the house option. I would certainly agree that a house is a much nicer environment for a family, but it comes at cost and this is one them!

[margaretcarnes]

Surely the name of the game is MONEY. If you are displaying your wealth or living in a high end residence with loads of security, you are sending out an invitation to the desperate poor Thais

Yes I agree with that Richard. It obviously wouldn't work everywhere - but I make a habit of leaving my garage door in the UK open during the day when going out for an hour or 6. Granted there isn't a car in it - just a few tools and the usual garage clutter - but my reasoning is that any strangers who happen down the Close will think someone is home.
I have also resisted having a satellite dish, (not too difficult!) Reverse psychology.

[hhfarang]

Leaving the garage door open in the U.S. would get your home burgled faster than anything else as through the garage is usually the easiest access (without being seen by neighbors) into the home and a burglar would think, "no car, no one home, they just forgot to close the garage when they left". People there also have washers and dryers, water heaters bicycles, valuable tools and all manner of things they don't want in the house in their garage. Even the garage itself (without even using it as entry to the home) would be a tempting target to the casual thief.

You must live in a very safe, honest neighborhood Mags.