Keeping Yourself Safe In Thailand

[Johnnywastaken]

[quote=]Beware of the 'brother' who always seems to be around.
[/quote]

mmm.... Few years back in Chonburi.... my girl inadvertently announces to me one day..."sista come stay 2 day".... and it suddenly conjours up images to me, of a lone Thai woman getting off a bus....clutching bags....
Nothing could have prepared me for what came next....

Two Toyota pickups pull up to our house.... 16 Thais get out.... yeah... I was just like friggen gobsmacked seeing this.... I didn't know weather to welcome them all or start hiding valuables.... It was really like that....few of them were IMO, very unsavory characters that I wouldn't normally let in my house anytime....

So obviously I have no room in the house for this sort of crowd.... and they started pitching tents under the trees.... I know because the next morning I came out and it resembled a KOA campground....FFS....

I was informally introduced to 3 of her brothers.... and I couldn't help but think if any of them were actually more to her.... because quite frankly.... none of them had the slightest resemblance to each other....

Anyway.... I footed the bill for everything... as was expected.... and in a day they had packed up and moved on.... but not before stripping our fruit trees of every morsel....

So now every time a Thai person mentions a sibling.....I always think it means much more...

[kendo]

I have travelled all over Thailand and never felt threatened or worried anywhere. Unlike where I used to stay in South London. never left the room there without my 1/2 inch scaffolding box spanner which was put to good use several times
Can't say I agree with number 3 as I feel far safer riding a bike here than anywhere back in the UK. here they expect lots of people to be riding bikes unlike the UK where they simply never see you.
Also 7. Does anybody actually know of an actual person this has happened to ? I have stopped at many a road traffic accident here on Samui and never once been accused of being involved. I have lost count of the number of T shirts I have given up to cover the bleeding or to support the victim.

I do, a forum member on here and his x business partner thats with my wife's cousin.
I am sure if he wishes to tell the story he will.

Kendo.

[Takiap]

Beware of the 'brother' who always seems to be around.

Never ever disclose your PIN - sorry guys but not even to the wife - and change it regularly.

Hell, you guys and girls must get involved with some really shady people......lol.



My wife has one brother, several years younger than her, and he is a real gem. Well mannered, polite, etc, etc. My wife also knows my PIN, and she always has, and never once has she ever done anything irresponsible. She is in fact far more capable than me as far as looking after our finances are concerned. I do know what you're saying though Mags, and I agree that it applies in many cases. I guess I've been one of the lucky ones, and really, I should count my blessings more often.

[dtaai-maai]

I guess I've been one of the lucky ones, and really, I should count my blessings more often.

Agreed. If you can't trust your wife with your PIN (and vice versa) then you've no business being married in the first place.

[margaretcarnes]

Many people are lucky - some aren't I'm afraid. It's not that the average Thai wife starts out as a 'shady' character at all, it's just that when the family and friends - and often gambling - get involved the wife often has to comply with advice or lose face.

[Spitfire]

With family, you just have to lay out where the lines are and they depend on what you believe is acceptable or not and I'm sure many people have different views on where those lines are to be, but so long as the extended family know then it's OK as in a mixed culture/race marriage then both you have to meet in the middle. Personally, for me, if the mother and father need a bit of help then fine as I consider myself a good son-in-law, but other than that....all bets are off.

As for safe, that's a bit rhetorical really, as there are so many things to fall foul of here from belligerent drunk Thai men to using the roads to officials to dogs to being ripped off to less than honest women to crime to goodness know what, as has been mentioned earlier.

Generally, so long as you don't do dickless things then you are OK...barring unluckiness.

Although, I still think the most dangerous thing I do, or am exposed to, is the travel/road use situation and pretty much these days refuse to go anywhere unless I'm driving myself as after 10 years of driving here I'm accustomed to the farce on the roads.

[dozer]

I first came here in 1983 and I have lived in HH since 1987 and I have travelled extensively here either on business or on leisure, both on four wheels and two, in fact I have as of last year travelled in each and every Province.
I am not saying I have not had problems here, but with a bit of common sense and awareness of your surroundings you are, in my opinion quite safe here.
I could name you many countries that I have travelled to for business, where I have felt threatened, but here I really don’t have any issues, well certainly not as related here in this thread.
As for the level of trust in a relationship I have never had any issues and even though I only have been in a long term relationships with Thai females, I would think it’s pretty much the same all over; it’s not a relationship unless there is trust.

[Pleng]

Don't eat som tam.

why ever not?!!

Don't wear a red shirt.

I have 2 red shirts in my collection and wear them from time to time, never had a problem! It might not be wise to wear them around election times, but I really don't think you generally have anything to worry about!

Don't say anything nasty about the monarchy.

Absolutely

Never get into discussions about politics or religion with Thais or for that matter anything as they know it all.

I've had many discussions with Thai friends on politics (and religion to a lesser extent) and never had any problems. Certainly don't enter debates with people you don't know, or only know from your favorite bar. But people you know well should be fine - as long as you don't get worked up if they disagree with you!

[kendo]

Don't stand for to long near coconut palms had a near miss today, a coconut fell down about 10, meters that could really hurt you.

Kendo.

[richard]

Don't stand for to long near coconut palms had a near miss today, a coconut fell down about 10, meters that could really hurt you.

Kendo.

Good one

A few years back a tourist was killed by one near the Hilton

[hhfarang]

Don't stand for to long near coconut palms had a near miss today, a coconut fell down about 10, meters that could really hurt you.

"Falling Coconuts Kill More People Than Shark Attacks-
Falling coconuts kill 150 people worldwide each year, 15 times the number of fatalities attributable to sharks," said George Burgess, Director of the University of Florida's International Shark Attack File and a noted shark researcher."

http://www.unisci.com/stories/20022/0523024.htm

[dtaai-maai]

Given the choice I'll take the coconut every time...

[kendo]

Sounds daft but a real danger, this is the second time i have had a lucky escape.

Kendo.

[dtaai-maai]

No, it doesn't sound daft at all - in fact, I once heard that in former times it was second only to snakes in the number of people killed in Thailand. In my first year here I lived by the beach on Samui, surrounded by palm trees that were 'harvested' by a man with a monkey every few months. I soon learned to have my BBQ away from the trees.

But I repeat, I'd rather be killed by a coconut than a shark!

[traveller2]

it’s not a relationship unless there is trust.

And if you dont trust your partner, why get in a relationship with them in the first place?