Ever been scared in Thailand?

[Terry4]

Having coffee with a friend today I mentioned my next trip will be to the Phillipines,immediately he started ranting about street crime etc etc and how safe Thailand is particularly Pattaya compared to most tourist places of the World.

 

And i have to admit he is probably right.

 

I have never really felt threatened in Thailand particularly Pattaya.

 

I have been scared or a little fearful though mostly when walking thru straight farang areas particularly in the early hours.

 

I made the mistake once of walking through Walking street in the very early hours getting a few shoulder hits by drunk farangs walking past wanting to look for a fight ,luckily im a coward and apologised to them before scampering off with my head down.

 

The onky time i was probaly truly scared was a few years ago I was in a situation in a baht bus where 3 young farang hoodlums got on sitting opposite me in the early hours , All shouting out obscenties to passers by walking on the street, and carrying on like pork chops , spitting on the seats etc

 

I had my right foot out a little and one of them thought it would be funny to grab my thong and take it off, and then dared me to get it back and all thought it was funny,i decided to get off minus a thong,as i was getting off and walking to the passenger to pay he threw it at me hitting my head,

 

Only later did i realise how stupid i had been departing at that time up past Mr Macs hotel on the way to jomtien,in was in the midfle of no where and no one around at that time,had i responded to them they may have gotten off and gave me a bashing, but u dont think to exit somewhere like a 711 at the time.

.

Apart from those incidents never had any fear .

 

I think compared to other places Pattaya is very safe,

[paborn]

 carrying on like pork chops

 

Other than using the etymology of this phrase to link you to Australia there is little to add. Having been mugged in Rio and Santo Domingo and been very careful in Mexico I find your Walking Street stories rather quaint. I avoid all drunks gay and straight.

[Londoner]

 In Thailand, only when I was surrounded by a snarling pack of dogs in an expensive area of Chiang Mai. And I'm a dog-lover, forever being reprimanded by my boyfriend for being friendly to stray mutts....something I now do to tease him but shouldn't. 

 

Elsewhere, I was frightened when I strayed into West Kingston, Jamaica in 1973, when the Army and the Police were at loggerheads and Manley's  newly -elected left-wing government was being undermined, violently, by the  CIA.

 

The only times I'm frightened in Palestine is when those crazy  armed settlers who believe that God gave them authority over all of us swagger by. The silly  callow soldiers can be  a nuisance when they point rifles at you but being white is a good defence. The Border Police are nasty and even more ideological  and they graciously gave me a a taste of tear-gas when they were attacking some ten year-olds.

[Uranus]

I was mugged and robbed in Chiang Mai once — 25 years ago. Only place I’ve been robbed, and I’ve been to more than 70 countries.

[Terry4]

I was mugged and robbed in Chiang Mai once — 25 years ago. Only place I’ve been robbed, and I’ve been to more than 70 countries.

Was you walking on the street?

I guess it can happen anywhere though.

 

Lol...I nearly forgot about the street dogs too, been a few times I was nearly surrounded by the little buggers !

[sglad]

 

I think compared to other places Pattaya is very safe,

 

Agreed.  I never felt in danger the two nights I was there last year and I stayed out till pretty late (around 2 am).  As my platoon sergeant used to say, fear the living, not the dead.

[fedssocr]

Avoiding confrontation seems sensible to me, not cowardly.

 

Walking in a part of Chiang Mai several years ago where farang don't usually go was probably the only time I ever felt a bit uneasy as far as I can recall. I walked from my hotel in the old town to a massage place (Gemini maybe?). It didn't look that far on the map but I think I got a little lost. I probably should have just taken a tuk tuk. I found it eventually though. I remember some people staring at me as I was walking along. Crossing the busy streets was probably the most dangerous part in reality.

 

I also happened to be in Bangkok during the 2006 coup (the one that ousted Fugitive Former PM Thaksin Shinawatra). Luckily I was with a local guide at the time who managed to get me back to my hotel safely from the concert we were attending way out in Sri Nakarin. It wasn't really all that scary actually, but I'll always have a good story to tell. Being stuck in my hotel for a day or two was annoying but not scary.

[vinapu]

exiting Chao Praya Express boat at Tha Chang my food slipped and got between pier and a boat ready to be crushed but attendant noticed it , whistled  and boat pulled back millimeter or two, enough to escape.

 

second time  in the early afternoon like 4 p.m.  climbing Budda Hill in Pattaya I took shortcut through bus parking close to overpass and was stopped by two ladyboys for a chat, where you go etc , they were visibly glancing over my shirt pockets but they were'n looking packed so nothing happened but for a moment or two I felt  a bit uneasy.

 

third time in the morning in my room when guy I offed and as usual discussed compensation beforehand all of the sudden demanded 1000 baht more and looked very serious about meeting that request. Not that I was scared  of possible confrontation  but rather afraid it may develop into  noisy scene so I paid up

 

Otherwise  no,  never and I actually like to wander Patpong and Walking street very late at night when everything is quieting down, never a hint of trouble.

[paborn]

In my younger years, I wondered all over the area late at night with no issues at all. But, with the guy in the morning, I would have said no. If he was very affectionate I would have tipped him more but never from a demand.

[ggobkk]

I’m in Pattaya right now, having arrived around 1am this morning. Walked around Jomtien until about 3am. Loud but tame party scene in the complex. I mention this, because seeing the topic and the references to Pattaya, made me think maybe I should be concerned...but after many trips and no negative interactions...I’ll be wary but won’t avoid things. I was only mugged once, in the Georgetown section of Washington DC., broken nose and glasses. Happened across the street from a US Senator’s home. As they say: once was enough.

[kokopelli]

I am terrified every time I cross a street.

[halfhansum]

In a Pattaya guesthouse, getting dark, I drew the curtains across the window sharply, and a large Ghecko dropped off the top and slid off my shoulder ..

Couldn't sleep that night, wondering where the fecker was ...lol

[daydreamer]

  Back in the 90's I was in Chiang Mai in a tuk tuk headed from Thapae Gate to Adam's Apple bar.  About halfway there, the driver pulled over in a remote dark area, and cut the engine and lights.  For a second, I thought robbery, but no, that was not his intent.  The driver turned around and said "you go Adam Apple look for boy.  Can you fuck me?"

 

  He was not what I was looking for that evening, certainly not attractive to my eye.  After I turned down his offer, he started up the tuk tuk and we arrived at Adam's Apple a couple minutes later.

[vinapu]

nothing scary but I had similar situation in BKK few trips ago. Motorsai driver giving me a lift from mouth of Ngham Duplee to BBB Inn in day time asked me if I want him to go with me to my room. To this day I don't know why I chickened out and said 'no ' as he was quite attractive

[DenverDude]

I am terrified every time I cross a street.

I too am terrified crossing the streets of Bangkok. 

[vinapu]

I too am terrified crossing the streets of Bangkok. 

if you chose your hotel wisely only time one needs to cross the street is to go to soi Twilight from Tarntawan or to Jupiter from Raya.

 

Arena requires to cross the street but there are lights and desperate can use overpass at Chong Nonsi BTS . The same  with Senso and SalaDaeng BTS 

[DenverDude]

Arena requires to cross the street but there are lights

Even with lights I'm not confident vehicles will stop.  And then the lights change without much warning.  Last trip (couple weeks ago) at that very same intersection the light changed when I was halfway across and traffic started moving immediately (but still let me finish crossing)

[spoon]

Funny how so many people afraid of crossing road in thailand. Try crossing road in vietnam lol

[hank75]

if you chose your hotel wisely only time one needs to cross the street is to go to soi Twilight from Tarntawan or to Jupiter from Raya.

 

Just crossing Surawong road alone can be nerve wracking, it is one of my least favourite parts of bar hopping. I have tried in vain to persuade boys that if we happen to be trying to flag a taxi willing to go in the other direction, we really do not need to charge across the road. We can pick up a taxi on the same side and make him do a U-turn. But this type of logic never appeals, it makes more sense to them to cross the busy Surawong with cars honking to save exactly zero baht. Edit: there is no traffic crossing as far as I can see, members will know which part I am talking about, under the BTS tracks.

 

In Vietnam at least you know the traffic will slow for you and drivers are always looking out for pedestrians. But no such assurances in Bangkok!

[paborn]

Edit: there is no traffic crossing as far as I can see, members will know which part I am talking about, under the BTS tracks. 

 

Please don't consider this to be a correction as I haven't stayed in Bangkok for some years but where are there BTS tracks over Suriwongse? Has a new line been added? Over Silom yes, but Suriwongse?

 

Also, Thai drivers are not out to kill you, they slow down just like Vietnam. If you're really scared,  do what I did on my first trip in 1982 - wait for an old lady or a school girl and follow them closely.

[vinapu]

Funny how so many people afraid of crossing road in thailand. Try crossing road in vietnam lol

I agree, in reality in my opinion  even Vietnam is tame compared to  Cairo , Egypt and still I survived to tell the tale 

[vinapu]

Edit: there is no traffic crossing as far as I can see, members will know which part I am talking about, under the BTS tracks. 

 

Please don't consider this to be a correction as I haven't stayed in Bangkok for some years but where are there BTS tracks over Suriwongse? Has a new line been added? Over Silom yes, but Suriwongse?

 

for sure hank75 means Silom, 

yes there are 2 or 3 pedestrian passes under the BTS tracks on that stretch of Silom, one used often by me as it's right at mouth of soi 8 where Nantra Silom is located, across from soi 3  , home of Baan Silom 

[abidismaili]

my first trip in 1982 

 

You must have seen quite some changes happening to Bangkok. Was the gay area also in Silom back then? Was the traffic also as chaotic as it is now? I assume it all felt far less crowded than it does now? Where there already many high rise buildings and a layout that doesnt look planned at all to me. It is utter chaos.  You can see that in Google maps, you can't make any sense of it. I think back then Thailand was much poorer, how did this reflect/show in Bangkok in 1982? What was the short time price? Which bars from 1982 do still exists now? Did you need a visa in 1982 or like now we could just enter and get a stamp? No need to arrange beforehand a visa?

 

I would love if some long time travellers wrote down how it was like so long ago. The boys you had sex with in 1982 are now around 60 year old!  

[paborn]

Wow, Abidismaili, Sadly I did not take notes. However, there was a remarkable series of books about the Thai Gay scene ( I can't recall the exact name but Allan was I think the last name of the author ) that were my bibles.

 

The Gay areas were the same. Bars change, names change. Perhaps the best bar was Barbiery on Suriwongse road in the line of shops that are the bulk between the two alleys that lead back to Suriwongse hotel. No Moonlight/ Old Jupiter - those areas were hotel rooms. Mostly short time. Many older Barbiery boys went on to manage or serve as Mamaswan for newer bars. 

 

Saphan Kwai was a thriving area with many bars and some very famous like Charmming and Adam.

 

It was an exciting time - God only knows what the prices were - the dollar was strong the Bhat weak and it was more than thirty years ago.

[hank75]

for sure hank75 means Silom,

yes there are 2 or 3 pedestrian passes under the BTS tracks on that stretch of Silom, one used often by me as it's right at mouth of soi 8 where Nantra Silom is located, across from soi 3 , home of Baan Silom

Apologies for the lapse, you are absolutely correct I meant Silom under the Sala Daeng BTS tracks. There were two separate occasions I nearly had a heart attack crossing the road near Twilight, one was by myself on Silom and the other was when the boy made me rush across Surawong for a taxi.