The original question asked "do you feel secure in Udon?" and not "do you feel afraid in Udon?". True, a lot of us come from tougher places in the US, UK or Australia, to name a few, but Udon seems safer and tame compared to those places. Some of us would own guns to protect our families and property here but since they're illegal then we should use what we are allowed to have legally, IMHO. It's a personal decision to make and I don't advocate it but tazers and mace are sold openly at markets. I even saw a shop at the Nong Khai Thadet market that openly sells crossbows with arrows for around 5000 baht. Your property and toys are not worth taking a life maybe but protecting the lives of your loved ones? For you to decide.
Burglaries have long been a problem in Udon and it will only get worse with the deep global recession we are in. When I first lived in Udon back in 1966, the Chinese landlords sometimes provided Thai guards for some of the bungalow housing compounds but they were mostly a joke. You would usually see your security guard fast asleep if you came home late at night. Has that changed? I wonder. Stayed at First Homes when we came back 2 1/2 years ago and the Thai guards that they hired were usually snoring away at night in their hammocks. There was a stray dog that hung out near the guard post and it would bark or growl whenever someone entered the estate. Sometimes it even woke the guard up. Lived in Nongsamrong after that and our Thai neighbors all swore that kamoys would not dare come in that area or the Army would catch them and deal with them severely. Not sure if I believe that but never heard of a break-in while we lived there. Lots of dogs in the area, too. Maybe that had a little to do with it?
Have read some interesting suggestions in here from high walls, grilles on windows, motion detectors, CCTV systems, alarms, attack dogs from pit bulls, rottweilers, shih tzus to maybe even poodles. Understand that some people hate (or maybe fear) dogs but to each his own. Don't want to give the impression that it's like the Wild West living in Udon because you seldom actually hear of crimes against farangs but that doesn't mean you should throw caution against the wind and leave your doors wide open either.
Senior Rambo
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.
