Rising Crime In Udon

Post by **classygeezer** » February 8, 2012, 8:22 am

I think most Falang tend to consider Udon a fairly safe place to live.I am sure that compared to dreadful places like Pataya this is true.I am talking here about safe for Falang,but what about Thai's?

My Girlfriend of the last two years has had several close calls with Udons Lowlife Thieves.Some 15 Months ago her house was broken into (She lives in a nice little detatched house in a good part of Town) fortunately for her a Neighbour alerted both her and the Police.It was fascinating next day on TV to see her riding up to her house on her scooter,the place was crawling with Police wandering around ineptly with drawn guns!! Fortunately the thieves were interupted before they could start nicking the contents!!

She frequently has stuff stolen from her Hairdressing Salon by thieving Customers,I think 2 mobile Phones have been nicked and just recently a light fingered Ladyboy stole a top up for a mobile.

More alarming are the attempted instances of Street Robbery she has had to endure.Some six Months ago when she was riding home from her Shop in the Evening along the narrow street beside the "Night Market" a Thief attempted to grab her shoulder bag,she managed to hold onto it but hurt her shoulder in the attempt.

Yesterday at Ban Huay Market a Girl attempted to wrench a little Gold and Diamand pendant from my Girlfriends neck.My Gorgeous Girl is only just over 40 kilos ,slim and lithe,but she works out with a strict excercise regime every Morning for 40 minutes,and learned some kind of Martial Art at School.Her would be assailant was, I am sure unprepared for the swift punch to the Head which stopped her in her Tracks!! I only wish I had been there to see it!! The would be thief escaped in the crowd leaving a slightly shaken but victorious victim!!

My Girlfriend is now scared to wear her jewellry,she has always talked about how many thieves there are in Udon,and would really like to leave Thailand!! I explain to her that this stuff happens everywhere.The problem of course is that the lazy,corrupt Udon Police do bugger all about it !! How they have the balls to accept their Salary at the end of the Month is truly amazing.These Morons whizz around on their Motorbikes,I imagine the thought of actualy getting off their bikes and patrolling the busy public places where this stuff happens is totally abhorent to them.

I imagine that the people responsible for the Street Robbery are Addicts looking for cash to fund their habit,the problem being that more often than not they get away with it!!

Post by **Asiaphile** » February 8, 2012, 10:26 am

classygeezer wrote: ... My Girlfriend is now scared to wear her jewellry,she has always talked about how many thieves there are in Udon,and would really like to leave Thailand!! ...

Why do stories like these always evoke the cynic in me?

Post by **Aardvark** » February 8, 2012, 1:04 pm

Me Too

Post by **greatsnake** » February 8, 2012, 7:39 pm

Me 3

Post by **Bertie_Wooster** » February 8, 2012, 7:49 pm

Not me.

Post by **Ricohoc** » February 8, 2012, 8:36 pm

greatsnake wrote:Me 3

I find myself wondering how this young lady, her home and business are such constant targets. I know of no other Thais anywhere who have undergone similar relentless attacks in Udon. I also wonder about other components of the stories, but ...

Post by **tamada** » February 10, 2012, 2:58 am

I reckon she's grooming the OP quite nicely.

My 5 years or so in Udon. Opportunist burglar went into a house on the next street while the occupant was in the shower, confronted and ran away. Sister in law had gold chain snatched from around her neck in the market, daylight, crowded. Also alleged that one of the stepdaughters cellphones was lifted off the coffee table by someone who is assumed to have just walked in while she was out the back doing the dishes. With the Thai-style 'open house' where neighbours pop in and out during the day, the law of averages dictates that some of them are thieving buggers.

Last incident was well over a year ago but probably some of the drop in crime is due to the wife buying out neighbours and land and bulldozing their hovels.

Post by **Ricohoc** » February 10, 2012, 10:47 am

tamada wrote:I reckon she's grooming the OP quite nicely.

That did cross my mind.

Post by **ting_tong** » February 10, 2012, 10:56 am

thai phone theft is the most common, then its motorbike theft next, usually all Thai to Thai
phones can be pawned or sold for cheap and quick
motorbikes can be ridden in the rural areas for years, or parted out and sold off

ring road and isolated streets at night are not a good idea to be on late at night wearing jewelry

the worst theft of all would come from another farang looking for a "business partner".........
also the stupid farang that falls in love with a bargirl "that speaks good english" (buffalo maker) and buys a motorbike, gold, p/u truck/ car, land and house.........then is told to get out or we kill you!

the average Thai will only rip you off for 20 to 200 baht, no big deal

Post by **Philip101** » February 12, 2012, 12:03 am

I would agree crime is and has been on the rise for the last 3/4 years. Every week or so you here someone getting robbed.

My friends wife was on her motoike going home from work at around 11pm a few months ago where she was pushed off her bike whilst driving and her hand bag taken.

I actually hear of more face to face robberies in Thailand then in England.

Also my friends house was burgled a few months ago and all of the gold and jewellery was taken. He got his wife to call the police. When the police arrived they questioned his next door neighbours but REFUSED point blank to question the house behind him....whos wall the robbers climbed over to get in to his back garden.

I personally think all of these robberies will calm down in a year or so. I think alot of Thai men see this as easy money and when the police properly clamp down on this it will stop.

Post by **snowman** » February 12, 2012, 11:22 pm

My T/Ws daughter has had several articles taken from our home during the day when she is at work, just within the last year,

before that everything was great. I am wondering when we get there and start getting more things in our home if I will have to sit night and day with a club and wait for the bad guys to come so I can feed them to the bugs.

Post by **rct** » February 13, 2012, 7:16 am

Reading news like this makes me grateful we chose to live in a relatiely secure housing estate of only 25 homes. Worth the 3000 baht per month HOA fee (which also inclues aother amenities).

Two weeks ago a native English speaking farang in a pickup ignored our security guard's instruction where to park and first inquire at "sales" office. He was chased down without getting more than 50 meters into the project and told to get out by a very convincing British neighbor. Doubt he'll be back to visit the sales office.

We did suffer property crime in Phuket with our stand alone house that was more luxurious than those surrounding it, as it is NOT in a secure and monitored area.

Post by **jai yen yen** » February 13, 2012, 8:42 am

rct wrote:Reading news like this makes me grateful we chose to live in a relatiely secure housing estate of only 25 homes. Worth the 3000 baht per month HOA fee (which also inclues aother amenities).

Two weeks ago a native English speaking farang in a pickup ignored our security guard's instruction where to park and first inquire at "sales" office. He was chased down without getting more than 50 meters into the project and told to get out by a very convincing British neighbor. Doubt he'll be back to visit the sales office.

We did suffer property crime in Phuket with our stand alone house that was more luxurious than those surrounding it, as it is NOT in a secure and monitored area.

Sounds like a real friendly place to live.

Post by **rct** » February 13, 2012, 10:14 am

Jai Yen Yen, it is indeed a very friendly place to live, glad you recognize that with your comment.

I recently welcomed a well mannered Bangkokian who was standing in front of my house, while Bangkok was under water. He was curious to see my garden and interior, as it might be different from the "show house." I welcomed him. He came again a month later to show his wife and friends, after he already bought one as of yet to be built in the phase two. Key point, he had gone through the proper procedure to gain access into the estate. The estate owners occasionally bring others to see my house, fine by me, I like helping them to complete the proejct, FYI the next couple who came ending up buying two plots!

My wife has family and friends who drive in, say our house by name (where they are going), and have zero hassle at the gate. Friendly, safe and secure.

Though if an outsider shows up, Thai or Farang or whatever, and thinks he can disrespect our security guard and sales office and just come driving through our estate without permission in such a cocky manner, if in your book that is "unfriendly" on our part, well, so be it. To me, that is proper security. And is perhaps in part why now only three plots remain in the project.

Post by **crocodile ian** » February 13, 2012, 11:12 am

not sure if jai yen yen thinks we are friendly or not rct ...another reason y i never use this sight anymore ...today i come on as oyu personaly pm me ....we are very lucky to live on certainly the top estate in udon by a long shot ...this doesnt make us better than the other people who maybe cant afford the same houses we live in ....what is should do and i believe it does do is give us a better peace of mind with our children to be brought up in a nice safe friendly estate of only lets say 23 house when all are finished ..as for crime i will be the judge jury and excursionist...if acrime is put on my family or any of my friends or neighbours ..everybody in life deserves to be able to be safe in there home and there envioroment .....

Post by **ting_tong** » February 13, 2012, 11:17 am

regarding gold chain theft: most Thais will boast wealth by wearing their gold "outside their shirt".........IMHO, they are targets for the theives, an easy target since the gold is easily accessible to the agile hand

riding a motorbike with a purse at night, riding a motorbike at night:
I am suspicious of anyone riding a motorbike at night > following me, trying to get along side of me, checking out what I have at a stop light....

............I choose to out run them

street smart & street awareness: a Thai can focus on a TV soap, but can they focus on avoiding the predators looking for an easy target?
I am always aware and suspicious of anything odd or unusual in someones mannerisms and body language, thai or farang

my rented house has bars on the windows, I have a safe in my house, but the roof tiles could be an access point
I have been here for 6 years and have not have anything stolen from me, I have many female visitors to my house and never had anything stolen. My place is a little harder to steal from, but nothing is theft proof, if "they" really want it, "they" will get it.

most of the statements on this thread are about: "my neighbors" or "my friends"

Post by **rct** » February 13, 2012, 1:06 pm

A few other housing estates around Udon, even some costing only say 2 or 3MB per house, have decent security that have flatly refused entry to me because A) I am not a resident of the estate, B) I did not say who I was visiting (I only wanted to drive around and have a look) and C) the project was sold out so there was no sales office to take care of me. It did not matter that I was well groomed in a nice car with a beautiful family along.

One such estate is on the way to the new Big C just past the airport on the left side. Congratulations to them. Their guard did his job courteously and effectively, and today they are getting some word of mouth free advertising benefit from their procedures.

Home Owners Association (HOA) fees pay for security.
Security must be paid for and managed, or it will be lacking.

Post by **Khun Paul** » February 13, 2012, 2:17 pm

As I live a little way out of town I have dogs, so when I am out, the house is locked, what's inside is mine and what's outside is theirs. No problems to date.

Post by **greatsnake** » February 13, 2012, 2:22 pm

ting_tong wrote:regarding gold chain theft: most Thais will boast wealth by wearing their gold "outside their shirt".........IMHO, they are targets for the theives, an easy target since the gold is easily accessible to the agile hand

riding a motorbike with a purse at night, riding a motorbike at night:
I am suspicious of anyone riding a motorbike at night > following me, trying to get along side of me, checking out what I have at a stop light.... ............I choose to out run them

street smart & street awareness: a Thai can focus on a TV soap, but can they focus on avoiding the predators looking for an easy target?
I am always aware and suspicious of anything odd or unusual in someones mannerisms and body language, thai or farang

my rented house has bars on the windows, I have a safe in my house, but the roof tiles could be an access point
I have been here for 6 years and have not have anything stolen from me, I have many female visitors to my house and never had anything stolen. My place is a little harder to steal from, but nothing is theft proof, if "they" really want it, "they" will get it.

most of the statements on this thread are about: "my neighbors" or "my friends"

Good post, the only thing I would add is that location is every bit as important (or even more important) than the security measures you take at your home.

If you live in a known farang neighborhood, you're probably going to be more of a target.

Post by **ting_tong** » February 13, 2012, 4:40 pm

greatsnake wrote:
ting_tong wrote:["
Good post, the only thing I would add is that location is every bit as important (or even more important) than the security measures you take at your home.

If you live in a known farang neighborhood, you're probably going to be more of a target.

thanks, I live along side working class thais and students

I usually see security guards take "naps" at 12:00am to 5am

silence can also be bought in Thailand too :-"