Thailand 2020 Crime & Safety Report: Bangkok
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Thailand 2020 Crime & Safety Report: Bangkok This is an annual report produced in conjunction with the Regional Security Office at the U.S. Embassy in Bangkok, Thailand. OSAC encourages travelers to use this report to gain baseline knowledge of security conditions in Thailand. For more in-depth information, review OSAC’s Thailand page for original OSAC reporting, consular messages, and contact information, some of which may be available only to private- sector representatives with an OSAC password. Travel Advisory The current U.S. Department of State Travel Advisory at the date of this report’s publication assesses Thailand at Level 1, indicating travelers should exercise normal precautions. Reconsider travel to Yala, Pattani, Narathiwat, and Songkhla provinces due to civil unrest. Review OSAC’s report, Understanding the Consular Travel Advisory System. Overall Crime and Safety Situation Crime Threats The U.S. Department of State has assessed Bangkok as being a LOW-threat location for crime directed at or affecting official U.S. government interests. Most criminal activity is limited to non-confrontational street crime and crime of opportunity, including purse snatching, pickpocketing, petty theft, jewelry schemes, and tourism fraud. Many travelers have had passports, wallets, and other valuables stolen in Bangkok's Chatuchak Weekend Market, on Khao San Road, and at other crowded areas. Pickpockets and thieves often cut into purses and bags with a razor to remove items surreptitiously. There have been incidents involving drive-by snatch-and-grab robberies from thieves on motorcycles. Travelers on long- distance bus routes may be susceptible to theft as well. Violent crime (e.g. murder, rape, and assault) targeting foreigners is relatively rare. When it does occur, such crime typically happens at night, often when victims have been drinking or separated from their companions. These crimes are most common in Bangkok, Pattaya, Chiang Mai, and in tourist areas in southern Thailand, including Phuket, Koh Samui, Koh Pha Ngan, and Krabi. Sexually motivated violence is most likely to occur at, or after attending, nightclubs, discos, or beach parties (e.g., the Full Moon Party on Pha Ngan Island). There have been reports of criminals using scopolamine or other date rape drugs to spike drinks and sexually assault and/or rob their victims. U.S. citizens have reported robberies after soliciting commercial sex workers. There are numerous international and indigenous organized crime elements present in Thailand, primarily concentrated in major cities. Their activities include drug trafficking, human trafficking, prostitution, document fraud, and counterfeiting. The Embassy is unaware of any U.S. private-sector organizations that have experienced problems directly associated with organized crime. The safety and security of guest rooms in quality hotels is adequate. There have been isolated instances of domestic workers stealing cash or other valuables from their employers in private residences. The risk of credit/debit card fraud and identity fraud is relatively high. There have been instances in which international criminal organizations based in Malaysia, Ukraine, Russia, and elsewhere have installed sophisticated skimming devices on ATMs in order to steal cardholder information and subsequently withdraw money from accounts. Review OSAC’s reports, All That You Should Leave Behind, The Overseas Traveler’s Guide to ATM Skimmers & Fraud, Taking Credit, Hotels: The Inns and Outs and Considerations for Hotel Security Transportation-Safety Situation Road Safety and Road Conditions Paved roads, many of them four lanes wide, connect Thailand's major cities. On the country's numerous two-lane roads, however, slow-moving trucks limit speed and visibility. Speeding, reckless passing, and failure to obey traffic laws are common, as is the consumption of alcohol, amphetamines, and other stimulants by drivers. The World Health Organization ranks road safety in Thailand among the worst in the world. Traffic moves on the left, although motorcycles and motorized carts often drive (illegally) against the flow of traffic and use sidewalks to bypass traffic congestion. Traffic includes many three-wheeled tuk-tuks. Accidents involving pedestrians and vehicles are the greatest safety concern for visitors. Serious bus crashes occur frequently, especially on overnight routes, sometimes resulting in fatalities. Motorcycle drivers have limited proficiency, seldom wear helmets, and tend to weave in and out of traffic. As a result, most accidents involve motorcycles; motorcycle-related deaths in Bangkok are a daily occurrence. The accident rate is particularly high at night and during long holidays, when alcohol use increases and traffic is heavier than normal. During the annual Songkran (Thai New Year) holiday in April, the problem compounds as people throw water at passing vehicles as part of the traditional celebration. Congested roads and the scarcity of ambulances can make it difficult for accident victims to receive timely medical attention. It is customary in a traffic accident for the more affluent driver to pay the expenses of the other party, regardless of who is at fault. Authorities determine fault in major accidents and typically bring those involved to the local police station. Senior officers will discuss the accident with drivers, insurance representatives, police, and others to determine fault. Review OSAC’s reports, Road Safety Abroad, Driving Overseas: Best Practices, and Evasive Driving Techniques; and read the State Department’s webpage on driving and road safety abroad. Pedestrians should use elevated walkways and pedestrian bridges whenever possible, especially in metropolitan Bangkok. Pedestrians should look in both directions before crossing streets, even when using a marked crosswalk with a green walk light. 2 Public Transportation Conditions Buses and taxis are abundant and generally safe. Streets tend to be very congested. Taxi passengers should only exit on the sidewalk-side of the street to avoid opening a door into oncoming traffic. Registered taxicab drivers should have a yellow placard with their name written in Latin script and their photograph on the dashboard. If the photograph does not match that of the driver, be wary of entering the vehicle. Taxis have meters, and their drivers typically use them, but taxis in some tourist areas may not have meters. Taxi drivers often refuse fares, especially during rush hour or to places they do not know well. In tourist areas, taxi drivers routinely charge fares much higher than those in Bangkok do for comparable distances. Before entering a for-hire vehicle, request that the driver use the meter or reach an agreement on the fare for the trip. Threats of violence may accompany fare disputes. Drivers could interpret the raising of one’s voice and use of aggressive body language as a threat; tourists have received serious injuries during confrontations with taxi and tuk-tuk drivers. Police will seldom intervene in disputes involving taxi drivers. Local government officials have attempted to introduce standard fares with limited success. Drivers have organized against attempts to provide alternative services. For instance, drivers have blockaded van and bus services during some U.S. Navy ship visits. Avoid the use of motorcycle taxis. The U.S. Embassy strongly recommends that Embassy staff and family members refrain from using motorcycles (especially motorcycle taxis) and mopeds in Bangkok. The elevated BTS Skytrain and underground MRT subway are generally safe and clean. Both save time and mitigate the challenge of navigating Bangkok's notorious traffic conditions. Review OSAC’s report, Security In Transit: Airplanes, Public Transport, and Overnights. Aviation/Airport Conditions The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) assessed in 2015 and again in 2019 that the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) was not compliant with International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) aviation safety standards for oversight of Thailand’s air carrier operations. Other Travel Conditions Ferries and speedboats to and from Thailand’s many islands are often overcrowded and may lack sufficient safety equipment. Ensure that proper safety equipment is available before boarding and avoid travel on overcrowded boats. Terrorism Threat The U.S. Department of State has assessed Bangkok as being a MEDIUM-threat location for terrorism directed at or affecting official U.S. government interests. Defer non-emergency travel to Thailand's southernmost provinces. The far south provinces of Songkhla, Yala, Pattani, and Narathiwat frequently experience criminally and politically motivated violence in the form of drive-by shootings, ambushes, and small bomb attacks. These incidents involve local armed insurgent groups that have sought increased autonomy for a century, and ultimately aspire to a separate state. 3 The latest round of violence began in 2004. Incidents have included arson attacks directed at schools and buildings associated with the government; bombings in public areas and near local government offices; the killing of police officers and other officials, including civilians suspected of cooperating with authorities; and the theft of weapons and explosives. Attacks have increasingly targeted commercial areas where foreigners might congregate. Authorities have instituted special security measures, such as curfews, military patrols, and random searches of train passengers in the affected areas. The U.S.