Low season and low recession is also high season for thieves, it does not mean it makes it easier to steal but more people will be likely to steal from your house in Thailand.
People with houses in Thailand in Pattaya are at the most risk to get their house broken into. Pattaya is not an island like Phuket and it’s the sin capital that every day make people from all over the world to come here.
Thai people come here to look for work in the tourist business or sex business and the grey zones in between. Most of them get addicted to drugs and the high life pretty fast and now when the tourists are fewer they are more likely to have no money to keep up the lifestyle.
So their solution is to do crime either to your house to your personally when you renting their services.
We will talk about the risk of them breaking into to your house today
So here are a few risk factors you should take up with your village management, the company you pay the yearly fee for taking care of the area around your house.
Look out for Thai or foreign handy men that roam around the area with no supervision. Several cases of rape, murder have happen recently involving foreign workers from Burma.
Empty house that are unlocked and not checked regularly is used for late night parties or for to take drugs. This kind of people you do not want in your village. If they can keep doing it means your security is lazy. Tell the management to lock the doors and clean the house out. Make sure the security check every once in a while.
Ask the management to check the security guard if he let everybody inside the village. Sure it is nice to do not have the hassle to give your ID card or for the security guard to check you but remember he will do with everybody else, including the local thieves.
The problem is the security guards are scared to be told off when they check some ones ID but you need to pep them up rather then push them down. They are just protecting your property.
Some villages are a short cut for the local people and your village grounds that you pay for is being run down by people that have nothing to do there. The village is private property and they have no right to use it as a short cut. Let your management know and update the security guards. They might get screamed at by the locals but you paid for the land and they are abusing your hospitality.
Lazy security guards that do not go around and check the houses from time to time is a great danger to your house. Take one day and sit in the garden and check how many times the security guard passed your house and actually looked. If he is not up to standard notify the management.
Iron fencing in front of the windows is a good security measurement but make sure you a way out if you have a fire. Maybe lock one window with key so you can open if you have a fire. You do not want to get locked in your own house.
If you have a garden go get a dog, help the many street dogs in Bangkok in Pattaya by adopting one. A medium size dog scares the most Thai thieves and it is a good an alert that someone is on your property.
Get an alarm and security cams they can be connected to hard drives or even to your computer in the office or mobile phone. Most Thai thieves have no idea how to disable a security alarm if they are not the one install it. Make sure you take a copy of the ID card of the person installing it.
If the management sends somebody to fix something in your house or the house you rent take a copy of his id card or a photo with your digital cam.
Do not open the door to people you do not know. Ask them from the security of your closed door and shout to them in the gate or get a speaker phone. Many robbers have grabbed the maid or the owner of the house when they went to asked what the visitors wanted.
If your house management neglecting their obligations you can gather a few of the next door neighbors and make a list. If that does not help go to the consumer’s court it opened 2008 and you do not need a lawyer to go there.
Get the number to the local police station and security guard.
Give the security guard some extra food and drinks (like Red bull) to keep them happy and service your house better. They are very low paid and need the free stuff. Do not give them alcohol you do not want them to be drunk on work.
If you have any other advice please feels free to write to us.