The Safest Place To Live In Thailand In 2024

Have you ever wondered what the safest place to live in Thailand is? Whether you are a local or traveling to Thailand, you may be asking what is a safe place to live in Thailand? Thailand is well known to be a genuinely safe place.

Certain areas in Thailand have higher than average rates of crime compared to other areas in Thailand. Throughout this article, we will be looking at some data and non-data-based information to explore the safest place to live in Thailand. Lastly, from the latest statistics, we will be covering some important information.

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The Safest Place To Live In Thailand

From the data available, we can see that Chiang Mai is statistically the safest place in Thailand to live. This is based on reported crimes such as theft, robbery, drugs, etc. Non-data-based information has concluded that Chiang Rai, also situated in the north, is also one of the top safe places to live in Thailand.

Before we cover Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai in more detail, it’s important to note that the comparison comprises different information from official reports and many other available crime ratings (official and non-official). The crime ratings are based on reported crimes only, and thus, it’s essential to take this into account while looking at the safest cities in Thailand.

Again one of the most significant areas for concern in the north of Thailand is driving safety. Unfortunately, there have been cases where locals and foreigners have been involved in fatal car collisions.

Area of Concern	Chiang Mia	Bangkok
Level of crime	Very Low 18.19	Moderate 41.96
Crime increasing in the past 3 years	Moderate 53.91	Moderate 58.65
Worries home broken and things stolen	Low 25.23	Low 39.28
Worries being mugged or robbed	Very Low 16.65	Low 38.27
Worries car stolen	Very Low 18.93	Low 31.06
Worries things from car stolen	Low 20.95	Low 36.05
Worries attacked	Very Low 14.79	Low 32.46
Worries being insulted	Very Low 13.80	Low 30.51
Worries of physical attack because of color, ethnic , gender	Very Low 10.57	Low 20.27
Problem people using or dealing drugs	Low 31.96	Moderate 53.07
Problem property crimes such as vandalism and theft	Low 24.01	Moderate 43.27
Problem violent crimes such as assault and armed robbery	Low 21.80	Low 39.49
Problem corruption and bribery	High 68.88	Very High 83.64

Source: Interdependent Contributors Via Numbeo

Important Facts About Safety In Thailand

1. Chiang Mai (Data Based)

Chiang Mai is an interesting case as it’s a very popular city in Thailand. Because of this, I believed that the crime rate would be higher than in other cities, but those of you who have lived in Thailand long term will likely know that Chiang Mai has a slightly different way of life compared to the rest of Thailand.

From looking at the reported data from individuals, we can see that the level of crime is very low. One source reported that the highest level of danger in Chiang Mai is traffic/road related.

Official reports suggest that police presence and responses are better in larger cities outside of Bangkok than smaller cities as some small areas lack funding, resulting in inadequate training and effectiveness of the criminal investigation. This may be one reason why some areas suffer higher than average reported crimes than Chiang Mai.

The only piece of information I’ve been able to find to disagree with all the other data is from the U.S. The U.S. Department of State has assessed Chiang Mai as a MEDIUM-threat location for terrorism directed at or affecting official U.S. government interests.

Nonetheless, based on reported crimes and how individuals feel while living and traveling in Chiang Mai, it remains the safest area in Thailand.

2. Chaing Rai (Non-Data-Based)

Chiang Rai is a beautiful city located a few hours away from Chiang Mai. Both cities are very similar in many ways. Chiang Rai city is slightly smaller than Chiang Mai. Having said this, it is still a beautiful area to live and travel around.

When looking at Thailand’s criminal data and safety levels, I found that many areas of high safety in Thailand are located in the north, including the area of Chiang Rai.

As mentioned, this is a non-data-based conclusion as information is relatively limited. Still, from my personal experience and speaking to many locals and foreigners who live in this area, it seems that Chiang Mai is on similar levels to Chiang Mai in terms of safety and security. As a whole, locals and foreigners reported that they felt very safe living in Chiang Rai.

There are many different categories when looking at the overall safety of a country or a place. One of the most significant areas of concern and documented reports we came across on the research in terms of road safety.

There are reports of corruption on all different levels, including private and public sectors.
Individual feedback suggests that most people feel safe and secure traveling and living in Thailand. Many also reported feeling happy traveling around the city they are living in at night.
Over the last few years (not including the recent pandemic), the crime rates for Thailand have decreased as a whole.

The crime index for Bangkok is double that of Chiang Mai
One of the most interesting areas for crime in the South of Thailand tended to be scams that targeted foreign travelers. This may be one contributing factor to higher crime rates in certain areas.

How To Stay Safe In Thailand?

So now that we have discussed the safest places to live in Thailand, how do you say safe in Thailand?

Always Get A Price Before To Maximise the safety

If you’re looking at how to stay safe in Thailand, one of the essential pieces of advice is always to get the price beforehand. This includes the price of a taxi, price of entry, or even a price of a drink.

Many different scams prey on those who do not ask questions, and once a person falls victim, it’s challenging to get out of it. In some cases, scammers can threaten their victims with the police or other methods if that victim refuses to pay.

Avoid Leaving Your Passport As A Deposit In Thailand

There may be some instances where you’re looking to rent a certain item or looking to stay in a particular property that the owners will require you to leave a deposit such as a passport.

This is not a legal requirement in Thailand; however, it is a reasonable deposit for owners. Most business owners in Thailand are legitimate, but unfortunately, scammers will use something as essential as a passport for leverage for their victim to pay for imagined damage or some other scheme they have up their sleeves. It’s always important to remember that your passport is one of the most important things you need when living in Thailand, so it’s always important to keep it safe.

Travel With Friends To Stay safe in Thailand

If you are looking for safety tips for Thailand, a great piece of advice is to travel with friends whenever possible. This may not necessarily mean you are safe 100% of the time; however, as the old saying goes, there is safety in numbers

Never Carry More Cash Than You Need

Being safe in Thailand involves having your wits about you at all times, never carrying more cash than you need is one tip to minimize the risks of loss of high value. We recently spoke about the cost of living in Thailand, and throughout this article, we documented the overall cost of living in Thailand. For more information, I’ve attached the article for your reference.

Be Wary Of Pickpocketers In Busy Locations

Pickpocketers mainly work in busy locations such as markets or tourist areas. Even though pickpocketers tend to operate all across the country, they are prominent in areas such as Bangkok. One safety role is to keep your belongings in a personal money belt attached underneath your T-shirt.

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