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Crime

Foreign residents and tourists alike complain of widespread scams and blatant price gouging. Elaborate gem store scams involving earning the trust of a Westerner who is in cooperation with locals have robbed tourists of thousands of dollars, but overcharging is more of a daily (or hourly) occurrence. Commission based profiteering is common for restaurants, hotels, and just about anything. Often petty theft accompanies prostitution and other crime, with many reports of laptops, mobile phones, cash, and other items of value stolen, and the lack of rule of law and police and business complicity complicate matters, as well as ubiquitous pawn shops where thieves can sell stolen goods with anonymity. Armed robbery and violence against tourists is rare (though common among university students), but murder cases involving tourists and long term foreign residents do occur.

These days, since there is a dramatic increase in the number of illegal immigrant workers in Thailand, many of the crimes are committed by these illegal immigrants. However Bangkok is generally considered safe from the standpoint of violent crime. Murders, muggings etc. rates are fairly low when compared to other large asian and international cities.