The Chinese embassy in Bangkok, Thailand is warning its citizens to be careful when visiting Chiang Mai in the north of the country, after several Chinese tourists have been attacked. According to the Bangkok Post, the latest attack took place in Chiang Mai towards the end of January, when a woman was brutally beaten at a temple and her money stolen. In recent months, other Chinese tourists have also been attacked.
Chiang Mai police are blaming gangs who, they say, join forces to attack tourists and rob them of their money and belongings.
As a long-term resident of Thailand and a frequent visitor to Chiang Mai, this news is quite shocking to me. Chiang Mai is one of the safest places I've ever visited, anywhere in the world and, in more than 20 visits there in recent years, I've never felt unsafe or witnessed any kind of violence.
As a travel writer I often travel alone, and have been to Chiang Mai several times on story assignments. I've stayed in hotels alone, visited tourist spots alone, and traveled all over the city on public transportation by myself or with Thais. Not once have I ever felt threatened or remotely unsafe.
That this type of brutally is being targeted at Chinese tourists also, initially, seems odd, as most Thais feel an affinity with the Chinese, with many Thais being proud of their Chinese ancestry. However, there have been many stories in the Thai press in the last couple of years about the rapidly expanding Chinese middle class and the huge amounts of disposable income they suddenly have to spend.
That beatings and tourist attacks will do nothing to promote Chiang Mai's image as a tourist-friendly place is true. However, as someone who thinks Chiang Mai is one of the must-visit places in the world and a truly wonderful place for any tourist, I must say, unless things drastically change, there's no reason to believe visiting Chiang Mai is not safe.
In fact, I highly recommend it.
