It is an unfortunate fact of life that each year thousands of visitors to Patong become the victim of crime. Anywhere in the world where you take privileged people, who spend more on lunch than the local population earn in a week, there are always going to be people looking to make a fast buck.

Crime in Patong comes in many forms, from simple theft to organised crime. The best way to avoid a nasty situation whilst on holiday in Patong is to be aware of the many tricks and scams that you may fall foul of whilst on vacation.

Theft of valuables is by far the most common crime which visitors to patong become victims of. In most cases the theft could have been avoided if due care and attention had been taken with regard to protecting the valuables. Always keep anything valuable that you do not currently need, safely locked away in your hotel room or safety deposit box.

One of the most famous crimes faced by people on vacation in Patong is what is known as the jet-ski scam. Jet-ski operators will demand money to repair damage to a jet-ski which was already there before it was rented. In some cases they have demanded several thousand dollars, and have threatened the holidaymaker with violence if they do not pay.

Due to the way in which credit card transactions are handled in Thailand, and the fact that security is somewhat lax, credit card fraud is also common. This usually takes the form of skimming, where the cashier will add a little extra to the bill, knowing that the card owner is not likely to realise, as they have been charged in one currency, yet the receipt is in another.

For those people who enjoy the adult nightlife scene in Patong, then the packs of ladyboys who tend to hunt in the early hours of the morning can be a problem. They will target lone tourists who seem to be drunk, and then attempt to get them to take them to back to the holidaymakers hotel room, where they will wait for the unsuspecting victim to fall asleep and then steal everything in the room.