The true petty crime data may never prevail in Thailand.
Tourism makes up 6-7% of its economy. That’s only the official figure.
Earlier the year 2009 witnessed the the political violence between the red t-shirts and the yellow t-shirts in the country capital.
This was quite harmful to tourism in Bangkok, wreaking havoc on hotels and restaurants.
Who still wants to see Thailand’s visitor-safety image to be tarnished.
Who wants to see newspapers to scream with headlines like
“Tourists easy prey in Bangkok,” “Country of Pickpocket,” or a guidebook is needed merely to survive your vacation in Bangkok. Good restaurants and attractions are just a bonus.
Other than pickpockets, visitors in Thailand should also be aware of widespread pilfering of credit card data to make unauthorized transactions.
So much of my negative comments for the country, Thailand is still a “must visit” place in Asia, the land of smiles, the sex capital of Asia, the country with the most beautiful, ornate Theravada Buddhism Wats.

"the country with the most beautiful, ornate Theravada Buddhism Wats."

Uh, really? Not the last time I looked.

Earlier 2009, it was the Red T-shirts vs the Thai Army in Bangkok.

""Petty crime in Thailand is by far the highest in Asia, don’t be fooled."
An unfortunate assertion - too many definitions required - (what about India?)
However it is probably worth saying that people coming to Thailand frequently "fall under its spell" - and lower their guard. just because everyone you meet is smiling don't think that there aren't at least some who would steal from you.

Thanks so much, Kathie, Carol, and others!

As for pickpockets in Thailand, I will be prepare for the worst and expect the best.

the last thing i ever think about in thailand is pickpockets....i do give it some concern on the skytrain when it is crowded or when going on their escalators when everyone is packed together or in some tight marketplaces...

What could possibly be worth stealing from Bob's pockets? Even the lowest of the low would steer clear of the POB. Contagious dieseases.