Having grown-up in the States and living for the past 10 years in Thailand, I think its rather amusing when I hear over-stated alarming safety warnings about conditons in Bangkok and other areas of Thailand (when I think of safety conditions in big cities in the US).....I personally feel very threatened (from a safety viewpoint) walking alone in many areas of San Francisco (like the Tenderloin etc.) and many areas of Los Angeles in the middle of the day compared with walking alone in the very poorest neigborhoods of Bangkok in the middle of the night...

although Thailand is certainly not free from violent crimes, generally speaking the level of violent crimes is nowhere near the level of violent crimes in the West (especially in metro areas of the US).... I think it would be much more logical to loudly warn Thai visitors of safety issues in the US (rather than the other way around)....

when a random violent crime or mugging (especially involving a foreigner) occurs here it is very big news because it is relatively uncommon...but in places like LA, a random murder (for even trivial spur-of-the-moment things like car-jackings), mugging or rape is so common it barely makes the local newspapers and evening TV broadcast, let alone national or international news....

certainly keep alert, maintain your common sense, stay away from large mobs of people angrily protesting any issue (as in any city--unless you are a protestor) but dont become paranoid...

I think the disproportionate fear-factor arises from ignorance, the unknown, the unfamiliar and inexperience....