Safety

How safe will you be living in Bangkok? It's a massive city in an area you've probably never visited. Of course you're going to be nervous about safety.

Here are the key points:
1. There is crime, but most crime happens in touristy areas and is typically petty crime- like pick pocketing or purse snatching.
2. There has been and will continue to be (for the foreseeable future) political unrest. The unrest is not geared toward tourists. When they plan rallies, the media relays the information (date, place, number of people) days in advance. If you register with the US Embassy (highly, highly recommended), they will send out e-mails warning you of future protests. They are peaceful rallies, but should be avoided anyways. It's a big city, go somewhere different.

But that being said...
Bangkok has one of the lowest crime rates for a major international city. In my 10 months here, I've never felt threatened, scared or unsafe. Bangkok is a very pleasant city. But even so, use common sense like you would in any other world city. Don't walk alone on the street at night, lock your door... the basics.

Here are some English media sites to bookmark:
The Bangkok Post
http://bangkokpost.com/
The Nation
www.nationmultimedia.com

Register with the US Embassy