Agree, Russian mafia is very active in Pattaya and they tend to settle disputes with guns, still I wouldn't completely whitewash the Thais, the crime rate is very high in Pattaya with Thais robbing, beating & killing foreign tourists. I also agree that many victims ask for it: guys that go off into the bushes with ladyboys are asking for a bang on the head, and some drunken farang louts pick fights with Thais, nonetheless, many others are innocent victims. I'd still be interested in seeing some official stats on deaths/murders in Thailand compared to other countries popular with tourists.