My Wifes bro and his mate were mugged by a tryicycle driver this week.
Luckily due to the fact me being a moody big bro to him and his sister. I make sure they go to decent schools, eat well but try to stop them from walking round with the flashiest ipod and phones.

Worth if you can giving your loved ones two phones, a cheap as chips one and your hand me down flash one. They will know when using the cheap as chips phone is best.

Ian in Phill in my Wifes local town i feel pretty safe bowling around at whatever time, most locals would not dream of atempting to mug you as they would here the few that are dodgy and im sure they are in thailand, uk, phillipines and any other country you care to think of.

When the missus picked up her wu or money from the bank she would get an escort either a tryicycle driver known to the family, a large uncle or two on motorbike or in one of the familys 4X4.

I think you Ian you need to stop comparing thailand and phill totaly different countries (religion,poltics,the way govened now and in the past etc) its like comparing the UK and a muslim north africa country ihmo.

I think what Gavin was saying is you may get robbed in the phillipines but your far less likely to get attacked by a random stranger/s for no reason like you would in the UK.