Move over, Singapore: Chiang Mai is officially Southeast Asia’s safest city

It turns out those tourist TikTokers were onto something – Chiang Mai has been named the safest city in Southeast Asia, according to global statistics platform Numbeo. 

Outranking even Singapore, Chiang Mai secured the top spot with impressively low crime scores across the board.

The rankings are based on data evaluating crime rates, day and night safety, a sense of security reported by locals and visitors, and the severity of property and violent crimes. Numbeo’s safety index compiles five years of data, converting it into a convenient score out of 100. Chiang Mai leads the list with a score of 78.2, narrowly ahead of Singapore and Hanoi.

Here are the top safest cities in Southeast Asia, according to Numbeo’s safety index:

1. Chiang Mai, Thailand (78.2) 
2. Singapore (77.4)
3. Hanoi, Vietnam (65.9)
4. Bangkok, Thailand (60.7)
5. Pattaya, Thailand (53.9)

While crimes like theft, bribery, and vandalism have seen slight increases over the past five years, violent crimes such as assault and robbery remain classified as ‘very low’ in Chiang Mai.

And while we all should remain wary and on guard, this update means we can all relax a little more next time we end up down the wrong alley or forget our phone in a red songtaew.