Sadly, not all of us live in safe areas and where my land is located in NE Thailand (Isaan) the risk of theft is very high. Rural Thais, like many similar peoples, seem to think that taking from those who 'do' is quite acceptable and it's only wrong if you  get caught.

I do understand that this goes against a major Perma principal of 'community', but I feel having security to get established and then involving the community in a controlled way is the best plan.

My outer boundary is around 1km and I refuse to build a Colditz style block wall. I was thinking that an affordable solution would be to dig a 1m deep trench on the outer edge of my land, using the spoil to build a 50 to 60cm high mound. Along the centre line of the mound would be sunk 2m concrete posts (only a metre or so would be visible) which would be strung with barbed wire. Under this would be planted thorny shrubs; both edibles and things like bougainvillea with low growing edibles underneath.

Apart from keeping out local 'tea leaves' it should also keep most of my animals in and hopefully look nice once everything has grown.

Does anyone in a similar position have any knowledge to share?

Building a fence like that here would make enemies of your neighbors. You might even have more problems if you built it. You're in a totally different culture so it could be different there. It might even be the only way. It'd be pretty expensive in time and money. Would your losses be more than the expense if you didn't build it? Maybe they'd steal everything?

I would make a serious effort to make friends with at least one of your neighbors, if you haven't already. I know it's impossible to win some people over.

Could you not make the entire fence out of very tightly knit thorny plants?  It would seem much less labor intensive, as well as cheaper.

Ken W Wilson wrote:Building a fence like that here would make enemies of your neighbors. You might even have more problems if you built it. You're in a totally different culture so it could be different there. It might even be the only way. It'd be pretty expensive in time and money. Would your losses be more than the expense if you didn't build it? Maybe they'd steal everything?

I would make a serious effort to make friends with at least one of your neighbors, if you haven't already. I know it's impossible to win some people over.

When my cousin lived in Ecuador, the culture was such that if anyone saw something, they felt they could take it. It wasn't considered "stealing," more like borrowing without ever feeling the need of returning it. From what I gather, "private" property wasn't really a thing--everyone shared/took what they wanted, even if they were friends.

They ended up building a concrete wall around their house (about 3 feet high) with another 3 feet of fencing above that. But, they were only fencing in a very small lot (maybe 3,000 sqft).

I like the idea of making a hedge/fence  out of thorny or painful plants, especially if you can eat them. I don't know what's native or easily accessible over there, though. Here I would make a hedge out of nettle, blackberries, raspberries, seabuckthorn, roses &/or hawthorn. You would want whatever you plant to be very densely planted, both to stop people from seeing in and wanting what you have, as well as to deter them from trying to get in. I would also make the hedge look as natural as possible. Rich people often have well-manicured hedges (at least around here) and you don't want to look rich..

But if the people you're dealing with aren't stopped by thorns or nettles, a concrete fence might be the best choice.

@Nicole

Thailand sounds very similar to Ecuador, the attitudes are very similar. In addition, they believe all white folks to be rich, so can afford to replace stuff that they 'borrow' or break.

Most houses and every temple is surrounded by a 6ft rendered concrete block wall - I prefer my more open solution and so does my wallet.