Police Recover Cartier Watch for Dutch Tourist

Anyone who walks around with 350,000 Baht worth of jewelry deserves to have it stolen.

Police should focus on more important crimes.

Hakan the Dutch, Fenerbahce Istanbul fan loves glitzy things.

Stupid as can be.

42 minutes ago, save the frogs said:

Anyone who walks around with 350,000 Baht worth of jewelry deserves to have it stolen.

Police should focus on more important crimes.

Anyone posting the idiocy of someone deserving to be a victim of crime needs slapping.

14 minutes ago, KhunBENQ said:

Hakan the Dutch, Fenerbahce Istanbul fan loves glitzy things.

Stupid as can be.

Interesting variation on the, "that's not a Dutch name" idiocy. Need a slap?

I'm curious about the services at Health Land Sathorn.

Was laying down the foundation of an insurance claim. But got caught out.

Who hasn’t put something down in your own home and searched and searched for it ? Then you find it in the most unlikely places !

Excellent police work! Not a sentence one sees on here very often.

Tend to agree with Toby1947 comment above.

Can buy Cartier Santos watches for 150-250,000 in mint condition only few years old . Did they find out if it was even real ?

Troll post removed @Front Row

12 minutes ago, ronster said:

Can buy Cartier Santos watches for 150-250,000 in mint condition only few years old . Did they find out if it was even real ?

Does it matter?

On the one hand it's a feel-good story hearing about the RTP doing something productive, on the other hand it's a reminder to leave your valuables at home and travel simply, without the need to impress. Common sense?

I hope Mr Kasap donates a little to the station tea fund to cover his embarrassment; excellent work by the RTP!

Hmmm 🤔

Interesting that the watch was found “dropped on the hotel premises” where it laid in all its shiny splendor for almost two full days going unnoticed by anyone.

3 hours ago, Toby1947 said:

Was laying down the foundation of an insurance claim. But got caught out.

Yes, that was my first thought. If that wasn't the case, then he was crazy taking a 350,000 baht watch to a massage shop and leaving it on the table.

45 minutes ago, banyanman said:

Yes, that was my first thought. If that wasn't the case, then he was crazy taking a 350,000 baht watch to a massage shop and leaving it on the table.

I wear my omega seamaster and Rolex GMT without fear in Thailand, and dump them in the clothes basket as well during a massage. In the land of fake watches, nobody has a clue it is a real one, unless you're a watch nerd. Look around in bkk, 90% tourists wear rolexes....555, 98% of them are replicas or fakes.

Why do people wear watches? My phone displays the time. It is more accurate than any watch including a Rolex or a Cartier. A watch i just another item to keep track of.

1 hour ago, Watawattana said:

I hope Mr Kasap donates a little to the station tea fund to cover his embarrassment; excellent work by the RTP!

My thoughts as well- he really does owe them a huge debt of gratitude

30 minutes ago, Patong2021 said:

Why do people wear watches? My phone displays the time. It is more accurate than any watch including a Rolex or a Cartier. A watch i just another item to keep track of.

a watch is so much more convenient... unless you are a phone addict, of course... 😜

5 hours ago, geisha said:

Who hasn’t put something down in your own home and searched and searched for it ? Then you find it in the most unlikely places !

Maybe somebody else dropped the watch when the heat was on.

6 hours ago, retayl said:

Excellent police work! Not a sentence one sees on here very often.

Tend to agree with Toby1947 comment above.

Yes. But also what a waste of police resources caused by a thoughtless tourist. They have better things to do than act as a lost and found office….or should do.

4 hours ago, Airalee said:

Hmmm 🤔

Interesting that the watch was found “dropped on the hotel premises” where it laid in all its shiny splendor for almost two full days going unnoticed by anyone.

I’m afraid the cynic in me says this was an insurance claim in the making, foiled by the cops proving that he had it on when he left the massage shop. So the watch had to be “found” a little while later.

Such a shame that I think that, but in this day and age…..

People and their bling-bling and status symbol watches.

11 hours ago, Georgealbert said:

Police from Yan Nawa station, Bangkok, have recovered a Cartier wristwatch worth approximately 350,000 baht and returned it to a Dutch tourist who believed it had been stolen. The watch was found within his hotel after officers traced his movements using CCTV footage. The recovery brought relief to the visitor, who had filed a theft complaint a day earlier.

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On 19 February, Pol Col Pansa Amarapitak, superintendent of Yan Nawa Police Station, ordered an investigation led by Pol Lt Col Arthit Chartnakrob, deputy superintendent of investigation, along with Pol Lt Col Kijjapat Phongphatthanakitja and Pol Lt Col Suphakitti Kongchuen, inspectors from the investigation unit. Officers formally returned the Cartier watch, valued at around 350,000 baht, to Mr Hakan Kasap, a Dutch national.

The investigation began on 18 February when Mr Kasap reported the loss to investigators at Yan Nawa Police Station. He stated that on 17 February at approximately 15:30 he had used the services at Health Land Sathorn on North Sathorn Road. Before receiving a massage, he placed personal belongings, including the Cartier watch, on a table inside the treatment room.

After finishing the session, he left the premises. The following morning, 18 February at around 09:00, he discovered the watch was missing and filed a complaint, believing it had been stolen.

Investigators reviewed CCTV footage inside the shop and found that Mr Kasap had placed his belongings, including the watch, into his bag before leaving. There was no evidence of any other person taking the item. Officers then examined CCTV along his route back to his accommodation at the Ashton Silom hotel.

The footage led police to the hotel, where the watch was discovered dropped within the premises. Officers from the Yan Nawa investigation unit recovered the item and returned it to the owner.

Mr Hakan expressed thanks and praised the investigative officers for their swift action in tracing and recovering his property. Police confirmed there was no theft involved.

Authorities announced the case was closed, as the investigation determined the watch had been misplaced rather than stolen. The case has now been resolved following the return of the watch.

Pictures courtesy of InsideThailand

Key Takeaways

• Police recovered a 350,000-baht Cartier watch reported missing by a Dutch tourist.

• CCTV showed the owner had placed the watch in his bag before leaving Health Land Sathorn.

• The watch was found dropped inside the Ashton Silom hotel and returned on 19 February.

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Adapted by ASEAN Now InsideThailand 20 Feb 2026

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Insurance scam gone west then. 🤷🏼

Troll post removed @ThailandGuy

1 hour ago, wensiensheng said:

I’m afraid the cynic in me says this was an insurance claim in the making, foiled by the cops proving that he had it on when he left the massage shop. So the watch had to be “found” a little while later.

Such a shame that I think that, but in this day and age…..

Having worked in claims in a past life, I myself would follow the official policy and say that it’s questionable.

I would have many questions (based on the story) if there was a claim involved (I have no idea if he had travel insurance or not). If there was no insurance policy in force then I’d give him the benefit of the doubt because what could he expect to recoup from a claimed stolen watch?

But what I’d want to know is…

Why didn’t he put it back on his wrist? Didn’t they say the video showed him putting it in his bag?

I’d want to see the bag he put it in. Did it have a hole that it potentially slipped out of on the way home?

How many cameras covered the walk back to the hotel. We’re there cameras that covered the area inside the hotel? Where inside the hotel was it found? On the floor? Who found it? Police? A Bellhop?

It just seems odd that nobody asking through the lobby over an extended period wouldn’t notice a high bling watch laying on the floor. If it fell out a hole in the bag, then certainly it would have been in a high traffic area that everybody uses entering or exiting the hotel, no?

He didn’t notice it missing until the next day. How exactly would he know when he lost it? Did he ask the hotel? Call the massage shop?(which if it the Healthland I know of in Sathorn, it is a very reputable establishment)

Were the police the first people he contacted in order to file a theft report? (A police report is required for all theft claims). Even before asking the concierge “hey…did someone happen to find a watch? I can’t seem to find mine”

(Back in the US), I’d have him fill out a proof of loss form to fill out, sign and MAIL back to me.

The fact that he stated it was a ฿350,000 watch is of no concern. Everybody claims the MSRP that they paid if they bought it new. But if he purchased it second hand then his valuation given in his police report would have been a red flag for sure. I would need proof of purchase regardless with either a receipt or credit card statement.

Totally understand your cynicism

Just imagine the plight of the poor massage worker who served him. And the Health Land company. Both of which were accused by him, falsely.

I have no sympathy for this jerk.

1 hour ago, Airalee said:

Having worked in claims in a past life, I myself would follow the official policy and say that it’s questionable.

I would have many questions (based on the story) if there was a claim involved (I have no idea if he had travel insurance or not). If there was no insurance policy in force then I’d give him the benefit of the doubt because what could he expect to recoup from a claimed stolen watch?

But what I’d want to know is…

Why didn’t he put it back on his wrist? Didn’t they say the video showed him putting it in his bag?

I’d want to see the bag he put it in. Did it have a hole that it potentially slipped out of on the way home?

How many cameras covered the walk back to the hotel. We’re there cameras that covered the area inside the hotel? Where inside the hotel was it found? On the floor? Who found it? Police? A Bellhop?

It just seems odd that nobody asking through the lobby over an extended period wouldn’t notice a high bling watch laying on the floor. If it fell out a hole in the bag, then certainly it would have been in a high traffic area that everybody uses entering or exiting the hotel, no?

He didn’t notice it missing until the next day. How exactly would he know when he lost it? Did he ask the hotel? Call the massage shop?(which if it the Healthland I know of in Sathorn, it is a very reputable establishment)

Were the police the first people he contacted in order to file a theft report? (A police report is required for all theft claims). Even before asking the concierge “hey…did someone happen to find a watch? I can’t seem to find mine”

(Back in the US), I’d have him fill out a proof of loss form to fill out, sign and MAIL back to me.

The fact that he stated it was a ฿350,000 watch is of no concern. Everybody claims the MSRP that they paid if they bought it new. But if he purchased it second hand then his valuation given in his police report would have been a red flag for sure. I would need proof of purchase regardless with either a receipt or credit card statement.

Totally understand your cynicism

Don't forget the limits on standard travel insurance. He'd need special valuables insurance. Not sure about the specifics, but i doubt any Dutch valuables insurance would cover a visit to a Thai massage parlour with the watch on an open table in the parlour.

4 minutes ago, stevenl said:

Don't forget the limits on standard travel insurance. He'd need special valuables insurance. Not sure about the specifics, but i doubt any Dutch valuables insurance would cover a visit to a Thai massage parlour with the watch on an open table in the parlour.

Yeah. Would need a rider on a homeowners policy for things like that….even here in Thailand. And the premiums are absolutely ridiculous compared to the (usually stated value) insured.

The watch is very ugly

14 hours ago, save the frogs said:

Anyone who walks around with 350,000 Baht worth of jewelry deserves to have it stolen.

Police should focus on more important crimes.

By that logic, anyone who owns something desirable is apparently “fully deserving” of having it stolen.

Drive a 2 million baht car? Well then, you must deserve to have it nicked.
Live in a luxury house? Obviously you’re inviting a burglary.

It’s a staggeringly foolish line of thought.

Yes, of course - exercise common sense. If you possess or carry items others might consider valuable, take sensible precautions. Don’t be reckless. Don’t make yourself an easy target. That’s prudence.

But let’s be absolutely clear: no one deserves to be the victim of a crime. Responsibility for theft lies entirely with the thief, not with the person who happened to own something worth stealing.

Suggesting otherwise isn’t clever, edgy, or insightful - it’s just absurd.