Thai business class passenger had 200,000 baht stolen from overhead locker

[Naam]

58 minutes ago, paahlman said:

2 hours ago, dabhand said:

The OP clearly states the passenger had 640,000 yen (the Baht figure being the equivalent of this, i.e. about US$6k). So, no currency rules or regulations broken here.

dabhand.. no need to do any conversions..hehe.... He had 200k thb.. Legal amount is 50k.

some people are sorry losers. 

[HooHaa]

i do laugh at those for whom air travel is an occasion to don a safari suit.

 

 

 

[StayinThailand2much]

On 5/28/2018 at 9:15 AM, webfact said:

A Thai business class passenger on Thai Airways had 640,000 yen taken from an overhead locker while they were asleep.

So were was the money? Not in a locked bag, I presume. Are people really leaving their wallets and purses, full of cash, with easy access, in the overhead compartments?

Edited May 28, 2018 by StayinThailand2much

[hhinhh]

12 hours ago, electric said:

Apparently many airlines now have CCTV in the passenger cabins. Would really simplify situations like this. Wonder if Thai Airlines have them installed ?

To get some entertainment from mile high members

[JemJem]

11 hours ago, HooHaa said:

some folk here will never understand why people travel with cash.

 

i always have a minimum of 1000 usd just in case.

all you need to do is land in a strange country once and find out your card has been blocked and you have only the equivalent of 100 bucks in your wallet. 

I agree.  By the way, I have never had a credit card. I have always had an ATM card since my teenager days, and anyway, that is what I have mostly used to get cash on my trips to Thailand. And, yes, I also usually take a minimum of around 1,000 dollars with me on the flight to Thailand.

 

And, one piece of advice : Put the money in your wallet, and put your wallet right inside your underwear; on a front side, with most of the wallet firmly on the inside part of the underwear. You will always feel the wallet being in there unless the underwear is very loose-fiitting or also unless you get drunk ! Hey, don't get drunk when you have lots of cash on you; hehe.

[champers]

5 minutes ago, JemJem said:

I agree.  By the way, I have never had a credit card. I have always had an ATM card since my teenager days, and anyway, that is what I have mostly used to get cash on my trips to Thailand. And, yes, I also usually take a minimum of around 1,000 dollars with me on the flight to Thailand.

 

And, one piece of advice : Put the money in your wallet, and put your wallet right inside your underwear; on a front side, with most of the wallet firmly on the inside part of the underwear. You will always feel the wallet being in there unless the underwear is very loose-fiitting or also unless you get drunk ! Hey, don't get drunk when you have lots of cash on you; hehe.

Is that a wallet in your y fronts or are you just pleased to see me?

[Happy Grumpy]

13 hours ago, electric said:

Apparently many airlines now have CCTV in the passenger cabins. Would really simplify situations like this. Wonder if Thai Airlines have them installed ?

For 20% of the takings the captain turns them off.

[starky]

17 hours ago, smutcakes said:

I simply fail to understand how someone sitting their cannot notice someone opening the overhead locker and rummaging around in multiple bags, or they are in a very deep sleep how someone else does not see it, or the cabin crew. And from the thief perspective surely its a bit of a risk and needle in haystack situation. Why are people carrying so much money around with them anyway in this day and age?

Ahh cos they are asleep..some people sleep pretty soundly in those lay flat beds. Also 200000 baht isn't a lot of money. Before I had a bank account here I regularly brought 15000 + Aussie with me to avoid the ridiculous atm and international fees. Some people just spend more on holiday eh?. 

[starky]

17 hours ago, smutcakes said:

Yes its easy to sleep, but say there are 40 seats/beds in the cabin, it is a pretty big gamble and needle in the haystack for some guy to start opening lockers without arousing suspicion, or simply opening a locker where the person with the contents in there is not asleep. It just seems a strange situation.

40 seats in business?? Only on an A380. Most passengers will sleep in business it's quite common. Including most of the Thai airways staff. I fly business Perth to BKK every 5 weeks and that's only a 6 hour flight, during the day, and I would say even on that little flight most passengers try and get their heads down

Edited May 28, 2018 by starky

[starky]

10 hours ago, HooHaa said:

perhaps you should read the article, then check currency limits for entering thailand.

Perhaps you should really read the article it was a flight to Japan thus the Japanese coppers in the photo. That 200k was probably what he had left after his holiday. 

[starky]

15 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

I wonder if he declared the cash when passing through emigration. 50,000 baht is the most that can be taken out of the country without declaring it.

If he didn't, he may be in trouble on his return.

Anyway, who would leave that much in an unlocked bag in an overhead locker when they might be sleeping. On Thai, people often have to put bags in lockers that are not directly over them, so it doesn't cause alarm to anyone awake to see someone opening a locker and looking in the bag, though obviously if they were doing it to all the lockers it should arouse interest.

I don't understand why everyone says this about declarations in Thailand. I declare nothing to the Thais most lax airport customs in the world. Have never had my bags searched/  xrayed ever and have been coming in and out every 5 weeks since 98, and as I said in my other post usually with large amounts of cash in my pocket. Going to Australia however...that's another story they are actually on the ball.

Edited May 28, 2018 by starky

[HooHaa]

13 hours ago, JemJem said:

 

 

13 hours ago, JemJem said:

I agree.  By the way, I have never had a credit card. I have always had an ATM card since my teenager days, and anyway, that is what I have mostly used to get cash on my trips to Thailand. And, yes, I also usually take a minimum of around 1,000 dollars with me on the flight to Thailand.

 

And, one piece of advice : Put the money in your wallet, and put your wallet right inside your underwear; on a front side, with most of the wallet firmly on the inside part of the underwear. You will always feel the wallet being in there unless the underwear is very loose-fiitting or also unless you get drunk ! Hey, don't get drunk when you have lots of cash on you; hehe.

 

No. 

 

just no.

Edited May 29, 2018 by HooHaa

[Enzian]

I always keep small valuables in inside zipped pockets in my travel vest worn on my person for the duration, or at worst ball the vest into a black ball and put it on the floor under my seat behind my feet. And wear it to the toilet.

[MaeJoMTB]

Never put your bag above your head, you can't see it.

Place it over the row next to you, then if someone opens it, you can see.

[paahlman]

22 hours ago, HooHaa said:

perhaps you should read the article, then check currency limits for entering thailand.

Yes... I dont need to read it.. last time I checked it is 50k thb. You can however bring foreign currency up to 20k USD then you have to declare it.. This was yen so you are correct.

[GOLDBUGGY]

On 5/28/2018 at 9:31 AM, KittenKong said:

In business class on a lie-flat seat after a meal it's easy to sleep well. The lights are usually dimmed and the flight crew are mostly in the galley area. I've often slept for 8 hours on long flights, and not woken once.

But I agree that to put large amounts of cash in a locker is stupid. I never have more than about 5,000B on me in cash, regardless of where I am. That's what bank cards are for.

I agree with you for most of your post except to say that not all hotels in every country except Credit Cards. Even for the ones that do you still have to be very careful in using them.

 

Over the many years of my travel I have had my Credit Card Numbers stolen and used for fraud at least 4 times, and thus having to get a new credit cards, much more often then I ever did with having cash money stolen on me.

 

There is also the added fear of being in a foreign country, puting your credit card in the Auto Teller Cash Machine, and it not coming back. Which also happened to me once in Spain. But I never had trouble cashing US Dollars at a Bank, Hotel, or Airport, when needed. So do keep some US Dollars on you at all times when travelling for back-up.   

[Acemaker]

On 5/28/2018 at 9:39 AM, scorecard said:

 

Good points. I wonder if there's anything in the cabin crew job description / cabin crew procedures about regularly walking around the cabin to watch for theft at the seat, from overhead bins etc?

 

On the other hand does anybody expect that Thai cabin crew would seriously follow this procedure (if it exists).

 

True, why do people carry so much cash money on flights and why is it in cabin bags in overhead lockers, not on their body?

 

Further, how come it's that easy for thieves to take the cash (or whatever) from bags in overhead lockers? I always put passport etc., in a zipped pocket which is fully inside of another zipped section of my bag. Not difficult, not a  total roadblock to professional thieves but it would take another half a minute or so to get to the document or whatever.   

 

This is becoming a regular event, perhaps there is a need for all airlines to make an announcement (several times) immediately on arrival for passengers to retrieve their bags from the overhead bin and do a quick check if anything is missing while the passengers are waiting for the airbridge to be connected and the door opened? 

 

 

 

British Airways Cabin Crew would probably of said to the Guy after he notified them of the Theft, (  So ! what do you want me to do about it ! )   ?

[thaibeachlovers]

On ‎5‎/‎28‎/‎2018 at 3:16 PM, dabhand said:

The OP clearly states the passenger had 640,000 yen (the Baht figure being the equivalent of this, i.e. about US$6k). So, no currency rules or regulations broken here.

The thread title states "Thai business class passenger had 200,000 baht stolen from overhead locker"

People have to declare if over 50,000 baht ( of whatever currency ) is taken out of the country.

[nausea]

Easy prey attracts predators. If people are gonna put large amounts of money into overhead lockers then fall asleep there'll be, and is, a problem. More worrying to me is that someone could stuff something into your bag. Give that some thought.

[paahlman]

4 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

The thread title states "Thai business class passenger had 200,000 baht stolen from overhead locker"

People have to declare if over 50,000 baht ( of whatever currency ) is taken out of the country.

I think we are talking around each others.. Yes.. In Baht there is that limitation, but not in foreign currency.. Meaning if you brought it in Euro it is ok. This guy brought it in Yen which is fine too. They just converted it so for reference. Checked immigration online rules yesterday. 20k USD which is 640 000 baht is the limit in foreign currency. In Thai baht again.. it is 50 as we all agree.

Edited May 31, 2018 by paahlman

[Johnnyondaspot]

Unbelievable.  You'd think you could take a nap in Biz class and not have to worry about your valuables in your carry-on.  According to the photo it looks like the thief was a Biz class passenger as well.

[djayz]

On 5/28/2018 at 9:19 AM, smutcakes said:

Why are people carrying so much money around with them anyway in this day and age?

It leaves less of a paper trail... ?

[pumpjack]

planes all should have CCTV in this day and age surely

[ChiangMaiLightning2143]

planes all should have CCTV in this day and age surely

Opposed by Unions in the US, I’m told
The pilots and flight attendants take naps and read newspapers, (now mobiles I guess)

. All prohibited activities it has been going on for years