Foreign Thieves Target Travellers

[thai_narak]

From the Nation:

Tuesday February 27, 2007

SUVARNABHUMI

Foreign thieves target travellers

Police urge passengers to be careful with baggage after surge in thefts

Police yesterday warned passengers at Suvarnab-humi Airport not to leave their baggage unattended as a motley group of thieves comprising mainly foreigners have been targeting travellers.

There have been Filipinos, Indonesians, Chinese, Laotians and Peruvians caught stealing at the airport, police said.

The tourist-service unit at the airport received 415 theft reports from tourists since the airport began full commercial services in late September.

Reported thefts at Suvarnabhumi had climbed from just nine in September to 54 in October, 72 in November, 101 in December and 114 in January.

Of these, 152 concerned items that went missing at the airport, 152 were items lost on board flights and 101 involved possessions going missing outside the terminal buildings.

"Keep an eye on your belongings and avoid putting cash or credit cards in your baggage," Lt-Colonel Thammawat Hirunyalekha of the airport's tourist centre said yesterday.

He said police recently arrested a Laotian who had confessed that he would spend nights inside the terminal watching out for unattended bags.

"When we searched his Bangkok apartment, we found many travellers' bags, digital cameras and notebook computers," Thammawat said.

There were Filipino, Indonesian, Chinese and Peruvian thieves in the airport too, Thammawat said.

He said Chinese thieves usually pick-pocketed while criminals of other nationality tended to mingle with crowds waiting to check in and snatched unguarded bags.

"These thieves usually target Japanese tourists because they often keep cash and credit cards in their unattended bags," Thammawat said.

He said the Chinese thieves appeared to work as a gang because when they were caught, they would be bailed fast. "We sometimes arrest people twice at the airport after they have sneaked back to China and changed their names before returning," he said.

Lt-Colonel Pakapong Sai-ubon, of the Police Immigration Bureau, said some criminals flew into the airport purely to steal valuables from other passengers.

"They usually fly from trading cities like Hong Kong and grab the bags of their targets," he said.

Pol Lt-Colonel Satit Prom-utai of the Tourism Division hoped the Immigration Bureau would blacklist foreign thieves caught at the airport.

"We will ask the Immigration Bureau to blacklist them," he said.

Thammawat said that according to passenger complaints, some items were also stolen from luggage after it had been checked in. Complaints have become less frequent, however, since the Airports of Thailand stepped up safety measures along the baggage-belt zones.

Suvarnabhumi Airport director Serirat Prasutanont said the airport was working closely with police in a bid to ensure safety.

"We will add more security cameras," he said.

so the thieves are not even thai?

[ollyrosee]

can airport security get any worse ? its now like a magnet for criminals to come and help themselves ,DM was never this bad !

[WAERTH]

can airport security get any worse ? its now like a magnet for criminals to come and help themselves ,DM was never this bad !

Never met a Peruvian while in Thailand. Colombians, Chileans, Brazilians, Argentinians yes. Why is it that the thieves are only foreign, even Laotian but no Thai thieves? Sometimes ..........

Waerth

[peter991]

Every traveller is given a luggage stub, stapled to their ticket or boarding pass, which corresponds with each of their bags/suitcases and it has a number and a bar-code.

Surely in this high-tech age - why are passengers allowed to collect their own luggage off a baggage carousel? Luggage does get stolen - but there are also many incidences where a tired traveller collects a suitcase which LOOKS the same as their own - and doesn't realise it isn't their suitcase until they arrive at their hotel.

I know it's a big ask - but would it be possible for luggage to be collected by passengers only on receipt of their matching luggage stubs?

Peter

[Krub]

Every traveller is given a luggage stub, stapled to their ticket or boarding pass, which corresponds with each of their bags/suitcases and it has a number and a bar-code.

Surely in this high-tech age - why are passengers allowed to collect their own luggage off a baggage carousel? Luggage does get stolen - but there are also many incidences where a tired traveller collects a suitcase which LOOKS the same as their own - and doesn't realise it isn't their suitcase until they arrive at their hotel.

I know it's a big ask - but would it be possible for luggage to be collected by passengers only on receipt of their matching luggage stubs?

Peter

When you fly domestic in Indonesia and even in Japan your checked luggage tag is matched with your receipt to avoid exactly that.

When you fly international the risk is lower as the thief might end up with a bag full of drugs or other and get caught at customs

[Scott]

I am not sure what this article is all about. Is this some kind of indictment about foreigners. I mean, what, are foreigners taking a job from qualified Thais?

Oh, and how about security? Doesn't anyone take notice of "gangs" who are loitering around the airport?

And, don't most airports take the issue of UNATTENDED bags rather seriously?

In the meantime, thanks for the heads up on this situation.

[peter991]

What the article says is that gangs of foreigners are stealing unattended luggage at the airport.

What I am suggesting is that in the 21st Century, why is anybody allowed to collect any bag from a baggage carousel. Surely in this day and age of barcoded luggage tags, why can't a number of persons be employed to match luggage with its rightful owner.

Peter

[Soju]

can airport security get any worse ? its now like a magnet for criminals to come and help themselves ,DM was never this bad !

How do you know DM was never this bad? Do you have any hard numbers to support your claim? I doubt that gangs decided to move in to BKK just because a new airport opened up. It's likely they were just as active at DM and if anything took a short break when the new airport opened.

[taxexile]

this is a common problem worldwide , not just here in bangkok.

gangs of south americans come over to the uk for a couple of weeks , rent an apartment , and go on a pickpocketing frenzy in central london.

they work the airports as well , departures mostly , picking off bags put down for a second or two and then passing it on to a colleague.

we are stressed and preoccupied when travelling , our routine has changed and we are easy pickings for these gangs.( who dont loiter around in gangs , they are far more professional than that.)

[PhilHarries]

Every traveller is given a luggage stub, stapled to their ticket or boarding pass, which corresponds with each of their bags/suitcases and it has a number and a bar-code.

Surely in this high-tech age - why are passengers allowed to collect their own luggage off a baggage carousel? Luggage does get stolen - but there are also many incidences where a tired traveller collects a suitcase which LOOKS the same as their own - and doesn't realise it isn't their suitcase until they arrive at their hotel.

I know it's a big ask - but would it be possible for luggage to be collected by passengers only on receipt of their matching luggage stubs?

Peter

This is the one thing they do right at Manila. Caught me unawares, I was merrily exiting the terminal and got stopped and asked for the baggage claim stub. Worrying few seconds rummaging through pockets for my ticket.

[orchis]

I think it's mostly carry on (hand) luggage, or pre check in luggage thefts we are talking about here.

[thai_narak]

thing is, why the thieves can go inside the baggage carousel area? isn't it that the area is controlled? are these thieves traveller? if the thieves have to fly in and out of bangkok just to steal then they should have been stealing a lot to cover the flight cost...