German Loses Bt500,000 Baht Ring In Airport X-ray Machine

[Erwin1011]

Thailand, now truly the hub of scams?

Rather more the hub of shame

[englishoak]

What a muppet

[cdnvic]

I've had a plane ticket and Amex checks go missing in the machines at DM. Certainly wouldn't put a $15,000 ring through one of them though. They don't get replaced for free.

[marquess]

I've had a plane ticket and Amex checks go missing in the machines at DM. Certainly wouldn't put a $15,000 ring through one of them though. They don't get replaced for free.

Well I hope that he sues the a*** of them, and those that did, do jail time!

Edited May 22, 2007 by Jai Dee
Font formatting codes removed for better readability

[leisurely]

How would you find out who did it. Unless the operators were thouroughly searched at the time it would be impossible now. If the perpetrator of this crime swallowed the ring, the airport would need stools bagged up of all the operatives. They wouldn't need to manually check them though, poo could be x-rayed.

[farang prince]

I'm afraid the above story serves as a warning to all those travelling to Thailand...you have to be very aware of your valuables. This is not the first time valuable items have "disappeared" at the airport. Luggage and/or their content goes missing all the time. It is easy to trace whether the ring went through the xray machine...they are equipped with recording equipment to save each scan. Authorities should then be able to determine who was on duty at the time of the theft. Even if there is a sincere effort to investigate this theft, I doubt anything will be done. The newspaper article already stated that the airport authority does not cooperate with police in theft cases. The only way the German doctor would get any satisfaction is if the German embassy and the media, both in Germany and Thailand, get involved and raises a big time row. At that point, there will be a flurry of activity...but probably no ring. The lesson? Keep your valuables in your possession at all times when going through security, or riding in cabs, or checking into hotels, etc.

[Old Croc]

I never use those little trays for loose valuables to go through the xray.

I have visions of other pax helping themselves to my goods while I'm standing on a mat trying to explain to some dope with a hand scanner what an artificial hip is.

I secure all those items in my carry on bag before I get to the security area.

[Dakhar]

Why would a person put a ring in a coat pocket in the first place. It aint exactly the most secure place to put a ring, and I am not just talking about theft. It could easily fall out of a pocket.

Sorry folks, I can not lean in any direction on this one. It could have fallen out and rolled, someone spied it and snatched it and ran. He would have no idea....

Feel sorry for the guy but really, this is one of those mistakes that I really feel he carries a large amount of liability for.

If it was stolen by security staff due to the fact they saw it through their "scamming" equipment, well then I do feel 80% bad for the guy.

Take it as a warning, keep you valuables on you, including your girl.

[peace743]

Oh, those thieving little savages . . .

You have to give credit to the Thais for having the requisite sleight of hand and sophistication to pull valuables from a basket, which is on a moving conveyor belt, travelling thru the middle of an X-Ray machine . . .

But, seriously, have you ever noticed how many Thais stand around those machines? At least two are watching the monitor screen, and generally at least two or three are standing on the opposite side of the machine, opposite from where you, the victim (err, I mean ‘the passenger’) is walking. The new machines are rather long, and I wonder if there is an intermediate section where the otherwise useless layabouts can insert their crafty little hands and quickly pilfer goods from the moving belt?

The Thai airport authority’s reaction to this theft (non-cooperation with the police) further implicates the Thais.

In the old airport, they even had signs up warning that you shouldn’t place anything of value in checked luggage. Even back then, Thailand was rife with stories of checked baggage being x-rayed, valuables detected, and the passenger’s suitcase would arrive empty at his or her destination . . .

This is a new twist, and if the little monkey’s have actually figured out how to rob directly from a moving belt within an x-ray machine, then it places the Thais a notch above their ‘First World’ counterparts in America, where theft (by airport security personnel) from checked baggage is unsophisticated and by brute force.

[vladaman]

Well, not a log time ago, my girlfriend lost her perfume in check-in luggage. She put it into cell phone cover. I think someone thought it's cell phone so they took it.

[blam]

Obviously this poor sucker didn't know any better.

World travelers in general have become lazy here. Thailand has always been a con job. From the minute you get off the plane, hotel greeters, taxi shills, etc. to the minute you get back on it. Keep your stuff on you. Don't trust anyone. That means, DON'T TRUST ANYONE, ESPECIALLY NOT ANYONE AT THE AIRPORT.

The classic Thai hit is the x-ray walk thru, International or domestic: You have already put your stuff on the conveyor belt, some @sshole, his wife & 3 kids in front of you, set off all the walk through metal detector alarms for some insanely stupid reason (digital cameras, toys, mp3 players, etc.) they make everything totally stop, but your stuff on the conveyor belt continues to go right on through. Yoohoo! Yellooo?! The x-ray dude has loads of time now, and has already sussed precisely what it is you have and where EVERY SINGLE THING in your luggage is located, (and of course there are 5 airport staff just standing around him doing 'nothing' as usual.) Yeah, this is not brain surgery here people it's really easy to get away with and there is a 99.999% chance you will never notice because you are focusing on where your gate is and are pissed off because of the moron and his kids. Sure this scenario can happen anywhere, but for some reason it happens here in Thailand A LOT, always has.

There are warnings all over the travel magazines about this stuff but ignorant travelers still ignore them. Again, just plain lazy. When in Thailand, always make a good sign of the cross on yourself... spectacles, testicles, watch and wallet (diamond rings, cell phones, passports, etc.) Especially at the airports.

[DFCarlson]

There have been numerous reports of theft at Suvarnabhumi Airport, police say, including at least two from tourists who say their valuables disappeared while they were being scanned.

The official declined, however, to comment further, saying it might affect the reputation of Airports of Thailand.

"Theft by airport staff is not good for image of the country," he added.

I think the time that such events might affect the reputation of Airports of Thailand is long gone... the reputation of the airport has already been established quite effectively.

[ozterix]

I think you are all jumping a bit fast at the throat of Thai people... there are theft all over the world and my guess is probably a lot less in Thailand than in other "more advanced" countries. I have retrieved a cell phone from a taxi, another day, one of my friends left a movie camera in a taxi, called the taxi company and the next day the camera was returned to him. I experienced one theft in Thailand in five year when I never really pay much attention to what i leave in my car, even in a car park. I used to live in Nice in the south of france where if you had a bag on the parcel shelf in your car, the rear window would get smashed when you get stuck in a traffic jam or at a traffic light. Coins left on the dash board in the convenient little trays would automatically result in a smashed window... this place is seriously safe compared with European capitals...

2 years ago, police arrested a team of security at the luggage handling section of Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris. They were using an XRay machine to steal valuable from luggage, and it took 5 years investigation to finally arrest them. They were the guys in charge of security in the luggage area

In Brussels airport, the security watching the car park was organised to steal expensive stereos etc... from car park on the long term car park... it turned out that the local police was involved, again it took a long and painfull investigation to get them

I am sure Rome, Frankfurt, Amsterdam and London have their fair story of theft and scam.

basically, if you pack you luggage with expensive valuable or if you leave valuable in a tray, out of sight for too long you are taking big risk. My conclusion, don't tempt the thieves, and don't train honest poor people into stealing while you flaunting valuable worth twice their lifetime's salary right in front of their nose with no care at all...

[sibeymai]

What's wrong with putting the ring in your pocket and walking throught the body scanner ?

Must say I was surprised last time through Suwanaphum when asked to empty all my pockets, wallet and all, into a tray for scanning. Never been requested to do this before so naturally I was somewhat suspicious. Before moving off after collecting them I counted the cash in the wallet even though I had seen it enter and exit the x-ray machine. It was all there. At the time I wondered whether I was being paranoid, but as it turns out, my instincts appear to have been right.

[dominique355]

Idiot for spending 1/2 mil on a ring. Som nam nah!

Are the grapes too sour? Or how much is your wife/gf worth to you?

[dominique355]

The official declined, however, to comment further, saying it might affect the reputation of Airports of Thailand.

- The Nation

Stealing is no (longer) affecting Thailand's reputation, but admitting it will seriously affect it. Right?

[Jimjim]

Every airport I've ever been to they ask me to remove everything from my pockets.

[BigSnake]

Sound likes a Scam to me. Walk like a Duck, look likes a duck............?

[cali4995]

Ring went missing in an X-ray scanning machine at airport

BANGKOK: -- Pictures recorded by X-ray scanning machine showed that the diamond ring of a German tourist disappeared after it entered the machine at Suvarnabhumi Airport on April 24.

That 2.5-karat diamond ring worth about worth about Bt500,000 belonged to a German tourist, Dr Richard Chrobop.

Piyarat Donbandit, 34, who is a relative to Dr Chrobop represented him in lodging a complaint with police. She said the German tourist put his waistcoat and other possessions, including the ring, into a basket to pass the scanning machine at the departure exit. But when the basket went out from the machine, the ring disappeared.

--TNA 2007-05-06

what we need is for some of these other victims to write in letters to the nation which might then get published in the paper and maybe enough of a fuss would be generated where the police would put a stop to "airport security stealing". yes, i also know honest thai people who would not take a single extra baht, but unfortunately there are a number in particular who steal from tourists in unfamiliar surroundings and this situation at the airport a supposedly "secure installation" is just pathetic.

[Tony Clifton]

I think you are all jumping a bit fast at the throat of Thai people... there are theft all over the world and my guess is probably a lot less in Thailand than in other "more advanced" countries. I have retrieved a cell phone from a taxi, another day, one of my friends left a movie camera in a taxi, called the taxi company and the next day the camera was returned to him. I experienced one theft in Thailand in five year when I never really pay much attention to what i leave in my car, even in a car park. I used to live in Nice in the south of france where if you had a bag on the parcel shelf in your car, the rear window would get smashed when you get stuck in a traffic jam or at a traffic light. Coins left on the dash board in the convenient little trays would automatically result in a smashed window... this place is seriously safe compared with European capitals...

2 years ago, police arrested a team of security at the luggage handling section of Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris. They were using an XRay machine to steal valuable from luggage, and it took 5 years investigation to finally arrest them. They were the guys in charge of security in the luggage area

In Brussels airport, the security watching the car park was organised to steal expensive stereos etc... from car park on the long term car park... it turned out that the local police was involved, again it took a long and painfull investigation to get them

I am sure Rome, Frankfurt, Amsterdam and London have their fair story of theft and scam.

basically, if you pack you luggage with expensive valuable or if you leave valuable in a tray, out of sight for too long you are taking big risk. My conclusion, don't tempt the thieves, and don't train honest poor people into stealing while you flaunting valuable worth twice their lifetime's salary right in front of their nose with no care at all...

You've just shown that elsewhere something was done about it and scams exposed to the public, unlike what seems to be the plan here.

[sonnyJ]

Where's a scam there must be a skim, follow the trail.

[TBWG]

What's wrong with putting the ring in your pocket and walking throught the body scanner ?

Hi

Hows this for a bit of lateral thinking .... why not put it on your...urr...FINGER

TBWG

[Phil Conners]

Idiot for spending 1/2 mil on a ring. Som nam nah!

Are the grapes too sour? Or how much is your wife/gf worth to you?

What a stupid question! I don't put a monetary value on my wife. What does that have to do with anything? Sheesh!

[misterme]

I travel a fair bit.

I keep my money in my pocket, wallet, anything of value. Period!

I often beep, proceed to the wanding station. They see my pocket full and ask to see. When I show them, they say they want to scan it. I say NO! Search, take as much time as you want. But this stuff stays 'In My Hand'

Reaction in Thailand is puzzlement, but they do it and after a quick look, they let me go.

Reaction outside of Thaiand is fine. They study each item piece by peice... before deciding to let me go.

Don't be a fool with your valuables. Stand up for your rights as a traveller. Allow them to check for safety/securities sake, but if you're not hiding anything, then to ask to keep your cash, gold, stuff is within reason.

Thailand and it's soft stance on it's criminal citizens will catch up with them. But they won't get my valuables in the mean time.

[dabhand]

Last time travelling out of Swampy I was beeped when walking through the security check. This despite having placed all 'possibles' securely in my carryon bag.

Onto the podium and all that was found to set off the beep was my passport (old passport so no magnetic strip). A further check showed that it was the few staples (previously holding the TM cards) still attached to the pages of the passport that the machine was picking up!!

After clearing the podium I watched for a minute or two and, yes, every passenger was being held for a podium check.

If the tolerance of the machine is set at such a level it may not just be for the sake of security...........!!

[ludosiam]

Had the guys who are insulting this person here thought of the possibility that it was a present for someone else and could not be worn by him? Why do some unqualified members here use the board just for insulting others?

[PD0NVJ]

Nobody here who have any doubt's about the Dr. himself, maybe he did not have a ring worth 500.000Baht. I wander why he has a Thai name and not a German name .

Could he be involved in his own scam?

[dominique355]

Idiot for spending 1/2 mil on a ring. Som nam nah!

Are the grapes too sour? Or how much is your wife/gf worth to you?

What a stupid question! I don't put a monetary value on my wife. What does that have to do with anything? Sheesh!

OK, maybe I was jumping to conclusions, namely that the "Idiot" bought the diamond ring for his wife/gf, but, you are right, perhaps he is just a ring collector.

Believe it or not, some guys actually buy jewelry for their wife/gf, because they love her and want to give her a present. I presume this thought never occurred to you.

But you seem to think that these "idiots" deserve to mugged. Sort of punishment for being so foolish to buy expensive gifts.

I admit, I have some problems in following this train of thought. Perhaps you explain ....

[aussiestyle1983]

If the ring was stolen from inside the machine by a magician, well that is theft and I feel sorry for the guy, but if he used his brain in the first place and just left his ring on even if it wasn't his ring and he just put it on anyway to make sure it gets through, there would not have been a problem, maybe the metal detector would have beeped and he would have been wanded, but that would of been the end of that, but no, he dicided to put his 500,000THB ring through and it went missing.

I never put anything except for my back pack through the machine, and I put the zippers in a position where I would know if they have been tampered with. I always put my wallet, passport and ticket in my hands, show them to the guards before walking through, get beeped and they get wanded. Once, at the swamp, I was asked to put my wallet through the scanner but was told to hold my passport and ticket, I refused and they said why? I just said I have a lot of money in my wallet and I wanted to make sure it was all still there when I get to the other side ofthe machine. The look on their faces was priceless "ok sir, just go through" They did open my wallet and go through it, but that was that.

Edited May 8, 2007 by aussiestyle1983

[taxexile]

this story has just been reported on the titv news , my understanding is that the airport now accept that the ring went missing , someone stole it and either the airport authority or the tat are accepting responsibility.