Thieving.

[bino]

When does finding become stealing, and when does stealing become finding...?

Many countries do have laws on this.... theft by finding. A quick google search revealed this Q and A page from the UK Metroplitan Police

Q: Karen finds a purse on the pavement containing £300. If she keeps it is she breaking the law?

A: Yes this is called Theft by finding and she could be arrested. What she must do is take it to a Police Station. If nobody claims it after four weeks she is given it back.

So- if a cab driver finds a telephone in his taxi at the end of the day (or the next passenger in the taxi finds it) and decides not to turn it in or makes no effort to return it to the owner, he is a thief.

Of course, gotta take the "TIT" factor into account....

[Totster]

When does finding become stealing, and when does stealing become finding...?

Many countries do have laws on this.... theft by finding. A quick google search revealed this Q and A page from the UK Metroplitan Police

Q: Karen finds a purse on the pavement containing £300. If she keeps it is she breaking the law?

A: Yes this is called Theft by finding and she could be arrested. What she must do is take it to a Police Station. If nobody claims it after four weeks she is given it back.

So- if a cab driver finds a telephone in his taxi at the end of the day (or the next passenger in the taxi finds it) and decides not to turn it in or makes no effort to return it to the owner, he is a thief.

Of course, gotta take the "TIT" factor into account....

Thanks for the clarification Bino...

Is there a "Theft by finding" law in Thailand.. (not even getting into whether it would be enforced), and also, I wonder how many people have actually been charged and convicted of that crime.

To be honest I was referring to a more personal and moral level of distinction between the two..

But the point is taken..

Finders, keepers is the doctrine that says when something is unowned or abandoned, whoever finds it can claim it (from an old Scottish saying "Finders keepers, losers weepers"). Of particular difficulty, of course, is how best to define when exactly something is unowned or abandoned, which can lead to legal or ethical disputes.

* One of the most common uses of "Finders, Keepers" involves shipwrecks. Under international maritime law, for shipwrecks of a certain age, the original owner may have lost all claim to the cargo. Anyone who finds the wreck can then file a salvage claim it and place a lien on the vessel, and subsequently mount a salvage operation.

* Occasionally, in the case of winning lottery tickets, someone else will claim to be the true owner. Assuming that this is true, the possessor of the ticket can claim that the original owner abandoned the ticket, thus laying the groundwork for a "finders, keepers" claim.

* When a modest amount of cash is found in a busy area where the loser cannot be identified or there is no authority or customer service over the public area, the finders keepers concept generally applies.

* Philosophies that advocate a right to own land and other natural resources often appeal to the doctrine of finders keepers in the case of claiming ownership of what was previously unowned (see Terra nullius).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finders_keepers

More interesting and related reading HERE

Cheers

Totster

[RusticCharm]

There is very little theft in Thailand.

I dont like foreigners like you who make sweeping negative statements about Thailand.

Ditto!

[kmart]

There is very little theft in Thailand.

I dont like foreigners like you who make sweeping negative statements about Thailand.

Ditto!

There is quite a fair bit of theft in Thailand, chaps. And why the "I don't like foreigners like you" reference from "uk farang?"

You're a twit, aren't you? Blue Ribbon specimen.

Edited May 16, 2007 by kmart

[Luckydog]

For the benefit of those who did not see my previous post, they have nicked a complete lighting system from Pattaya Hill.

It was put there recently at great cost by City Hall so that people could safely walk the many new paths they had laid down. Now it's too dark there at night.

Lamps standards, shades and Miles of heavy copper cable has simply disappeared!

Now they are smashing the concrete bases to get at the stainless Steel rods encased in them.

Security Guards? Yes there are some but they must be very sound sleepers......Bluddy shame.

[Tinkelbell]

The only definition of 'right' that most Thais apply in their daily life is what they can get away with. Don't try to tell me that more developed countries operate the same way. They don't. The difference is this: in the west, corrupt behavior almost always has consequences. In Thailand, it almost never does.

As others have said, theiving is pretty mild in Thailand as compared to many other countries. I've never had anything stolen in nearly 3 years in Thailand, but I was robbed a few times after only 6 months in India. I even had my underwear and socks stolen in India when they were out on the line to dry.

Also, I'd say crime in general is much worse in the US (my home) than in Thailand. The only difference is that generally in Thailand the criminals will try to steal without any confrontation. Whereas in the US, they'll point a gun in your face and ask for your wallet. Where would you prefer to be?

And as for corruption having consequences in the west... Just look at the current administration running the show in the states and tell me what consequences they've had to face after 6+ years of perpetual scandal.

I remember about living my life in Miami in the late 80's.

With only one income with 2 small children, and a staying home mom. We ended up living in a not too good area. Some neighborhood kids got into trouble with laws, some dealing drugs, my kids bikes and toys got stolen from our front yard. The children playgroud were burned down twice. The bathrooms and public courts were lined with grafitis with windows and locks were in despair condition. You never feel safe to walk around in your own neighborhood. Even driving home at night.

Fast forward, now I found myself living in a waterfront gated-community, almost 1000 miles from Miami. Surrounded with wonderful nature, lush landscaping, and friendly neighbors. I can walk my dogs at anytime ( I even enjoy walking them on a full moon night). One down side is you pay property taxes and house insurances through the roof. Over 10,000 USD yearly

Well what I try to say, everything has its price. You got what you paid.

[unforgiven]

I kept running out of gas fairly quickly and couldn't understand why. I took the car into the shop and the mechanic pointed out that someone had drilled a hole into my tank and stopped it with a little rubber plug. Apparently, late at night, one of my neighbors was coming over and stealing my gas. I wanted to wait up for him/her but I just had the hole fixed and got a dog instead.

Ya it's this kind of stuff that's particularly Thai style..........petty and stupid.............ahh most of them think we won't mind,,, were walking ATM's