Careful With Your Drink

[kevc]

Expat I know came to Bangkok yesterday evening stopped off with his bag (no not his wife) at a bar on Suk soi 7 before checking into his hotel, next thing he knows it's morning and he's in a guest house on soi 22 minus his bag, wallet and phones.

I'm sure it happens a lot but it's always good to have a reminder now and again.

[BFD]

Thanks for the heads-up, Kevc.

This has never happened to me (knock on rattan), but it's happened to a few friends of mine (both male and female). Unfortunately for the girls, the perpetrator usually got away with something far more valuable than material goods.

Whatever happened to good old-fashioned con artists like Eddie Murphy in 'Trading Places'? Oh wait, they're still around, too, at Sala Daeng station...

BFD!

[PhilHarries]

I've never heard of this happening, plenty of times where the guy takes a girl back to his room but not before he even checks in. My M.O. is get checked into my digs first, stash all my stuff (preferably in a room safe) and then go out for a drink. I'll just be extra carefull now that it seems they are doing this Mickey Finn routine at the bars. So now, it seems, you have to watch the girls like a hawk from the moment she gets your beer from the fridge.

Thanks for the warning kevc.

[Juzrelax]

I agree with Phil, stowe your gear first. Also, if you have just been on a plane for anything more than 4 hours I'd think a shower & a change of clothes would be in order before getting on the grog & turning the radar on.

It is good to be reminded of these things though, thanks.

[Fred Sanford]

Pretty dumb to not check into your hotel 1st. That is basic common sense as is using a safety box for excess cash and credit cards. Don't keep all your eggs in one basket as well. I'm a bit unusual in that never even carry a wallet with me, only the cash I will need for that evening. Then again, I am normally walking distance from my Apt anyway, which happens to be very close to where this drugging took place

Edited May 22, 2007 by Fred Sanford

[colino]

I wondered why that thia whiskey gave me a sore arse

[rgs2001uk]

I wondered why that thia whiskey gave me a sore arse

did you wake up 2000 baht richer in the morning?

or find 500 baht stuffed under the pillow?

[Travel2003]

I always finish off my drink or beer before I go to the toilet.

Never leave my drink out of site if Im out alone.

An expat friend of mine who still enjoys the single life (after 6-7 years) got ripped off a few times in his own appartement.

Minor things as some money (a few 1000 Baht), and mobile phone.

He bought himself a safe, and demands that whomever visits him will put her mobile and ID card in his safe. He then gives it back when she leaves.

He still wants the Freelancers, which are harder to track down later.

Oh well, up to him.

Sailor

[Crow Boy]

I wondered why that thia whiskey gave me a sore arse

did you wake up 2000 baht richer in the morning?

or find 500 baht stuffed under the pillow?

It was stuffed between the cheeks

In all seriousness I have never heard of it happening (being drugged) before leaving the bar, usually the girl waits until getting the victim into his hotel room and then gives him a drink from the minibar and boom out like a light.

If I were ever to consider taking a lady back with me (thought never crossed my mind ) I used (correction would if the situation arose) deposit cash and valuables in room safe, keep only my spending money on me in my pocket. I also tend to deposit my room key at reception. Stuff happens but unless it is worth it to the girl she is unlikely to risk being caught for only a relatively small amount. I have heard of a guy waking up in the middle of a park and getting back (finally) to his hotel and discovered it had been stripped of all his belongings by the girl who took his room key.

Bottom line (sorry colino) is take care and minimise the risk.

CB

[blizzard]

freelancers are cheaper.........lol. no barfine, st hotel,etc.

[colino]

no mate didn't get a dime but got a new walk

[Travel2003]

freelancers are cheaper.........lol. no barfine, st hotel,etc.

Yeah, understand.

But still, they are harder to track down if they rip you off.

I have heard stories about customers coming out of the shower in a st hotel, only to find the lady, his money and mobile missing.

Have also heard (from one of my mates here) it happened in his own appartment/hotel room.

Never found the lady again.

Sailor

[Doza]

Actually this stuff happens more often than we might think. I have a friend in the consular section at one of the embassies and he said this stuff is not uncommon, even in KSR. It seems some hotels aren't too fussed about some BG dragging a drugged farang up to his room and coming down soon after with bags of goodies.

He mentioned one case where they had video footage of it but had no chance of finding the bird.

I am always amazed it never happens to me, or friends who regularly stumbled home completely hammered and can't even remember getting home but haven't (as yet) been muggd, robbed, drugged (wouldnt need to). Very lucky I guess.

Should take more care!

[Dudley23]

Must admit the same as Doza, only people trying to rip me off is the occasional taxi driver, but learnt very quickly on that one. My Friends and I have been absolutley hammered and no problems, Hmmm must be lucky, Anyway good reminder as I was even starting to get slack on the drinks when I hit the Hong Nam always left them behind.

[kiakaha]

I know a guy who has double sided door locks at his apartment....getting in AND out requires entering a PIN into a numeric keypad.

The only other way out would be a 30 story rappel or a base jump.

[farangsay]

Once went downtown to a regular bar to watch a match involving my country's team.

The match was close , the opposing team were accomplished.

I was already 3 parts hammered when the final whistle blew , and "we" had won ,

so I dinged the bell. After that there followed an indeterminate period where alcohol

of every possible description was plonked down in front of me for my consumption.

I woke up the following morning in my own bed wondering how I had got there until

I shifted aside the bedcover to facilitate passage to the bathroom and discovered one

of the girls from the bar underneath it.

So it's a two-way street.

Exercise caution and avoid getting hammered in a strange bar.

Should you seek a carefree evening , patronise a bar populated by friends.

[lost_in_space]

crow boy has a good point...keep all your valuables, and any cash you don't want to lose, in the hotel/hotel room safe.

don't take anything you can't easily part with when you can go out and you won'thave to worry about getting ripped off.

a drugged, passed out farang can't give out his combination. and can't resist when some takes his last pack of cigarets. I think there must be some irony in that

[Scott]

Of course it's a good idea to check into your hotel, but there are a couple of scenarios that can change that. From my personal experience, I have arrived in BKK before the check in time--I didn't go to a bar, but did stop off at a nice restaurant and have a long leisurely meal.

Secondly, after a long flight, I've gotten into a taxi that immediately got stuck in traffic. After the flight, I just couldn't take sitting like that, so I went to a nearby watering hole (I knew the place).

So, since hindsight is 20-20, lets not prejudge the poor guy too harsely. He may have a simple explanation as to why he was there--then again, he may have just been desperate!

[corkscrew]

Pretty dumb to not check into your hotel 1st. That is basic common sense as is using a safety box for excess cash and credit cards. Don't keep all your eggs in one basket as well. I'm a bit unusual in that never even carry a wallet with me, only the cash I will need for that evening. Then again, I am normally walking distance from my Apt anyway, which happens to be very close to where this drugging took place

I agree! Just carry cash and a photocopy of your passport's ID and visa pages. And, your real Thai drivers license.

[kevc]

Of course it's a good idea to check into your hotel, but there are a couple of scenarios that can change that. From my personal experience, I have arrived in BKK before the check in time--I didn't go to a bar, but did stop off at a nice restaurant and have a long leisurely meal.

Secondly, after a long flight, I've gotten into a taxi that immediately got stuck in traffic. After the flight, I just couldn't take sitting like that, so I went to a nearby watering hole (I knew the place).

So, since hindsight is 20-20, lets not prejudge the poor guy too harsely. He may have a simple explanation as to why he was there--then again, he may have just been desperate!

The guy in question has lived here for many years runs his own business, he just dropped his wife off at the airport and had decided to stay one night in Bangkok, stopped off at his usual bar for a drink before checking in to his usual hotel with a small a small bag with a change of clothes in it, he's quite a clued up guy and not the sort to get drunk, real family man. what he did do was leave his beer and go to the toilet.

[THAILIBAN]

I know a guy who has double sided door locks at his apartment....getting in AND out requires entering a PIN into a numeric keypad.

The only other way out would be a 30 story rappel or a base jump.

thats a smart way indeed.... but have to make sure there is a chance to DISABLE this "getting OUT with PIN code only" for any case of emergency.... so u just switch it on when there is a chance that somebody will visit you soon.....

[britmaveric]

Went to a bar first before checking into his hotel? Sometime I wonder about people - are they that stupid?? Anyways sorry about your mate, but he certainly didnt help matters with his bad judgement.

[phazey]

I remember this happening to a friend down the old Thermae (sp?) club. Got him home (we shared an apartment) luckily, but he spent the next day, making a few phone calls, brushing teeth etc, and had no memory of it. Bit lucky that..

[alexth]

What about not taking (working) girls from the street? If you really want to do it, get them from a known venue. Also, on some of the girl's faces along the Sukhumvit Rd. at night, can easily be read on their faces "TROUBLE". Never happened to me or any other friend of mine, even though, I had a few times when I came back home completely hammered, just not from funny places like go-go venues (never had the patience to stay long enough to get drunk there), bars filled with working girls and such. I avoid the Sukhmuvit sois 1 to 25 areas at all costs except a few wellknown clubs.

[britmaveric]

Never leave your drink, unless you have mates about keeping an eye on it.

[markus]

Freelancers:

Why not let the girl's ID card at the reception?

A good hotel that takes care of his guests will do this, or?