Robbers Go For Gold As Economy Crumbles

[bingobongo]

so if the economy is doing well, why are armed robberies up? more reality..........and less rainbows......well done junta, well done

Most of the robbers do not appear to be professional crooks rather than ordinary people driven by desperation amid an economic slowdown, said Lieutenant Colonel Aek Aungsananont.

Police could not provide crime statistics from last year for comparison, but say that robberies are becoming more common and more violent.

Traditionally, Thailand's 7000 gold shops become prime targets for robbers during times of economic trouble, according to the Gold Traders Association.

http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&am...84133619C476001

[Heng]

There's definitely a niche market out there for anyone with home/office security business experience and some entrepreneurial drive. Chubb, Secom, etc. all try to push setup and monitoring packages on you. What well to do locals really want are *stand alone customized systems that won't cost anything more month-to-month.

*like store/shop/office door traps like in the motion picture "Snatch" that trap criminals on premises; setting up simple panic buttons (like Chubb and Secom already do)... but without the monitoring fees... we're all armed anyway, we don't really need you to send Somchai and Somsak out here on mopeds to make sure we're okay... but we do need to alert everyone in house that there's a robbery in progress, panic rooms, cc tv setups, sniper nests, etc.

[jdinasia]

LOL ... and still folks can't buy a decent condo cheap!

[observer21]

The mainstream media seem to thrive on bad/negative news.  However, i can't help but observe that when a subject such as this  is posted on TV, the response is somewhat muted.  I think a lot of members have been conditioned by the moderators to

avoid posting negative statements regarding Thailand, as they wish to avoid anything that may be construed as anti Thai.  They obviously have their reasons for this - but it

is obviously a form of censorship.  Bad news happens everywhere; to report it is just right and in the public interest - so come on TV members air your views.  It is not anti Thai or anti anything to express your opinion - it is democratic!

Edited June 25, 2007 by observer21

[thai_narak]

haven't you noticed that the economy started to slide since thaksin's second term? it will continue to do so and people will always blame the current government whether it's a junta or not...

mmm, i thought everybody knew that thaksin already spent all the money when he was a pm ie. giving away 1 million baht or more to every local amphoe and spending it in expensive projects like suwanaphoom airport, lending it burma, etc... i can go on and on. well, having said that, all the bonds are already been spent and surely the next government do not have money to repay them. i smell ecomic crisis soon (or already?)... but then again, thaksin is already gone and so who is to blame? the next in one the chair...

[colino]

there 's nothing else worth nicking over here , to be truthful

[Globeliner]

there 's nothing else worth nicking over here , to be truthful

I would agree colino me old beaut

[colino]

cheers

[Jimjim]

Economy crumbling is a bit extreme usage of words.

Hardship for some, sure. Crumbling, no.

[dave111223]

haven't you noticed that the economy started to slide since thaksin's second term? it will continue to do so and people will always blame the current government whether it's a junta or not...

mmm, i thought everybody knew that thaksin already spent all the money when he was a pm ie. giving away 1 million baht or more to every local amphoe and spending it in expensive projects like suwanaphoom airport, lending it burma, etc... i can go on and on. well, having said that, all the bonds are already been spent and surely the next government do not have money to repay them. i smell ecomic crisis soon (or already?)... but then again, thaksin is already gone and so who is to blame? the next in one the chair...

Large public projects such as the new airport should stimulate the economy. Putting more money in people's pockets, which will generate higher spending, which leads to growth. It is a typical way to boost an economy not some new crazy idea thought up by Thaksin.

Obviously if you have an economic plan to boost the economy by high government spending, and then you abruptly stop right in the middle, then it leads to problems.

[thai_narak]

haven't you noticed that the economy started to slide since thaksin's second term? it will continue to do so and people will always blame the current government whether it's a junta or not...

mmm, i thought everybody knew that thaksin already spent all the money when he was a pm ie. giving away 1 million baht or more to every local amphoe and spending it in expensive projects like suwanaphoom airport, lending it burma, etc... i can go on and on. well, having said that, all the bonds are already been spent and surely the next government do not have money to repay them. i smell ecomic crisis soon (or already?)... but then again, thaksin is already gone and so who is to blame? the next in one the chair...

Large public projects such as the new airport should stimulate the economy. Putting more money in people's pockets, which will generate higher spending, which leads to growth. It is a typical way to boost an economy not some new crazy idea thought up by Thaksin.

Obviously if you have an economic plan to boost the economy by high government spending, and then you abruptly stop right in the middle, then it leads to problems.

ahh.... i forgot to mention that all of his projects were highly corrupted. boost his pocket maybe... i'm talking about thaksin all along, i'm not an anti-junta.

[peter991]

A policeman is now employed full-time to sit outside the local gold shop in my remote Issan village.

I can understand the reason for a security person OUTSIDE the shop as a robbery would be very easy INSIDE the shop. At least a robber wouldn't get very far (alive).

Peter

[thai_narak]

also the minimart are closing up early these days due to robbery. one 7-11 nearby our place has already been robbed twice.

[chanchao]

so if the economy is doing well, why are armed robberies up? more reality..........and less rainbows......well done junta, well done

Thanks for posting that. I completely agree.

The coup has made me pessimistic about Thailand's future for the first time in my life.

[cmsally]

There's definitely a niche market out there for anyone with home/office security business experience and some entrepreneurial drive. Chubb, Secom, etc. all try to push setup and monitoring packages on you. What well to do locals really want are *stand alone customized systems that won't cost anything more month-to-month.

*like store/shop/office door traps like in the motion picture "Snatch" that trap criminals on premises; setting up simple panic buttons (like Chubb and Secom already do)... but without the monitoring fees... we're all armed anyway, we don't really need you to send Somchai and Somsak out here on mopeds to make sure we're okay... but we do need to alert everyone in house that there's a robbery in progress, panic rooms, cc tv setups, sniper nests, etc.

Heng you must be on the same wavelenghth as my husband. He has talked about this for the past couple of weeks saying we should do this as a new business, (er ... as if we need another business).

[cmsally]

so if the economy is doing well, why are armed robberies up? more reality..........and less rainbows......well done junta, well done

Thanks for posting that. I completely agree.

The coup has made me pessimistic about Thailand's future for the first time in my life.

I go along with you Chanchao and I have been here for almost 20yrs. There's too much squabbling at the top and working out personal disputes; the population of the country not being taken into consideration. It seems like we are going in reverse to around 15+ yrs ago. On top of this what is coming out of the media is the epitome of bad journalism and a compromised press.

[Heng]

There's definitely a niche market out there for anyone with home/office security business experience and some entrepreneurial drive. Chubb, Secom, etc. all try to push setup and monitoring packages on you. What well to do locals really want are *stand alone customized systems that won't cost anything more month-to-month.

*like store/shop/office door traps like in the motion picture "Snatch" that trap criminals on premises; setting up simple panic buttons (like Chubb and Secom already do)... but without the monitoring fees... we're all armed anyway, we don't really need you to send Somchai and Somsak out here on mopeds to make sure we're okay... but we do need to alert everyone in house that there's a robbery in progress, panic rooms, cc tv setups, sniper nests, etc.

Heng you must be on the same wavelenghth as my husband. He has talked about this for the past couple of weeks saying we should do this as a new business, (er ... as if we need another business).

Yeah, I hear ya, there are plenty of things that I'd like to do as well... but don't have the time or drive for any more. I commend the Sunbelt guy for owning multiple businesses and still having the patience/spirit to work in his own taco shop.