Dear all,

 

Can apartment staff steal your valuable belongings by using master key to open your room while you are away?

What is your experience?

 

Thanks

5 minutes ago, topswijaya said:

Can apartment staff steal your valuable belongings by using master key to open your room while you are away?

Yes, they can, but doing so would be illegal and they should not do it.

 

Personally, I have never had anything stolen from an apartment.

I've been renting in a serviced building for nearly 20 years and never lost a thing. Theoretically, it's possible but highly unlikely.

 

Though I had a couple once next door who always locked a cover over their front door handle when out. It's the way to go if you absolutely don't want to chance an unauthorized entry.

54 minutes ago, topswijaya said:

Can apartment staff steal your valuable belongings by using master key to open your room while you are away?

Not unless they want the police involved. Strange question. 

 

Do you live in a country with no police?

Personally, if renting, as I do here in London, I would slide in a new secure lock (1-4,000 Baht). Done same in my Bangkok Condo that cannot be key copied. Keep the old lock/key and swap out when you leave. No need for insurance and enjoy total peace of mind. Simples no?

 

They can if there are criminals among them. I would take measures to hide more valuable items.

not sure about apartments but the staff wouldn't be able to get into a condo room

I have a motion/sound detection camera that I turn on for safe of mind whenever I leave my apartment for long periods. I can see the live feed from my phone and it sends a push notification when it detects lound sounds or motion. I also have my most important valuables tied down to a steel pole in a portable pacsafe. Yes I have caught staff entering with the camera unexpectedly and caught one going through my things.

Anybody can get into your apartment if he intends to steal .

I'd say 90-95% won't. Theft is relatively low and sporadic in Thailand compared to the US or the Philippines.

 

But you'd want to watch out for the 1-5% that might.

 

Most are opportunists who see something expensive sitting right out in front of their eyes, and they might decide to simply take it.

 

Theft is still possible but it's best to take precautions. A good way to deter would-be thieves is to put up a security camera sign (even if you don't actually have a camera), which you can easily order on Lazada or Shopee.

On 10/8/2022 at 2:16 AM, Sparktrader said:

Not unless they want the police involved. Strange question. 

 

Do you live in a country with no police?

In a lot of cases especially on the roads, except when collecting tea money, Thailand may as well have no police.

I don't know if it fits for your door. But I always used this. 

 

This is why I think it's important to change or add an extra door lock. The question is this may not be allowed in every condominium.

Most buildings I have stayed the office also keep a set of keys. Given how miserable and difficult some of the staff are i'm not entirely comfortable with it. If you add for example a yale elctronic lock that adds another layer of security that should keep condo staff out. They use an extra keycard and also a pin code.

I also bought a camera to switch on while i'm not home.

I think most cases nobody going to go through your room but if they get a dislike for you then maybe.

There was a case of this happening a few years ago in Pattaya except police were involved.