Just now, BangkokReady said:

Possibly looking for hidden safes, etc?

In the ceiling? 

3 houses empty ? Why not rent 2 of them....or let relatives stay there to keep an eye on.

We ALL know by now, living Outside of a gated community can be a recipe for exactly

this type of crime.

The lesson is don’t announce your going away and purchase some WiFi light bulbs you can put them on even if your on the other side of the world . I would of thought they would of rented out the houses rather than leave them empty .As for for 50k mountain bike must have more money than sense 

2 hours ago, RichardColeman said:

I seriously think my wife should set up a house sitting business ! Easy money.

If she does, I'll gladly join her business as a sitter.

2 hours ago, Hummin said:

And most expats have good wifes, even you would believe something else after joining this forum a year or two. 

Never met one of these 'good wives', must be the quality of the foreigners I mix with. 

Just now, mberbae said:

3 houses empty ? Why not rent 2 of them....or let relatives stay there to keep an eye on.

We ALL know by now, living Outside of a gated community can be a recipe for exactly

this type of crime.

I don’t live in a gated community but I have CCTV and the property is gated and walled plus I have buildings and property insurance . I also have a nice baseball bat next to my bed although as yet I’ve never had the need to make use of it security camera light bulls with a built in alarm are not expensive you can buy them on Lazada for around 500 baht 

6 minutes ago, HuskerDo2 said:

In the ceiling? 

Isn't every ceiling also the floor of the room above?

4 minutes ago, crazykopite said:

The lesson is don’t announce your going away and purchase some WiFi light bulbs you can put them on even if your on the other side of the world . I would of thought they would of rented out the houses rather than leave them empty .As for for 50k mountain bike must have more money than sense 

50kbht would be a mid range bike. Cheap costs 15kbht, expensive 100kbht.

5 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

Never met one of these 'good wives', must be the quality of the foreigners I mix with. 

"No true Scotsman" fallacy.  Every Thai wife is good.  If she isn't good, she isn't a real Thai wife (and it's your fault for choosing the wrong wife anyway). ????

30 minutes ago, steven100 said:

Good morning  .. I was up at 3.40am as most mornings

Agreed

Sun - Up is the time to be awake

2 minutes ago, crazykopite said:

I don’t live in a gated community but I have CCTV and the property is gated and walled plus I have buildings and property insurance . I also have a nice baseball bat next to my bed although as yet I’ve never had the need to make use of it security camera light bulls with a built in alarm are not expensive you can buy them on Lazada for around 500 baht 

I have a detached house, but inside a resort, which isn't gated. I have 4 CCTV cameras which all have motion detect enabled. I get snapshots emailed to me whenever the motion detect is tripped. But so what? I'm 300k away. If I see somebody on camera having it away on their toes with a TV on his shoulder, what am I going to do? I also live on an island. I've lost a load of items from my storage under the house, or from around the outside of the house, mostly to workers. Never found out who, where or when.

 

Houses are for the most part, a liability. People get confused and like to think of them as an asset. Unless you're renting out, they just cost you. And as for starting up a property management company? Yeah, an early grave is waiting for you.

Again failing RTP, even when the neighbours reports things they don't do anything as it is not the owner. Neighbours too usually don't do anything as it is non of their business...And take someone in house... Who can you trust in Thailand to stay in your house??  I know examples of people who had someon in their house and came back in a mess with things missing, so not the best idea too... and security is not trustworthy too.... Foreigners work hard to get a good life and in Thailand a lot people don't do anything but come to steal and rob because they want wealth and luxury too.. It is sad but o so true

4 hours ago, Phnom Penh Trader said:

Apparently the maid is driving around in a Toyota Camry these days? 

Strange that she left 5 months ago, same time as the owner left.

Now for the big question. Was he insured? Inside job? Sounds like angry relatives that weren't getting there monthly sack of rice. It was personal!

8 minutes ago, BangkokReady said:

(and it's your fault for choosing the wrong wife anyway).

Every wife is the wrong wife. 

This rule doesn't apply if you're with someone else's wife. 

10 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

Never met one of these 'good wives', must be the quality of the foreigners I mix with. 

There is a well know fact some people are attracted to one specific type of humans, and never change environment or pattern. And it goes both ways between the sexes. 
 

Some women always go for the bad guys, and I guess some gus have the same pattern. I cant say I ever met any woman worse than me, rather equally balanced between good and bad, but I have managed to get the worst out of my partner and visa versa and the relationship turned toxic. However I always managed to square up with everyone, except one I have not seen or been in contact with since we moved away from each other. 
 

The main thing is to evaluate and learn, and be interested and willing to do so. If not stay status Q

3 hours ago, harrycallahan said:

The headline made me think he had real estate taken from him. Wouldn't be the first. 

It’s already in his wife’s name… so that happened long ago ;-)

3 minutes ago, ikke1959 said:

Again failing RTP, even when the neighbours reports things they don't do anything as it is not the owner. Neighbours too usually don't do anything as it is non of their business...And take someone in house... Who can you trust in Thailand to stay in your house??  I know examples of people who had someon in their house and came back in a mess with things missing, so not the best idea too... and security is not trustworthy too.... Foreigners work hard to get a good life and in Thailand a lot people don't do anything but come to steal and rob because they want wealth and luxury too.. It is sad but o so true

It's true. Foreigners are viewed as fair game, no doubt about that. Take one for 5k? Trebles all round. Thai loves Thai, except when they're robbing each other, it has to be said.

3 hours ago, VinnieK said:

Looks like an inside job.

..and who tf buys 3 houses in someone else's name?

Idiot award of the year.

You clearly have either a very limited imagination or intelligence.  Quite often husbands buy houses, record the ownership in their Thai Wife's name, to make the ownership legal and then run the additional houses as a little letting business. The big mistake was trusting the maid to stay and take care of the properties.  Personally I would invite a trusted friend to take care of the property and would be happy to pay a small stipend for doing so.  Perhaps they did so with the maid who then betrayed them by leaving, or was threatened by the theives?

Seems as though he needs, and can afford a decent security system...

Now you have nothing- your Thai wife might leave you a well. (They're funny that way)

5 hours ago, findlay13 said:

My mate got robbed many years ago in Sattahip.He was away for a couple of weeks and when he returned he found his house burgled.The neighbours who knew he was away said they'd "heard noises" but "didn't do anything"

 

Perfectly normal in Thailand. If it doesn't directly concern them then they aren't interested.

6 hours ago, webfact said:

Two male burglars on a motorbike were seen coming back and forth from the houses and taking many possessions away, said the victim’s relative and witness Ms. Montha Sukkong.

Seen but not stopped?

 

Quote

 

The three wooden houses had two stories and sat relatively far from the populous areas on Koh Samui, Michael told local media. several of his possessions were stolen, such as one mountain bike worth 50,000 baht, four air conditioners worth 80,000 baht, four leather sofas worth 120,000 baht, one television worth 30,000 baht, and much more.

 

Additionally, the houses were destroyed, with punctured ceilings and walls, and trash everywhere. The total damages exceeded three million baht, according to Michael.

Two male burglars on a motorbike were seen coming back and forth from the houses and taking many possessions away, said the victim’s relative and witness Ms. Montha Sukkong. The houses were usually taken care of by a maid, but she left five months ago.

 

Whenever a residence that is far from a populous area and is also unoccupied it's just screaming, "Come burglarize me, please!!!"   

 

The maid having left five months ago doesn't necessarily mean the maid was involved as the maid may have just wanted to move to another location/job (people in these types of jobs change jobs/quit all the time), the home owners were not paying her on-time/enough, etc.  

 

Toss-in an all too typical witnesses/neighbors'  attitude of "Not wanting to get involved" and it makes it easy pickings for any burglar.   

 

Now the destruction within the house such as punctured ceilings, walls, and trash everywhere could indicate someone had a grudge against owners and/or the burglars where just high on drugs.

 

Yea, this house was just screaming, "Come burglarize me, please!!!!"

Now I think about it, wasn't there a similar case not so long ago where burglars stripped a whole row of partly built units. Wasn't it on Samui too? Where does all this stuff end up?

Two male burglars on a motorbike were seen coming back and forth from the houses and taking many possessions away, said the victim’s relative and witness Ms. Montha Sukkong. 

 

This is some relative. Did she not think it was appropriate to tell anyone, or do anything? Really? Is that all she has got to offer? 

Perhaps investigate the maid and her kinship a bit.

5 hours ago, VinnieK said:

Looks like an inside job.

..and who tf buys 3 houses in someone else's name?

Idiot award of the year.

It is his wife! 

 

 

The guy has lots of time to clean up, refurbish and repair his houses so they will be ready for his next trip during which the thieves will return.

6 hours ago, findlay13 said:

My mate got robbed many years ago in Sattahip.He was away for a couple of weeks and when he returned he found his house burgled.The neighbours who knew he was away said they'd "heard noises" but "didn't do anything"

 

They Never Do, Thai's DO NOT Like to get in Confrontation !!