Farang Robs Thai Bank Of 420,000 Baht

[Steely Dan]

This will make the visa authorities over react yet again.

All the time and effort spent with Thais learning english,

He was a farang because he could speak english?

If he was on a tourist Visa could he be prosecuted for not having a work permit?

[Felt 35]

5 days gone since the robbery already and the Police have still not spotted a very short white foreigner on this huge island…

Hmm…

[meemiathai]

5 days gone since the robbery already and the Police have still not spotted a very short white foreigner on this huge island…

Hmm…

And that concludes?

[bendix]

I would like to contribute to this thread but I'm worried that, by doing so, the utter stupidity of the 'good on him' brigade will rub off on me and I'll be tainted by association.

[Ping]

I would like to contribute to this thread but I'm worried that, by doing so, the utter stupidity of the 'good on him' brigade will rub off on me and I'll be tainted by association.

Too late! (The jerks will no doubt want to claim you to their side)

Edited July 3, 2007 by Ping

[geriatrickid]

After reading so many of these petty angry posts I am of the belief that there is a crisis of constipation amongst a great many of the foreigners staying in Thailand.

For all of you pickled freeloaders from Pattaya grumbling about banking fees , get it through your heads that the Thai banks are not non-profit charities created to serve retirees on fixed incomes. The rates charged for FX and local transactions are on par, and usually less than fees charged by banks in North America and the EU. Fees charged on FX are influenced in part by the international clearing houses that in turn charge fees to the local Thai banks. If you have a complaint, take it up with the boys in striped suits in London, Geneva and New York.

Thailand is a country with limited national resources and without a colonial past that allowed it to loot the assets of other nations. As such it has had to build its infrastructure using the limited resources it had available. On the other hand, if it had the oil money of the UAE or had stripped the resources from someone else to build a nest egg, it is highly unlikely that a great many of the lager lout grade foreigners would be in Thailand today. Count your blessings.

[eljeque]

Even if Thailand did have the oil resources of the UAE, there would be an even wealthier small clique on top, and there would still be a giant dirt-poor populace on the bottom, and all of these foreigners would still be here. The few who dominate this country increasing their wealth from a few billion to several billion would in no way lead to their allowing anything to work its way down to the masses.

Look at Phuket and Pattaya. Imagine if some of the taxes from tourist revenue actually made it down to the populace or was spent wisely. The schools would be great, as would the roads and the power and water systems to say nothing of the INTERNET. These places should look like Singapore with all of the money from tourists flowing in.

...........and I do hope that the felon goes to jail for many, many years.

[Felt 35]

And that concludes?

Hmm…

[chinthee]

With a little time to burn, plenty of red notes in my pocket, and a visit to every labor camp on the island, I could find this guy in less time than it took to round up the 8 bad guys in London/Australia.

They get in deep trouble gambling. They get desperate. The Thai Sopranos money lenders threaten to make them swim with the fishes. This isn't brain surgery.

[lazeeboy]

With a little time to burn, plenty of red notes in my pocket, and a visit to every labor camp on the island, I could find this guy in less time than it took to round up the 8 bad guys in London/Australia.

They get in deep trouble gambling. They get desperate. The Thai Sopranos money lenders threaten to make them swim with the fishes. This isn't brain surgery.

well said..

[gburns57au]

Fantastic news!

Makes a change from them robbing us!!

My parents entered the land of crimes on Thursday for a 2 week break. They where fined $800 for bringing in 300 cigarettes into the county!

Keep up the good work.

Harry

The limit is 200....they broke the law....simple really....

Same as this guy who turned over the bank....he is a criminal...he held a gun to another mans head for crying out loud....he is not a hero...Now if someone got the better of a bank by using legal means, then I would salute them....but to walk into a bank with a weapon is cowardice.

Why do people here think that the law doesnt apply to them....

Break the law...pay the cost...simple really

Get real. If you have an extra 100 cigarettes and you are a real tourist, which would be obvious by looking at the passport, customs agents of most places would let you throw them away. I have taken drugs into the USA that were purchased over the counter here in thailand but you need a prescription for in the USA. I said i did not know and the customs agent let me toss them in the garbage can. Technically i broke the law. They let me slide since it was not intentional.

I think that it is not me that needs to get real....

Please define "real tourist" as against any other kind of tourist ??? and how does a passport define a "non real tourist" as against a "real tourist" Do they have a different stamp or something ???

"Technically I broke the law"......Nothing technical about it....you broke the law....the fact that you were lucky not to be prosecuted in the US has little to do with it....if the customs agent was having a bad day, you could be telling a different story.

But in reality, the in flight magazines all give details of the limits...they could have dumped the extras before reaching customs...they chose to keep the extras and see if they could get through...they didnt, so upon them it rests.

break the law...get caught...pay the cost...simple really.

[meemiathai]

Farangs are really strange. They mock and criticize a lot how lawless it is in thailand but when it comes to themselves, they do not need to abide by the law. Are there no good mirrors in the west?

[Ping]

I think if you read through the posts, Meemiathai, you will find that there are many of us who do not support illegal activity by anyone, be they Thai or farang. I could respond to you by saying that 'some people are really strange, they tend to generalise for no valid reason.'

(Edit: typo - again...)

Edited July 3, 2007 by Ping

[meemiathai]

I think if you read through the posts, Meemiathai, you will find that there are many of us who do not support illegal activity by anyone, be they Thai or farang. I could respond to you by saying that 'some people are really strange, they tend to generalise for no valid reason.'

(Edit: typo - again...)

I think the ones who did not support were thais. The ones who did were farangs.

[TAWP]

Perhaps you should invest in new glasses...

[Felt 35]

Huh… 22 years ago on a return from work in the Filipinos, I had a five-hour lay over in Bangkok before my connecting flight to Europe should leave, a few of the law abiding officers on the that time quiet and almost empty Don Mooing, demanded me to buy them cigarettes and whisky if not they would take my passport.

Today the same authorities which that time expected you to bribe them tell you to abide by the law.

A new suit, don`t change a man’s heart.

[joskydive]

Farangs are really strange. They mock and criticize a lot how lawless it is in thailand but when it comes to themselves, they do not need to abide by the law. Are there no good mirrors in the west?

There are plenty of good mirrors in the west and not all falangs are same as each other which is the same as in the Asian community. Maybe you should try to re-read all the posts with your glasses on next time, or, is it that you only see what you want to see in your prejudiced mind?

[meemiathai]

Farangs are really strange. They mock and criticize a lot how lawless it is in thailand but when it comes to themselves, they do not need to abide by the law. Are there no good mirrors in the west?

There are plenty of good mirrors in the west and not all falangs are same as each other which is the same as in the Asian community. Maybe you should try to re-read all the posts with your glasses on next time, or, is it that you only see what you want to see in your prejudiced mind?

Maybe not many farangs buy them?

At least a lot here don't.

[joskydive]

So, now you are a falang

[IAMSOBAD]

Has the bank manager turned in his cousin yet? Maybe the police are hot on the trail of the masked mystery man on the motorbike. Has anyone seen a farang wearing black pants and a long sleeve white shirt since this news came out?

I have been searching all over and all I have seen is Thai men in that type of clothing. In fact...100s of them versus 0 farang.

SORRY...BUT I SPEAK THE TRUTH FROM WHAT I HAVE SEEN.

[joskydive]

Same here. Maybe his clothes are in the laundry!

[mitrapaap]

I wish him well.

It is so rare that a farang comes out on top in Thailand.

Two things I wonder

- After seeing the picture I'm not sure whether he was farang.

- Why would he go straght into the manager's office, that is where you will find the lessest money. At the counter they have much more.

[joskydive]

I'm sure somewhere I read he was causican.

Maybe he knew the manager. I wouldn't know where to find the managers office in any shop or bank. Aren't they usually out the back somewhere?

[meemiathai]

I'm sure somewhere I read he was causican.

Maybe he knew the manager. I wouldn't know where to find the managers office in any shop or bank. Aren't they usually out the back somewhere?

Just because he went straight into the manager's office does not mean he was actually looking for it. It just happened he walked inside. I guess maybe he only knew it was the manager's office until he logged on to TV.

It is funny that people are asking why he did this did that. There are a lot of things people do on reflex action. No need to have reasons. They just do it. If he is such a well planned person he would not have been robbing a thai bank in phuket.

[joskydive]

I'm sure somewhere I read he was causican.

Maybe he knew the manager. I wouldn't know where to find the managers office in any shop or bank. Aren't they usually out the back somewhere?

Just because he went straight into the manager's office does not mean he was actually looking for it. Doesn't mean to say he wasn't too.

It just happened he walked inside. How do you know?

I guess maybe he only knew it was the manager's office until he logged on to TV.

It is funny that people are asking why he did this did that. There are a lot of things people do on reflex action. No need to have reasons. They just do it. If he is such a well planned person he would not have been robbing a thai bank in phuket.

[Ga-gai]

In carrying out the heist, the thief wore a face mask, a white long-sleeved shirt and black trousers.

Sounds like someone has some identifying marks on his arms. Tattoos maybe?

certainly possible or perhaps just white skin.... he was almost completely covered up...

Thief robbed Siam Commercial Bank in Phuket’s Karon beach and fled away with over 400,000 baht

This is a video image of a man who yesterday afternoon robbed the Siam Commercial Bank in Karon’s tourist area and got away with 420,200 Thai baht.

Police indicated that he may be a foreigner as he did not speak much during the criminal operation. The bank’s employees said that it took the robber about 2 minutes to conduct the crime.

He wore a mask and went straight into the manager’s office, threatened him with a gun which has yet to be identified if it was a fake or real one and snatched 420,000 baht and got on his motorbike with no license plate to flee the scene.

Police are still trying to reach the man with the video image captured by the bank’s CCTV as evidence. The Chalong Police superintendent Pol. Col. Chalit Kaewyarat said police will also use CCTV in 16 different locations to assist the operation while the team also talked to rental vehicle operators to get some leads.

Public are urged to report to police if they meet this man.

- Andaman News TV11

"Police indicated that he may be a foreigner as he did not speak much during the criminal operation."

Do robbers usually speak a lot under such "operations"...? Since this one didn't, he must then be a farang....

It looks like he's wearing gloves as well. Together with a long sleved shirt.

Or is this just a trick to straighten more new Visa rules for foreigners?

Or...

Maybe it's good if they straighten up the rules here, preventing guys with low assets coming here and believe they can stay here for years. Just to find out that they end up in poverty. Open up a shop just because his thai GF want a business, is also a great way to lose money. I don't know about you guys... But back in my country, one have make a survey and do some hefty calculations just to be sure that the business is doable. In this country the noodle salesman is happy if the days expenses are paid and there will be noodles left in the bucket to feed his family with for one day. Most of the businesses among average thais, are done on very small margins. This is simply not possible for a westerner in this country, since there are more expenses to him than just a bowl of rice.

...

Edited July 15, 2007 by Ga-gai

[AndrewRuang]

This will make the visa authorities over react yet again.

All the time and effort spent with Thais learning english,

He was a farang because he could speak english?

Maybe I'll go rob a bank too and speak English to the manager. After that, the police will be looking high and low for a farang and I get to enjoy my windfall. Simply assuming the robber is a farang just because he spoke English is something very very unprofessional. They are many Thais who speak good English and German and French and etc.

[mrtoad]

This will make the visa authorities over react yet again.

All the time and effort spent with Thais learning english,

He was a farang because he could speak english?

Maybe I'll go rob a bank too and speak English to the manager. After that, the police will be looking high and low for a farang and I get to enjoy my windfall. Simply assuming the robber is a farang just because he spoke English is something very very unprofessional. They are many Thais who speak good English and German and French and etc.

Is it a suprise? Didn't anyone see the professional job that the BIB did on New Years Eve. Swept up all the evidence, before it was examined. So, I wouldn't expect too much on this investigation. Far easier to attribute the blame on a minority.

[rainman]

So...did the guy ever get his annual extension? 400k Baht = 1 year marriage visa requirement

[meemiathai]

This will make the visa authorities over react yet again.

All the time and effort spent with Thais learning english,

He was a farang because he could speak english?

Maybe I'll go rob a bank too and speak English to the manager. After that, the police will be looking high and low for a farang and I get to enjoy my windfall. Simply assuming the robber is a farang just because he spoke English is something very very unprofessional. They are many Thais who speak good English and German and French and etc.

Is it a suprise? Didn't anyone see the professional job that the BIB did on New Years Eve. Swept up all the evidence, before it was examined. So, I wouldn't expect too much on this investigation. Far easier to attribute the blame on a minority.

Right! Is it a surprise? It is thai people we are talking about! Not the sophisticated farangs!

I am sure that the thai police's mind are that simple. I am sure they now are just looking for a farang only just because the robber did not speak much! They must be really stupid! Or who really is? Stupid posts maybe?