700,000 Baht In Cash And Valuables Stolen From American’s South Pattaya Home

[mcd]

At 8.30 on Wednesday Night, Police Major Sompon from Pattaya Police Station was called to house number 388/42 at the Suksabai Villas in South Pattaya after receiving information of a theft which had taken place at the location. Arriving at the scene, Police were met by Mr. Dexter Lee Wesson aged 61 from USA. He explained that he had just returned from the Hospital where his pregnant Wife was staying.

Upon his return, he noticed the front door of the house had been forced open with what appeared to be a crowbar which had been left inside the house. The safe box inside the house had been removed which contained 35 Baht in Gold which equates to an approximate value of 370,000 Baht and 350,000 Baht in cash and a number of personal documents.

Police found a number of footprints inside the house and the crowbar has been taken into evidence and will be dusted for prints at the station. There were no witnesses which leaves Police with little to go on for now as Mr. Wesson comes to terms with the theft and the possibility he may never see the stolen items again.

http://www.pattayacitynews.net/news_05_07_50_2.htm

[midas]

At 8.30 on Wednesday Night, Police Major Sompon from Pattaya Police Station was called to house number 388/42 at the Suksabai Villas in South Pattaya after receiving information of a theft which had taken place at the location. Arriving at the scene, Police were met by Mr. Dexter Lee Wesson aged 61 from USA. He explained that he had just returned from the Hospital where his pregnant Wife was staying.

Upon his return, he noticed the front door of the house had been forced open with what appeared to be a crowbar which had been left inside the house. The safe box inside the house had been removed which contained 35 Baht in Gold which equates to an approximate value of 370,000 Baht and 350,000 Baht in cash and a number of personal documents.

Police found a number of footprints inside the house and the crowbar has been taken into evidence and will be dusted for prints at the station. There were no witnesses which leaves Police with little to go on for now as Mr. Wesson comes to terms with the theft and the possibility he may never see the stolen items again.

http://www.pattayacitynews.net/news_05_07_50_2.htm

Surely even Inspector Cluso could solve this one

how many people would know he even has a safe, where it is and that it contained such " booty "

- close friends, family members or maybe someone at the hospital where the wife

may have been talking more than she should have etc ??

[goldfish]

I don't own a safe and have rarely used them, but if I bought one you can rest assured it will bolted to the wall with expanding rawl-bolts so somchai can't just walk off with it. Am I being stupid and naive here but surely it can't be that difficult to fix them securely. Holes can be easily filled when you leave the house

[Luckydog]

Yes, of course a Safe isnt, unless it's heavilly Bolted to the wall!

And I find it hard to be sympathetic to anyone who keeps such large amounts of Gold and Cash in the House and goes out leaving the place unguarded. Not even a Dog? Come ooooooon.....

And don't think that these peeps are just targeting us rich Farangs. They steal from other poor Thais too.

In my GFs village they nick each others Fruit! And anything else they can cart away......

As I controversially said in a previous Post "Stealing is a National Pastime in LOS".

[Humphrey Bear]

Yes, of course a Safe isnt, unless it's heavilly Bolted to the wall!

And I find it hard to be sympathetic to anyone who keeps such large amounts of Gold and Cash in the House and goes out leaving the place unguarded. Not even a Dog? Come ooooooon.....

And don't think that these peeps are just targeting us rich Farangs. They steal from other poor Thais too.

In my GFs village they nick each others Fruit! And anything else they can cart away......

As I controversially said in a previous Post "Stealing is a National Pastime in LOS".

I used to nick fruit as a boy - it was called scrumping.

This again is Suksabai Villa - many thefts in the area, which is a very mixed community, dirt-poor labourers living in shacks next to (well, almost) good quality houses.

I have a dog (puppy), a maid and a CCTV set-up. Also a safe let into the floor. But we have nothing worth stealing - the money is in the bank and my wife's gold has been stolen or pawned before. I refuse to buy it at today's ridiculous prices, but I am sure I'll have to give her some on her birthday.

[joskydive]

Yes, this is Suksabai Villa again! An American friend of mine rented a house here for 1 year and had his house broken into three or four times. The last and most recent was in June where they took everything. The super large safe, by the way, would be better bolted to the floor because after trying to open the front they just turned it on its side, peeled off the back steel and just chiselled through the cement block, easy! Police came, looked busy and nothing.

Amazing how the thieves know when to come though. The first break in was when the guy went out for 1hour to watch the football on a big screen at 1am. Arrived back home at 2am and the place had been done over completely by then. Police came, nothing!

I live here too but have a lot of dogs, (better and cheaper to keep than a security guard who sleeps all the time) but it does seem to be that one particular street in Suksabai villa keeps being violated more than the rest. Horrible to think someone might be watching your house all the time though

[keenok]

who but a complete <deleted> (idiot for those who dont understand) would leave that sort of cash in the house. in south pattaya of all places !!

[pattaya_girl]

I get a feeling that this "so called" safe that was stolen may have been a small safe box (portable). I own a safe, it took three men to carry it in, its about 2 foot square, i have high gates always locked, with a good padlock, and best of all, i have 3 small but very loud dogs. Better than any alarm system or security guards. My dogs are my security guards.. if anyone tried to get my safe, they would have to lift it 6 foot over my gate..

[JimmyTheMook]

I get a feeling that this "so called" safe that was stolen may have been a small safe box (portable). I own a safe, it took three men to carry it in, its about 2 foot square, i have high gates always locked, with a good padlock, and best of all, i have 3 small but very loud dogs. Better than any alarm system or security guards. My dogs are my security guards.. if anyone tried to get my safe, they would have to lift it 6 foot over my gate..

If it is a locally purchased Thai made safe you would be very suprised how easily the back of it could be ripped open and the contents emptied, no need to lift it over and 6ft gate.

[Humphrey Bear]

If it is a locally purchased Thai made safe you would be very suprised how easily the back of it could be ripped open and the contents emptied, no need to lift it over and 6ft gate.

A small safe, built into the floor is better (or so I think) than a wall safe or free-standing box.

Mine is more for fire-proof requirements than ant-theft, but as it is well concealed, then it should seve both purposes.

There are an awful lot of dogs around Suksabai Villas - most houses have at least two. When I go to Caddy Shack with the kids, or Harley Bar on my own we seem to start them all going. This isn't much good - you want them to bark when someone enters the garden, not passing on the street.