Burglary would you stay

[Suphawk]

If you lived in a house where you had a thief breakin while you were sleeping. Would you stay in that house or area or would you move?

 

Having a hard time , going between being pissed off, sad, violated etc. 

Feeling like I'm being blamed, like I brought crime to the neighborhood, but nobody knows that I live here, no other foreigners. Also this has me doubting my longtime GF of 3 years. If somehow she had a "friend" involved. Highly doubtful but these are the thoughts that can enter your mind when you are trying to make sense of a bad situation.

[Stocky]

12 minutes ago, Suphawk said:

If you lived in a house where you had a thief breakin while you were sleeping. Would you stay in that house or area or would you move?

If you're happy where you live, just identify and fix the holes in your security.

[JonnyF]

Have you considered a large dog? Something like a Rottweiler, Pitbull, Doberman. Or even a large "Thai" dog.

 

Pitbull's are a good choice (for an experienced owner) since they have a terrible reputation here in Thailand but are actually great companions, funny and easy to live with. The chances are, whoever did this knew who lived there (a farang with very few connections) and they'd also know that you now have a large dog. Tell the woman at the local mom and pop shop how strong and unhinged the dog is. Everyone in the village will hear this gossip within hours.

 

Just that knowledge alone would likely stop any future break-ins since Thais (like many people) prefer a soft target and are unlikely to try to get past a snarling Rottweiler when next door has a Shih Tzu.

[huangnon]

A few houses in our village were broken into a few years ago. The culprit was a kid (used by criminal gangs, so they can't be prosecuted apparently), who evidently from c.c. footage was pretty skillful it must be said. -Until some Thai houseowner shot him.. ????

I would improve your security features, if you know how the thief got into your house? One or two Thai dogs are great security and deterrents also.

You sound a tad pi$$ed off, but it's not your fault. Just take steps to ensure it doesn't happen again.

[RuamRudy]

I know how you feel. My apartment was broken into when I was living in Russia - I wasn't home at the time but I still experienced all the emotions you are feeling, including doubting friends and the people closest to me. 

I was angry and paranoid for weeks afterwards, but then I made a decision to forgive whoever it was who did it. I still had no idea who it was, and how they knew my apartment was empty that night, but the cloud that had been hanging over me lifted almost instantly.

I also beefed up the security of the place significantly - so a lesson learned, albeit the hard way.

[topt]

42 minutes ago, Suphawk said:

If you lived in a house where you had a thief breakin while you were sleeping. Would you stay in that house or area or would you move?

Happened to me here but I am still in the same house. I din't really have any of the feelings other than being hacked off. They caught the guy very quickly however so no idea if that made a difference.

 

32 minutes ago, Stocky said:

If you're happy where you live, just identify and fix the holes in your security.

Absolutely agree. 

[scubascuba3]

No CCTV nearby to pick up the person? apparently burglars often return a second time (UK stat).

 

As for whether the LT GF involved, depends i guess if burglar went straight to the jackpot. Not unusual for GFs to have a secret Thai BF

[simon43]

Always look sh*t poor, mentally unstable and leave your doors and windows unlocked.  That way, no-one will bother to break into your house.

 

It has worked for me for over 20 years...

[proton]

1 hour ago, JonnyF said:

Have you considered a large dog? Something like a Rottweiler, Pitbull, Doberman. Or even a large "Thai" dog.

 

Pitbull's are a good choice (for an experienced owner) since they have a terrible reputation here in Thailand but are actually great companions, funny and easy to live with. The chances are, whoever did this knew who lived there (a farang with very few connections) and they'd also know that you now have a large dog. Tell the woman at the local mom and pop shop how strong and unhinged the dog is. Everyone in the village will hear this gossip within hours.

 

Just that knowledge alone would likely stop any future break-ins since Thais (like many people) prefer a soft target and are unlikely to try to get past a snarling Rottweiler when next door has a Shih Tzu.

Pit bulls are not a good choice, they are illegal in many countries and are unpredictably violent killers, any determined burglar would kill a dog anyway, and if it was a Put Bull good riddance. 

[JonnyF]

5 minutes ago, proton said:

Pit bulls are not a good choice, they are illegal in many countries and are unpredictably violent killers, any determined burglar would kill a dog anyway, and if it was a Put Bull good riddance. 

They are a poor choice for inexperienced owners or complete ignoramuses with no knowledge of the breed. 

 

I'd suggest you avoid them, but not because you are an inexperienced owner ????.

[IvorBiggun2]

Have been burgled twice when first here. Put stainless steel grills on the inside of your doors and windows. Never a problem since.

[scorecard]

1 hour ago, RuamRudy said:

I know how you feel. My apartment was broken into when I was living in Russia - I wasn't home at the time but I still experienced all the emotions you are feeling, including doubting friends and the people closest to me. 

I was angry and paranoid for weeks afterwards, but then I made a decision to forgive whoever it was who did it. I still had no idea who it was, and how they knew my apartment was empty that night, but the cloud that had been hanging over me lifted almost instantly.

I also beefed up the security of the place significantly - so a lesson learned, albeit the hard way.

'Doubting friends' :  Over several years I had 2 not cheap cameras stolen from my room and a wallet with about 500Baht. 

 

The final item taken was one of the cameras. A week later my close farang friend from my office arrived at my apartment with his Thai GF, we had plans to go to a local inexpensive restaurant for dinner. 

 

The GF opened her bag and pulled out a camera - my camera, a very new model with new features and a scratch across the bottom of the case. 

 

I politely asked his GF if she would please go to the restaurant and get a table for 3 and we would follow a few minutes later. She agreed and left for the restaurant.

 

I challenged my work buddy about the camera and he admitted he had stolen it from my room a few days earlier. His excuse 'but I had no money to buy her a birthday gift'. I challenged him on the other items and he admitted he had stolen all of them.

 

I suggested he go to the restaurant to join his GF. I didn't go. I was shocked and hurt. It taught me a lesson to not be so quick to trust anybody. 

 

Friendship totally finished. He quickly resigned and returned to his home country in Europe.

[save the frogs]

get a safe for cash, jewellery ...

 

for other stuff like expensive cameras, ipads, laptop ... you can put them in some sort of locker / metal cabinet that locks. 

 

 

 

 

[hotandsticky]

I would move. 
 

If I thought the GF was complicit, in any way, I wouldn’t tell her I had moved.

[Reginald Prewster]

Find two decent size stray dog puppies and teach them one thing:

not to eat anything fed or thrown by strangers.

 

They give their life for you... 

[IvorBiggun2]

18 minutes ago, save the frogs said:

get a safe

Don't bother. That was the only thing that was stolen when I got burgled. Luckily it was empty. 

[OneMoreFarang]

I would try to analyze the situation:

Did the burglar take the obvious things? I.e. maybe a notebook or phone in the middle of the room?

Or was something stolen which was "hidden"? Maybe a watch in a drawer. Or some documents?

Was something expensive and in the open not stolen?

Would a casual thief, maybe a drug addict, take what was taken? Or was there more to it?

[proton]

28 minutes ago, Reginald Prewster said:

Find two decent size stray dog puppies and teach them one thing:

not to eat anything fed or thrown by strangers.

 

They give their life for you... 

Personally I would rather have the house burgled than having it stunk out with dog reek, dribble, fur and yapping.

[ross163103]

Been hit once, had security bars installed after that, don't like them but better than being robbed. They pushed up the latch on the window, never noticed how that could happen until I saw the evidence

[ChipButty]

Few years back where i Live it was rife lots of stand alone villas down the dark soi's not just Farang owned houses, I did get told the local poo yai baan's got together this has to stop, 

I haven't heard of any houses getting broken into for a while, 

The best thing to do when you look at your house think like a thief where are the weak spots that a thief would go for, we had empty land around us for years so obviously the back would be a point of entry, so I put wrought iron on the windows the back door and the upstairs windows, if you want to break in my house they would have to make a lot of noise, We have a roller shutters on the front any thief would look at my house and give it a miss find an easier job, They have improved the street lighting over the years and I leave 2 flouresant lights on the front driveway

I dont have a dog or cameras,

[newnative]

     I'm wondering what a burglar would even find to steal if he hit my and my partner's place.  We own no gold coins, gold bars, fine (or un-fine) jewelry.  A couple of odds and ends rings we used to wear that I'd be hard-pressed to locate in a pile of storage boxes.  No bitcoins.  No loose diamonds or emeralds.  No safe filled with cash--although we do have a small safe that we bought sometime ago that we haven't gotten around to getting out of the box.  No expensive watches--we wear those inexpensive sport watches that tell us how many, or in my case few, steps we take a day.  Our tvs are huge--one is 75 inches--so, hopefully, too big to easily cart off.  No Van Goghs on the walls, more's the pity.  No Giacometti or Remington table sculptures.  I guess that leaves our laptops and cell phones. . .

[Gottfrid]

3 hours ago, Suphawk said:

If you lived in a house where you had a thief breakin while you were sleeping. Would you stay in that house or area or would you move?

 

Having a hard time , going between being pissed off, sad, violated etc. 

Feeling like I'm being blamed, like I brought crime to the neighborhood, but nobody knows that I live here, no other foreigners. Also this has me doubting my longtime GF of 3 years. If somehow she had a "friend" involved. Highly doubtful but these are the thoughts that can enter your mind when you are trying to make sense of a bad situation.

Yeah, just suspect your girlfriend. I guess she would be super happy to hear your thoughts about her.

[Mavideol]

there is a saying in China that goes like  """ home is where the heart is""" the GF would not have waited 3 years

[Celsius]

3 hours ago, Suphawk said:

Feeling like I'm being blamed, like I brought crime to the neighborhood,

Why say this....

 

3 hours ago, Suphawk said:

Also this has me doubting my longtime GF of 3 years

And then this. My guess is she is the one blaming you.

[rattlesnake]

1 hour ago, IvorBiggun2 said:

  

1 hour ago, save the frogs said:

get a safe for cash, jewellery ...

Don't bother. That was the only thing that was stolen when I got burgled. Luckily it was empty. 

Bolt it to the floor and wall.

[rattlesnake]

2 hours ago, simon43 said:

Always look sh*t poor, mentally unstable and leave your doors and windows unlocked.  That way, no-one will bother to break into your house.

 

It has worked for me for over 20 years...

I grew up in a tough neighbourhood and we would never lock the car. The guys were free to have a look, see there was nothing to steal and venture elsewhere.

[Mavideol]

2 minutes ago, rattlesnake said:

I grew up in a tough neighbourhood and we would never lock the car. The guys were free to have a look, see there was nothing to steal and venture elsewhere.

if a thief wants to rob your house it doesn't matter how much or how many safety doors/windows/alarms and so forth, if they really want to rob they will find a way, surely their prefer the easier access homes/shops/cars but if they have their mind set on a place they will find a way.....

[chalawaan]

Plug the security gap if you can, and yes of course, stay. 

 

Moving is a major hassle why let the criminals beat you twice? 

 

 

[rattlesnake]

12 minutes ago, Mavideol said:

if a thief wants to rob your house it doesn't matter how much or how many safety doors/windows/alarms and so forth, if they really want to rob they will find a way, surely their prefer the easier access homes/shops/cars but if they have their mind set on a place they will find a way.....

Agreed, but for the random opportunist, there is a psychological aspect. A thief will not enter a house with the lights on, for instance. Just leave the light on behind the front door.

[xtrnuno41]

3 hours ago, JonnyF said:

Have you considered a large dog? Something like a Rottweiler, Pitbull, Doberman. Or even a large "Thai" dog.

 

Pitbull's are a good choice (for an experienced owner) since they have a terrible reputation here in Thailand but are actually great companions, funny and easy to live with. The chances are, whoever did this knew who lived there (a farang with very few connections) and they'd also know that you now have a large dog. Tell the woman at the local mom and pop shop how strong and unhinged the dog is. Everyone in the village will hear this gossip within hours.

 

Just that knowledge alone would likely stop any future break-ins since Thais (like many people) prefer a soft target and are unlikely to try to get past a snarling Rottweiler when next door has a Shih Tzu.

Maybe a Thai ridge-back