Pickpocketed on the MRT

[soi3eddie]

21 hours ago, OneMoreFarang said:

But I wonder why you would travel with all that on the Skytrain. It must be a nightmare to get it up and down the escalators or stairs. And for what? Saving 300B for a taxi or so?

Sorry to hear of the OP's misfortune. Could easily happen to anyone. 

I used the City Line last week on a busy weekday morning from airport. Travelling with a 28KG wheeled case and a carry-on wheeled case. No trouble at all taking the train and BTS. Both Phaya Thai and the local station I use have elevators from platform to concourse to street level. Just 280 metres walk from BTS to my condo. Saves over 400 Baht on taxi fare from airport, takes the same time and doesn't involve an imbecile Taxi/Bolt or Grab driver.

 

[BusyB]

1 hour ago, RuamRudy said:

 

That's the thing although mine was issued in the Netherlands, also yellow, but it's essentially the same thing.

 

The yellow WHO paper booklet.

 

The Covid apps/certs have been discontinued AFAIK but my Covid jabs are all in my yellow booklet as well.

 

Sorry to hear of your experience OP. You must have been gutted.

 

FWIW I have velcro stitched at the top of all my pockets. 

 

And another favorite pickpocket tactic I know of is pulling the emergency stop on escalators just as someone pushes past you.

Edited January 19 by BusyB

[alex8912]

17 hours ago, RuamRudy said:

 

You are right - but the first time in my 50 odd years this has happened so I guess I was getting complacent. 

As Bob Servant would say, I will learn from this...

Thanks for your post. The sky trains and MRT seem just sooo extra safe for us because they are. In Amsterdam, Barcelona or Rome you could almost guarantee a trip similar to yours would have involved a pick pocket but not in BKK.  It sounds like you put your bag on just as you exited. I think that is very common to do.  I think several of us will just keep it down by our legs , get off train and when there is space then put on. 

[BritManToo]

11 minutes ago, roo860 said:

So where do stick your wallet, up your <deleted >?

In your manbag, worn over shoulder, bag in front. In crowds always one hand holding the bag.

Edited January 19 by BritManToo

[JimTripper]

4 minutes ago, alex8912 said:

He was just getting off the train it seems it was on his other bag during transport. Please forgive him and others for their foibles. 

I wish it was that easy. Losing important things traveling in a foreign country is a big deal and "they" don't accept excuses.

[alex8912]

6 minutes ago, soi3eddie said:

Sorry to hear of the OP's misfortune. Could easily happen to anyone. 

I used the City Line last week on a busy weekday morning from airport. Travelling with a 28KG wheeled case and a carry-on wheeled case. No trouble at all taking the train and BTS. Both Phaya Thai and the local station I use have elevators from platform to concourse to street level. Just 280 metres walk from BTS to my condo. Saves over 400 Baht on taxi fare from airport, takes the same time and doesn't involve an imbecile Taxi/Bolt or Grab driver.

 

I'm a 7 min walk to Paya Thai and very healthy. I find the walk, distance ( maybe 280m seems more from Phayathai BTS to link) and just transfer in the heat pretty ridiculous. There are threads on this I believe. The taxi to paya Thai  area is more like 280/300 literally door to door. So easy and I am one of the fortunate posters to have a great clean and fine driving experience all the time. I wish some of you would post these " horrible"experiences with drivers. I'd say we would all see the reason most of the time. Anyways you saved about 5/6$!! 

[GammaGlobulin]

18 minutes ago, roo860 said:

So where do stick your wallet, up your <deleted >?

 

In my phone.

Where do you keep yours?

[alex8912]

5 minutes ago, JimTripper said:

I wish it was that easy. Losing important things traveling in a foreign country is a big deal and "they" don't accept excuses.

But you have to admit. This is completely not common in Bangkok/ Thailand. It's actually quite rare. Forget about Europe!  I almost got pick pocketed 2x in the same day in Amsterdam on the trams. I had no bags!  Literally into a side pocket!  I felt it both times luckily. 

[Adumbration]

I am lucky I guess.  I have been to 65 countries and never lost anything to thieves.

 

India was the worst of all places one million years ago.

 

On two seperate occassions at different hotels I awoke to find a thief in my room (my GF was with me also).

 

I bashed the guys senseless on both occassions.

 

I surface travelled from Australia to the UK as a kid.

 

Me and a mate were on a crowded overnight bus in Sumatra and the driver asked us to put our backpacks up on the back seat because there was not room where we were sitting.  Upon arriving at our loseman the next day we discoverd that the locked zippers on our backpacks had been prised open, and then replaced.

 

But the joke was on them because we were both dirt poor housing commission lads and our packs had nothing but underwear, towels and a few raggedy bits of clothing.  Neither of us even had a camera.  We could not afford one.  Back then I always wore a body belt with my cash and passport inside.  I was way too poor to get robbed and my worthless family could not bail me out if it did happen.

 

I have travelled with a body belt my entire life...and still do so nowadays...notwithstanding that, perhaps, I can now AFFORD to be robbed.

[Peabody]

I got off a crowded BTS some 10-12 years ago. I had been standing in the space just to the side of the door. There was an Indian/Pakistani-looking guy standing uncomfortably close to me, with his back to the door. 

I exited and, the next time I used my wallet, noticed a slit in the leather. I checked my pants and the pocket was slit in the same location, obviously done with a razor-sharp blade. Fortunately, I didn't lose anything.

Still using the same wallet!

 

[Yellowtail]

I still say, given his passport was in his shirt pocket, he probably left the wallet at immigration. 

[roo860]

2 hours ago, GammaGlobulin said:

 

In my phone.

Where do you keep yours?

Round my neck, Inside my shirt, can't be seen if I'm in a crowded area such as the Sky train, a few hundred baht in small denominations in my front pocket. If I'm in Chiang Mai my home town then  wallet in my front pocket. 

Edited January 19 by roo860

[Yellowtail]

2 hours ago, GammaGlobulin said:

 

In my phone.

Where do you keep yours?

Where do you carry your phone?

 

 

[swm59nj]

To the OP.  Unfortunately things like this happen especially in large cities.  Especially that attract tourists.  They probably viewed you as a tourist that didn’t know any better. 
It could have happened to anyone.  And the people that criticize you about it happening to you.  Well if it happened to them they would be the first to whine about it. 

[Liverpool Lou]

On 1/18/2024 at 6:56 PM, eyeman said:

Outside the MRT exit at Sukhumvit somewhere between that and soi 13 a bit further up the road there was a rough looking Thai lady sitting on the side, she had just pick-pocketed someone in my opinion, and was inspecting the treasures,  she was holding a Thai ID up to light and inspecting it, and then continued rummaging pulling out another card, and inspecting that, I was watching for a few seconds until she clocked me and thought I can't be doing with a yaba junkie at this moment a pint awaits...  It definitely happens around the MRT / BTS interchanges although this observation was Asok/Sukhumvit.

Perhaps she'd just picked it up from the street and wasn't the thief that you accuse her of being.

[Liverpool Lou]

On 1/18/2024 at 8:22 PM, johng said:

..very few go "commando"  yes of course some do

Do they?  How do you know?

[Liverpool Lou]

5 hours ago, john donson said:

On 1/18/2024 at 7:17 PM, Elkski said:

Blaming the guy for taking public transport?  I often use public to and from the airport.  Amd yes with luggage up the stairs. 

 

exactly with the taxi maffia in place, better go with bts as far you can go

"Taxi mafia" at the official taxi stand a Suvarnabhumi?   I don't think so.

[Thai Visa Member 999999]

On 1/18/2024 at 5:49 AM, RuamRudy said:

I was the victim of a pickpocket duo on the MRT last week. Although feeling very angry with myself and foolish at falling prey to them, I thought I would describe what happened so others might be more aware.

 

Firstly, although I no longer live in Bangkok, I did for a long time in the past and continue to visit regularly. I thought I was clever enough and street smart enough that I knew how to handle myself. Clearly that's not the case.

 

On the day, I had arrived at Suvarnabhumi around 5pm and took the train to Makasan then the MRT to Silom where I changed to the SkyTrain. I had a carry-on suitcase and my backpack slotted over the handles of my case.

 

As the train pulled into Silom I got up and queued behind a few people to get off. The doors opened and we moved to the exit - the guy in front of me paused as he got off the train, looking a bit confused as to which way to go. I stopped abruptly as he had blocked my exit and I recall someone 'bumping' into me from behind.

 

About 30 minutes later when I arrived at my hotel I realised that my travel wallet, which usually holds my passport, was missing from my backpack. I realised what happened - the first guy created the abrupt halt which gave the guy behind a reason to push into me and dip my backpack. 

 

Fortunately, for some miraculous reason my passport was in my shirt pocket. Usually I place it in the wallet for safe keeping but this time I simply didn't. Obviously I am very grateful for that. 

 

In fact, all they got was about $100 of unpopular currencies (Kazakh tenge, Scottish pounds and Philippines pesos) but, infuriatingly, also my vaccination passport with details of all my vaccinations. I really wish I hadn't lost that.

 

Anyway, we live and learn so I will definitely be more careful and less blasé in the future. And if you are on public transport, keep your variables safe and watch out for the pickpocket tag team.

 

Oh, and if anyone has an email address for MRT lost and found, it would be much appreciated!

 

Sorry to hear about your experience. If you are an American, I know you can get a replacement vaccination card depending on where you live. You can also get a digital card and I think Apple may allow you to load your vaccination record into your "Health" app. 

 

When flying into Thailand (or anywhere), I always wear travel pants that you can buy for $15 USD at Costco. They have so many pockets that you can zip up documents/wallets or use the velcro pockets which alerts you to bad, bad men trying to touch you in the wrong places. I use TSA-approved locks on my bag just so I reduce the risk of grabby hands wandering. I hope you get everything back if you just lost it by mistake on the MRT. ''

 

Enjoy your trip!

[bangkok19]

On 1/18/2024 at 10:08 PM, mokwit said:

Apparently you cant picpocket someone when they are moving. They have to be stationary.

Don't you watch the movies?

It can be done on the move.

[mokwit]

2 hours ago, bangkok19 said:

Don't you watch the movies?

It can be done on the move.

In the movies. Not even Peruvian pickpockets can pickpocket you on the move.  In real life tactics to get you stationary, if only for a second, are necessary. That can be as simple as someone blocking your path or staging an elaborate sow like Leicester Square pickpockets used to do - someone would be on his knees clutching at his girlfriends legs wailing "don't leave me" and people who didn't know why the show was being staged would stop to gawk letting them select the likely best targets.

 

 

Edited January 20 by mokwit

[johng]

11 hours ago, Liverpool Lou said:

Do they?  How do you know?

 

I've seen the video evidence...accidentally of course 

[it is what it is]

On 1/18/2024 at 11:32 AM, kidneyw said:

Were they Thai?

 

does it matter?

[Nemises]

On 1/18/2024 at 11:22 PM, johng said:

Isn't it illegal to go out in public without underwear in Thailand ? 

Apparently it is illegal to go out in public without underwear in Thailand. But why? Anyone know the real reason? 

 

Asking for a friend. 

[eyeman]

13 hours ago, Liverpool Lou said:

Perhaps she'd just picked it up from the street and wasn't the thief that you accuse her of being.

Perhaps - why do you care?

[johng]

1 hour ago, Nemises said:

Apparently it is illegal to go out in public without underwear in Thailand. But why? Anyone know the real reason? 

 

Asking for a friend. 

 

I believe it goes back to an long ago government dictate.

 

[Nemises]

15 minutes ago, johng said:

 

I believe it goes back to an long ago government dictate.

 

Can't read the words, but thanks anyway. (just wondering why a government would dictate such a ruling)

[georgegeorgia]

I once thought about learning how to pick pocket ,I'm not where the best countries are  to learn

Romania??

[fondue zoo]

On 1/18/2024 at 9:08 PM, mokwit said:

Apparently you cant picpocket someone when they are moving. They have to be stationary.

 

That's why I'm always dancin' on the MRT.

I also fill my pockets with mustard and strawberry jam.

[fondue zoo]

On 1/19/2024 at 7:43 PM, GammaGlobulin said:

 

In my phone.

Where do you keep yours?

 

Strapped securely to the inner thigh?

[GammaGlobulin]

2 minutes ago, fondue zoo said:

 

Strapped securely to the inner thigh?

 

You just need Bluetooth, and then you can stick your phone wherever it feels best.