Midnight Bus Ride From Khao San Road

[SamuiWatch]

Are some Thais lowlife crooks? Yes of course, like some Brits, Yanks, Kiwis and Ozzies are lowlife crooks. Are some Thais extremely honest? Yes obviously - as are many other nationalities too. Here's a thread that will hopefully give you some food for thought and might run for a couple of good posts containing similar experiences of your own:

Last April I was travelling on the Super VIP bus from Khao San Road to Samui. When we got off the bus, the dawn was just breaking, and a dejected and sleepy German guy walked up to me complaining that he had had 6000 THB taken from his wallet while he was asleep on the overnight journey. Well, he wasn't particularly accusing me but he did mention that some Thai blokes were huddled asleep just underneath his seat in the luggage compartment area beside the driver - as they do sometimes - probably friends or relatives of the driver - who knows? Anyway I asked him if he had complained to the manager at the way station because they should be insured against theft of passenger's luggage etc but he said no - he'd just let it pass. But I said he should complain because suspicion could now fall on anyone - including the friends he was travelling with as well as all the other passengers - including myself. But this guy for some reason was very reluctant to make a complaint so I had to virtually drag him into the manager's little office. Well, blow me down if the manager didn't storm up to the driver of the bus and told him to turn his pockets out! Then he confiscated exactly 6000 THB from the bewildered driver's wallet and gave it to the German bloke - just like that! Some farang would call that a great injustice and indeed it was - because the driver could never have stolen it - as he was driving a flipping great bus all night! When I asked the manager why he had done that he just said "It's his bus and therefore he's responsible and we Thais do not like to see farang robbed." That was that - end of subject - he just carried on checking the passengers ferry tickets as though nothing unusual had happened. Can you imagine such a thing like that happening back home?

To this day I don't know whether I did the right thing to help that guy get his money back or whether I should have kept my big nose out of it altogether. One thing I do know is that he never came up to me and say thanks for helping him although he clearly knew I was anxious to hear of his relief at such an incredibly swift turn of events. He just scarpered as fast as his legs would carry him with a big fat grin on his face - he never even looked back. You live and learn they say - but do we? What would you have done? We just don't know until the event is upon us. BTW some of my best friends are Germans so I'm not looking at this from a racial angle - it just makes you wonder though - did he lose that money in the first place? How many times have we woken up from a night on the tiles and checked our wallets and found it contained less than we thought was in it. Then, when we try to concentrate and recall the night's events and do some counting we find we just spent it after all. Aah well, just another day in paradise.

[madjbs]

So the bus driver also had 6000 baht taken from him! A months salary for him, unless I was sure he was in on it or was the one who had stolen the money I wouldnt have taken the money from him.

[JimmyTheMook]

Last April I was travelling on the Super VIP bus from Khao San Road to Samui.

I think the jist of this post is summed up in the above sentence.

[Robski]

You're an idiot, I hope you have sleepless nights about this poor bus driver losing his money because of you.

Instead of whinging to us in the hope that we might justify you're actions, why don't you make the effort to re-imburse the bus driver, jeeez some people!

[JetsetBkk]

Last April I was travelling on the Super VIP bus from Khao San Road to Samui.

I think the jist of this post is summed up in the above sentence.

Not sure what you mean, but there is a ferry at the end of the road trip.

Back to the OP, it seems a bit harsh to blame the driver, but maybe it was his mates who did the stealing. Even so, that's a lot of money for a bus driver to have taken from him.

[tropo]

You're an idiot, I hope you have sleepless nights about this poor bus driver losing his money because of you.

Instead of whinging to us in the hope that we might justify you're actions, why don't you make the effort to re-imburse the bus driver, jeeez some people!

Flaming again Mr. Robski as usual, can't help yourself.

Why did the bus driver happen to have 6000 baht in his pocket?

Would a Thai bus driver be carrying around that much cash?

This has all the markings of a perfect scam. If someone complains, give it back and everyone's smiling. If no one complains, then the team is a lot richer.

Edited August 19, 2007 by tropo

[Robski]

Boo hoo Tropo, you're an idiot too! haha. it's a troll post anyway, it's sunday.

Why did the bus driver have 6000 baht (£100) in his pocket? what a question, er perhaps to buy fuel, maybe to pay the bills or perhaps because it was his money for gambling and lo kao, don't make him a suspect though eh?

I'm bored too so let's have an argument over stereotypes thanks to the OP.

Edited August 19, 2007 by Robski

[endure]

As always, holidays are available for those unable to differentiate between Thaivisa and a school playground

[tropo]

Boo hoo Tropo, you're an idiot too! haha.

Why did the bus driver have 6000 baht (£100) in his pocket? what a question, er perhaps to buy fuel, maybe to pay the bills or perhaps because it was his money for gambling and lo kao, don't make him a suspect though eh?

Come on Robski, prove you're not an idiot and think about it.

The speed at which he made the refund was highly irregular as well as the fact he happened to have that much cash on hand. Even the manager's excuse that they were super concerned about any farangs being robbed seemed off.

To suggest that the manager would take away fuel money is not too bright either.

As the OP suggested, everyone on the bus was a suspect eh?

Sorry Endure, I was typing this at the same time you issued a holiday warning.

Edited August 19, 2007 by tropo

[Robski]

Hook, line and sinker...... carry on Miss Marple :lol;

[Solosiam]

Probably about a months salary for the bus driver just sitting in his pocket, Personally i've never met any Thai who carries more than a thousand baht around with them.

[madjbs]

You really havnt met many Thais then!

[londonthai]

the original poster is just writing a chapter to his book or an article to some anglish paper about travelling in thailand and wants us to improve his literary skills.

why does he has a vigilantes handle?

why he writes about an event which happened some 5 months ago?

why does he mention the travellers country of origin and even later talks about the race - if not to hook some naive people into reading and believing his unbelievable stories?

why the guy approched the OP and not his own friends or anybody on the bus or even the police?

why did the OP draged the guy to the office - and not ignored a drunkard?

why the office manager opproached the driver, who was behind the weels all the time, and not the other driver or the other thais on the bus?

how was possible for anybody staing in the luggage compartment downstairs to walk upstairs and to take money off the wallet and put the wallet back without waking the guy and not being seen by anybody else on the bus?

Most probably the same poster was writing here on the forum stories - back at the beginning of the year - how he heard about people being gassed and robbed by the driver in the very Khaosan-Samui night bus. All is literary fiction.

[JimsKnight]

You could be right London, but who knows?

[Solosiam]

You really havnt met many Thais then!

So how many Thais on the street do you think would carry 6k baht around with them in their pocket - Bus drivers, mind. Don't think it would be many, I personally don't carry that sort of money around myself, why would you?

[DP25]

how was possible for anybody staing in the luggage compartment downstairs to walk upstairs and to take money off the wallet and put the wallet back without waking the guy and not being seen by anybody else on the bus?

Not only that, why would they bother? If there were thieves on the bus, they'd take something from the luggage compartment. They wouldn't take the chance trying to pick someones pocket as it's too risky.

Most probably the same poster was writing here on the forum stories - back at the beginning of the year - how he heard about people being gassed and robbed by the driver in the very Khaosan-Samui night bus. All is literary fiction.

You here these stories about people being gassed and robbed on trains and buses all over the world. I remember hearing them about trains in Italy and Spain a couple years ago while travelling there. They're all urban myths. This story sounds like it might be one too.

[cdnvic]

I think this one has all the makings of a complete and utter fabrication.

Nice try though

[JetsetBkk]

You here these stories about people being gassed and robbed on trains and buses all over the world.

Yes, and waking up in an ice bath with a kidney missing.

http://www.snopes.com/horrors/robbery/kidney.asp

[Lancelot]

I think this one has all the makings of a complete and utter fabrication.

Nice try though

On the other hand, maybe this thread will take you to 11,000 posts

Edited August 19, 2007 by Lancelot

[Briggsy]

Last April I was travelling on the Super VIP bus from Khao San Road to Samui.

I think the jist of this post is summed up in the above sentence.

Spot on, Jimmy.

[Jimjim]

You here these stories about people being gassed and robbed on trains and buses all over the world. I remember hearing them about trains in Italy and Spain a couple years ago while travelling there. They're all urban myths. This story sounds like it might be one too.

Wrong. It does happen. Not necessarily a lot. But people being robbed on trains in Spain by thieves using gas certainly happens. This story doesn't sound like an urban myth because it actually happened to the OP. So, yeah. You all might be cynics about something that doesn't fit in your preconceived worldviews, but I'd say that's your own problem.

[cdnvic]

Wrong. It does happen. Not necessarily a lot. But people being robbed on trains in Spain by thieves using gas certainly happens. This story doesn't sound like an urban myth because it actually happened to the OP. So, yeah. You all might be cynics about something that doesn't fit in your preconceived worldviews, but I'd say that's your own problem.

So what if we think the OP is making it up? The whole thing rings false.

[siamamerican]

Many posts lately about dishonest Thais. How about some stories about not being taken advantage of by Thais.

Last year after arriving at the airport at 1am, I caught a cab to the street side bars that open after the bars close. It was a few blocks from Nana Plaza(spelling?). Some Russians invited me to drink vodka with them. I remember having a good time up until the point I blacked-out. I don't know what I was thinking, considering that I had my work laptop and 40k baht in my wallet.

I woke-up the next morning in a panic. After getting my bearings, I noticed my laptop, mobile phone, passport, and wallet on the other bed. I had roughly 36k left in my wallet. I'm sure the hotel room and my portion of the tab was 4k.

I went to the hotel front desk and sheepishly asked how I got there. They told me a Thai girl checked me in and brought me to my room. I had no recollection of a girl and never was able to thank her.

I think this is probably the most idiotic thing I've ever done, but an honest Thai saved my arse. This isn't the 1st time a Thai has bailed me out of bad situation (the other time I was just in the wrong place at the wrong time ). Don't worry I won't waste your time with another pathetic story.

[Jimjim]

I really don't see how it rings false. I think the story doesn't ring false, merely some members are too cynical. I've seen stranger things in real life, for goodness' sake.

Edited August 20, 2007 by Jimjim

[Jet Gorgon]

Workers tried to rob me on that bus excursion once. A Thai helper was squirming around on the floor -- funny, he was "sleeping" in the aisle up a few seats from me and then I woke up again and he was sleeping under my seat. I checked my bag and behold! my wallet was missing. I woke up the guy sitting next to me and started questioning the Thai man, who said he would help me find it. Ya, it was under his blanket and he put it down on the floor while we were "looking" and then he "found" it for me. Funny, I had my wallet in my bag when we left the food stop, so I guess it just did a walk-about when we got back on the bus. Not. This scam happens all the time on those bus runs. Always took the sleeper train after that, and never had a prob.

[Jimjim]

So, Jet adds a corroborating story that happened to her, personally. Is it that unbelievable then? I think not. I do think, though, that it's not necessarily rampant and common. However, the original story would be best termed as unique rather than false.

[Etrigan]

What's the point of the story again?

<yawn loudly>

[siamamerican]

What's the point of the story again?

<yawn loudly>

If you're referring to the OP, I think he wants confirmation that he did the right thing. I think he made the right choice. Not sure if justice was served. Not too much more boring than the story of being short changed 5 baht at McDs.

Do you have something interesting to post? I know this doesn't rival your popular "Danger of Ticks" post.

[KireB]

I had my luggage stolen once from the Bangkok Phuket bus. I put it in the storage compartmet under the bus and within 10 seconds it was gone. Someone took it out from the other side. Sad but true. Be very careful on the tourist track. Not just here, but everywhere in this world.

[Maigo6]

Many posts lately about dishonest Thais. How about some stories about not being taken advantage of by Thais.

Siam, it's the norm here, Thai bashing is acceptable, but Farang bashing is certainly frowned upon.

I try to even up the playing field somewhat by bashing Farangs, but it's like pizzin' in the wind.

Such is Forum life.