How Safe Is Your Safe?

[goldfish]

Reading through thaivisa, and primarily the Pattaya forum, I am constantly amazed at how often I hear of safes being stolen. I don't own a safe, never have, and have only used them a couple of times. Now I may be totally wrong about this, but can't you just bolt the things to the wall? You know, drill a couple of holes in the wall and back of the safe, if it doesn't have holes already drilled, and fix it securely with a couple of rawl-bolts.

So you don't own the house you live in? No worries. When you move just loosen the bolts and remove. Fill the holes with some filler and paint over. Doesn't need to be a good job or all the other bumps and dents will stand out. May even be an idea to buy a drill and do it yourself. That way you don't need to give out the combination or listen to Somchai drilling a hole for five hours with a blunt drill bit.

Have even included a photo of a rawl-bolt, so Somchai doesn't confuse it with a rawl-plug and self-tapper.

I don't have a safe at home, but neither do I have half a million baht and loads of gold. Next time I use an hotel I shall check the safe, if it's not secure I think I will probably find another one

[Mid]

locks is for honest theives .............

daviddarling.info

[Maigo6]

Safes can sometimes be dangerous, like if someone breaks into your house, finds a safe and can't open it or take it away, they can wait for you to come home and force you to open it by whatever means neccessary, then of course you're a witness who could identify them, and so is your GF or Wife or Kids too.

Don't keep any signifigant ammount of money in a house, and don't parade around in Gold, it's asking for trouble.

Edited September 8, 2007 by Maigo6

[londonthai]

the trick is to have 2 safes - one to be stolen, with something in it but not valuable, and the second one, hidden and bolted (the best under the floor) and if possible allarmed to the home security system

[Carmine6]

the trick is to have 2 safes - one to be stolen, with something in it but not valuable, and the second one, hidden and bolted (the best under the floor) and if possible allarmed to the home security system

I was just typing up a similar answer about 2 safes.

When I travel, the big fat wallet in my back pocket is full of fake credit cards. Without that it's easy to figure out I have the genuine, thin one in my front pocket.

[lazeeboy]

Safes can sometimes be dangerous, like if someone breaks into your house, finds a safe and can't open it or take it away, they can wait for you to come home and force you to open it by whatever means neccessary, then of course you're a witness who could identify them, and so is your GF or Wife or Kids too.

Don't keep any signifigant ammount of money in a house, and don't parade around in Gold, it's asking for trouble.

here here

[Bjorn]

Get yourself a good quality safe. I've got one I bought in Dubai when I was living there and brought it with me to Thailand. The size is about 1 cubic metre with THICK Walls and HEAVY bolts. The weight of the safe is a half ton. To break in into that safe you will need dynamite.

[dave111223]

I was in Index the other day and saw this safe that used a fingerprint scanner to open it. I pointed it out to my wife and said what a cool idea it was. She said "Cool until someone cuts your finger off to open it".

I think the best idea would be to have a small safe box (to safe guard against fire) and then keep it somewhere that would be impossible to find. I highly doubt there are many thieves who would go to the trouble of ripping down all your ceilings, pulling up all the floors and smashing every single piece of furniture for the off chance that there might be a hidden safe.

[Maigo6]

Get yourself a good quality safe. I've got one I bought in Dubai when I was living there and brought it with me to Thailand. The size is about 1 cubic metre with THICK Walls and HEAVY bolts. The weight of the safe is a half ton. To break in into that safe you will need dynamite.

A simple knife at a loved ones throat will open most safes.

No need for dynamite.

[meemiathai]

the trick is to have 2 safes - one to be stolen, with something in it but not valuable, and the second one, hidden and bolted (the best under the floor) and if possible allarmed to the home security system

Install 20 safes at home and a cctv and see the reactions of the burglars!

[meemiathai]

the trick is to have 2 safes - one to be stolen, with something in it but not valuable, and the second one, hidden and bolted (the best under the floor) and if possible allarmed to the home security system

I was just typing up a similar answer about 2 safes.

When I travel, the big fat wallet in my back pocket is full of fake credit cards. Without that it's easy to figure out I have the genuine, thin one in my front pocket.

Many innocent people behind bars in Malaysia!

[Farma]

Get yourself a good quality safe. I've got one I bought in Dubai when I was living there and brought it with me to Thailand. snip

Was it made in Thailand? Most of the ones i've seen on sale in the Middle East are made in Thailand.

[Maigo6]

I'm not quite sure a safe in the house is a good idea, the more I think about it the less I like it.

To a potential thief who sees/knows you have a safe, it's a very tempting bait, you never know how a thief will come by the information that you have a safe in your house, it could be a perfectly innocent conversation that is overheard by someone else, who in turn tells someone else who tells someone else, the next thing you know.......

After all exaggerations are taken into account, you're a Farang with a huge ammount of money in a Safe, in your house!

Don't keep money in the house, no need for a safe.

If you do happen to keep money in the house, for instance in the bedroom, never ever go to the bedroom to get money to pay someone for anything, always have money in your pocket, just enough to pay of course, otherwise.... after exaggeration, you're a rich Farang that keeps loads of money in the Bedroom!

Be careful chaps, lots of bad people about.

Edited September 8, 2007 by Maigo6

[CbrLad]

I was in Index the other day and saw this safe that used a fingerprint scanner to open it. I pointed it out to my wife and said what a cool idea it was. She said "Cool until someone cuts your finger off to open it".

Most of them require that the finger be attached to a living body. The bad thing though is the theives wouldn't know that until they have cut it off. Anyway with all safes the whole idea is to slow somone down, not to stop them getting in. In fact with all physical security that is all it is there for. So yes the bolts to the wall floor are good but not fool proof. The shear weight is another as well as the lock itself.

[AlexLah]

I have this one.....

[GuestHouse]

Gripping Drama asside....

Most theft is 'opportunist' and even when there is a break in thieves will grab easy stuff before taking the trouble to steal a safe.

But thieves are not the only problem - Fire risks in Thailand are significantly higher than in the west. I have a safe where I keep a lot of important paperwork - Passports, Educational and Professional Certificates, our Wills, Car Ownership Papers, Insurance Papers etc..

Not just safe from theft and fire, but also kept in one single place, no need for 'Oh where did I leave my Passport?'.

[think_too_mut]

Gripping Drama asside....

Most theft is 'opportunist' and even when there is a break in thieves will grab easy stuff before taking the trouble to steal a safe.

But thieves are not the only problem - Fire risks in Thailand are significantly higher than in the west. I have a safe where I keep a lot of important paperwork - Passports, Educational and Professional Certificates, our Wills, Car Ownership Papers, Insurance Papers etc..

Not just safe from theft and fire, but also kept in one single place, no need for 'Oh where did I leave my Passport?'.

You could be coming from a Karl Marx's century.

All important documents and .their .doc and .jpg are already stored in various (redundant) places on the Internet.

Accessible from anywhere. At least better than if my house got burned down. A safe box would not help me much, especially if I am not there.

[GuestHouse]

I think you'll find if you turn up at the airport with a downloaded copy of your passport you'll be sent back for your real passport.

Likewise many other documents of which the orignal is required to do many of life's necessary business.

[Maigo6]

Gripping Drama asside....

Most theft is 'opportunist' and even when there is a break in thieves will grab easy stuff before taking the trouble to steal a safe.

Unless they are going into your house with the intent of robbing your safe or the contents.

Anyway, I'm quite sure you know best.

[Pundi64]

Reading through thaivisa, and primarily the Pattaya forum, I am constantly amazed at how often I hear of safes being stolen. I don't own a safe, never have, and have only used them a couple of times. Now I may be totally wrong about this, but can't you just bolt the things to the wall? You know, drill a couple of holes in the wall and back of the safe, if it doesn't have holes already drilled, and fix it securely with a couple of rawl-bolts.

So you don't own the house you live in? No worries. When you move just loosen the bolts and remove. Fill the holes with some filler and paint over. Doesn't need to be a good job or all the other bumps and dents will stand out. May even be an idea to buy a drill and do it yourself. That way you don't need to give out the combination or listen to Somchai drilling a hole for five hours with a blunt drill bit.

Have even included a photo of a rawl-bolt, so Somchai doesn't confuse it with a rawl-plug and self-tapper.

I don't have a safe at home, but neither do I have half a million baht and loads of gold. Next time I use an hotel I shall check the safe, if it's not secure I think I will probably find another one

I'll put it this way, anyone who wants to try to get our safe, will have to speak to Smith & Wesson first, this usually stops them dead in their tracks, or just "DEAD"

Our home security system = protected by Smith & Wesson