Learned My Lesson Today

[sotsira]

Well personally wear 1bht chain, couple rings and a good watch. If you dictate how you live based on thieves then they have won.

We all have the freedom to live how we wish, but that doesn't mean being foolish by making yourself a target for a mugging, it isn't worth the risk. Don't forget that you live in a community that is surrounded with poverty you could be killed for your jewelry & watch. Are you prepared to take that chance?

When in Rome do as the Romans do!

P.S: I witnessed a farang with his Thai girlfriend get mugged by 2 Thai teenagers that pulled a gun on them, they took their gold & money and still fired their gun at them when they were making their getaway!

[libya 115]

Just five years ago, a gold chain snatch was rare in Pattaya. Times have changed. I saw after the Euro football games, the debt collectors hover, the desperate Thai men and women lose their TV sets and possessions. Gambling and drugs are out of control now in Pattaya, it will only get worse.

Wearing even a one baht chain around the neck is like dangling a wad of 1000 baht notes out your back pocket. This is Thailand, even in the U.K. 200 quid is a nice little earner for a thief on a motorcycle where crime & punishment are repaid with theatre trips and white water rafting expeditions.

Here in Thailand a necklace thief can expect a night in jail, followed by a phone call to his sister or mother to bail him out for 300 baht.

[telaksslave]

Just five years ago, a gold chain snatch was rare in Pattaya. Times have changed. I saw after the Euro football games, the debt collectors hover, the desperate Thai men and women lose their TV sets and possessions. Gambling and drugs are out of control now in Pattaya, it will only get worse.

Wearing even a one baht chain around the neck is like dangling a wad of 1000 baht notes out your back pocket. This is Thailand, even in the U.K. 200 quid is a nice little earner for a thief on a motorcycle where crime & punishment are repaid with theatre trips and white water rafting expeditions.

Here in Thailand a necklace thief can expect a night in jail, followed by a phone call to his sister or mother to bail him out for 300 baht.

r u kidding me what r u talking about quote "Just five years ago, a gold chain snatch was rare in Pattaya" BS. i agree it will get worse but ur safer here than in most cites in the world, im from a rough part of London and ive been here for 7 years, and ive never been frightened or intimidated, but i have in England, act like an idiot and you get treated like one , which is exactly like the OP did

[torrenova]

Look at the maths to see hw stupid it is to wear so much.

5 baht gold circa Bt75,000

Manual labourer in Pattaya average wage Bt5000 a month

Equivalent to 15 months wages

Labourer in UK average wage £1500 a month

Effective value of 15 month's wages = 15 * 1500 = £22,500

Now would you walk around with a chain worth £22,500 on in an area where there were people earning less than that in a year ? If you d you are mad.

[anothertorres]

just fyi... gold jewelry went out of style right around October of 1997. see what platinum or white gold can do for your disposition

[Jack Jones]

Well personally wear 1bht chain, couple rings and a good watch. If you dictate how you live based on thieves then they have won.

I have to say my 2 grand Tag stays at home when I'm in Patts. I wouldn't want that nicked and see no reason to wear it there

[crudy21]

I have to say my 2 grand Tag stays at home when I'm in Patts. I wouldn't want that nicked and see no reason to wear it there

Hehe to tell the time?

Where did you get it Mr Wongs? I got one there 6 years ago for 1100 , still going strong!

[jupiler]

just fyi... gold jewelry went out of style right around October of 1997. see what platinum or white gold can do for your disposition

Yes, gold went out of style arround '97, when the mobile phone whas introduced.

[moo9]

I think Gold is a lady thing anyway...

[GaiYaang]

Gold at almost 15000 baht per baht x 5 - 75000. Big temptation for a local, perhaps down on their luck. I never see many Thais wearing big gold these days just the odd ferang. Most people know its dumb to wear such bling!

Heard it a few time before, don't wear on the bus either. Now gold worth much more than a few years ago.

Even copper, they will take it for easy cash. Good that you are not injured.

[BerndK]

Gold is a is a chemical element with the symbol AU and the atomic number is 79.

It used to be a backing for money in almost ancient times it seems.

As far as I know the Gold that has been confiscated from the American people in 1933 has never been returned to them.

That must have been a lot of gold.

What exactly is it that makes gold so valuable?

Thai people and other people around the world think it is valuable.

It is used in dentistry, jewelry and electronics and some people hang it around their neck or put it around their finger in the shape of a ring.

I am not clear on why people think it is so valuable but they think it is.

It can't be all that rare if you can buy it in many stores.

To me it's like beanie babies.

Gold just holds it's "value" longer.

Anybody know what it can be used for besides attracting unwanted company who might want to take from you?

It doesn't have any "real" value as I can see.

I met an old Lady once who invested all the money she inherited after the death of her husband and bought "rare" beanie babies.

[mikethevigoman]

FACT, most people that are mugged/robbed have put themselves in that situation, most if not all of this can be avoided, if in a dodgy area wear no jewlrey and only a pair of shorts and a shirt with no pockets ,( you can conceal a money belt in your waist..) .if asked for a loan, say im sorry , i was just about to ask you !

[gk10002000]

I wear shorts I bought in Thailand or no-names I bought form Wal Mart. My watch cost $8 USD from Kmart. My shirts, while of the polo style are $9 specials also from Wal Mart. I look decent and reasonably neat, but am not wearing Designer Shirts or Labels of big companies. I believe in the low profile dress approach. Never wore jewelry anwyay. Probably becaues I had no money growing up and never got in the habit. As the years go by, I notice good stuff just gets lost, or stolen or decreases in value (new cars). In the States I drive my 1997 Buick Le Sabre. Cheaper insurance, not much of a target for thieves, not much of a targe by Cops as I don't look like a kid, and I don't look like someone with enough money to bother being shaken down.

I do like the post from that guy that said he wears a small baht gold necklace in case he lands in a hospital! At least he would get stabilized. Hats off to him.

[innovator]

I do like the post from that guy that said he wears a small baht gold necklace in case he lands in a hospital! At least he would get stabilized. Hats off to him.

Are you joking?? That gold chain would be removed at the accident scene by the medics or onlookers!!!

[Guderian]

I can understand you following the thieves to try and get their number plate, but it sounded like you were actually trying to catch them! Very unwise, IMHO. What would you have done if you had succeeded? They would certainly have carried knives, and quite possibly a gun.

I suggest there are two lessons here - leave your expensive jewellery at home, and in the event of such an incident get what details you can, but leave chasing young (possibly yabaheads) Thai criminals to the cops. The ending could have been much, much worse.

[thaiman]

Many Thais seem to believe that if you are "Farang" you are rich.

Very True. Don't need anymore jewelry to prove it.

[Heng]

In line with this thread, we had a break-in at my brother-in-law's townhouse on Pratumnak Hill just yesterday. Sister in law and her 7 year old son were home when they heard/saw movement downstairs. Locked themselves in the bedroom and called out that they had a gun and that they were calling the police. Sat tight and called my father in law. When the posse (4-5 family members, all armed) showed up, the would be burglar was gone. Nothing missing, but he had located a safe (with nothing in it incidentally) and had spun the tumblers.

The guy had broken some overly thin and rusted bars over a bathroom window and climbed in. Have had the crew doing welding work all day today on several houses, patching up and replacing aged metal/steel work.

[Ulysses G.]

If I wanted to I could afford a new expensive Rolex. To hang on to that Rolex would not be worth the probable problems that I might have.

I could afford a new million dollar Rolls Royce, but I don't want to. Yeah, that's the ticket!

[NoSpeakIt]

Just got back from The Strangers

I definitely want to own a gun now

[hanno]

It doesn't really matter what the value of the chain/necklace is; have you considered the fact that you might get seriously injured if the necklace doesn't snap. Snatchings used to be pretty common in Saigon here in Vietnam, and a number of people got pretty badly hurt when they were pulled right off their bikes. Having grown up in Africa, where crime tends to be a lot worse, I never wear any jewelery and have only started wearing a watch again a couple of years ago (again, most of Asia is pretty safe compared to some of the nastier parts of Africa).

[JSixpack]

If you dictate how you live based on thieves then they have won.

"A people should know when they are conquered."

--Gladiator

[oMega69]

yes showing of with much gold in a poor country isent that bright. . . i got 20 bath gold chain but dont use it so often. . could easy get killed showing that off. . but i still has 5 bath gold on my fingers that enof and 25 bath silver neckless. . im insured so i dont thinking much of it. . .

[JetsetBkk]

yes showing of with much gold in a poor country isent that bright. . . i got 20 bath gold chain but dont use it so often. . could easy get killed showing that off. . but i still has 5 bath gold on my fingers that enof and 25 bath silver neckless. . im insured so i dont thinking much of it. . .

Glad to see that telling everyone how much gold and silver crap you have isn't considered "showing off".

[Heng]

I'd wear mine around to show off, but it's all in nuggets and bars.

Edited July 26, 2008 by Heng

[gmac]

I'd wear mine around to show off, but it's all in nuggets and bars.

Hope you can remember which bars you left it in!!

[Boater]

I for one wear absolutely no jewellery with the exception of my wedding ring that even I find difficult to take off. I carry only a small amount of cash. After all that's why they invented ATM's.

I does not pay to advertise, so don't.

After living in Tenenrife for a year, and seeing all the pickpockets on a daily basis, i learnt very quick not to wear anything on visable value, even now i do not wear gold or anything of that nature....