Robbed On A Baht Bus By A Family Gang Of Homely Females!

[Jingthing]

I didn't mention this before because it is kind of implied, but another reason beyond my selfish desire to get my stuff back that I did try to get these gals arrested was because they deserved to be arrested, and if they were robbing me so expertly, I knew they had robbed many others, and are likely out there doing it again today. BTW, I did kind of presume that the police would have known this gang, not sure if that assumption is correct or how efficient they are at checking names against records. So, is it really true that no matter how many times such people are arrested, they can always get let go for 1000 baht?

Edited May 16, 2009 by Jingthing

[Jingthing]

I like that you called them "Homely"

Trust me, calling them homely is the POLITE way of putting it. In the context of Pattaya economics, that detail is somewhat relevant as their looks would make plying the beach road trade unproductive.

Edited May 16, 2009 by Jingthing

[yongli]

Hi Jingthing,

thank u very much for sharing. U did get me concerned, and I will hopefully be alert and prepared, when the time comes!

Reading the follow up stories, I even consider not taking Baht busses at all.

Edited May 16, 2009 by yongli

[Jingthing]

I think they are usually OK, but people might consider just getting off if a gang of suspected crims gets on. Too bad you have to pay the fare though in such cases, but you do.

[mamanoodle]

A while ago when reading the Pattaya Today newspaper, a bi-monthly publication, I read about a female pickpocket caught and being charged at soi 9, the name given sounded familiar so checked the two week previous issue where, surprise surprise the same female caught pickpocketting reported in that issue, she was denying the 2nd charge but as was known to police they charged her anyway. So in the space of less than a month she got caught twice.

Also heard recently from an acqauintance a few of these females boarded the bus these two guys were on but immediately sussed out what was about to happen and protected their wallets, a driver of baht bus number 343 behind toots at the girls and indicates to them he has 4 falangs on his bus, so they get off to board the other vehicle, definitely involvement by the driver in this case. This has been reported to the police and also city hall, but TiT so who knows what if anything will happen.

[Jingthing]

Yes, if nothing else aside from being even MORE aware (I was already aware) I hope people take a closer look at the possibility that many drivers may be in on the game. That possibility was totally new to me, one reason I didn't think about it until AFTER the incident.

Edited May 16, 2009 by Jingthing

[Jingthing]

No fights please. Please direct your aggression to the organized criminals ...

[TomBrown]

6. Particular spots on main taxi routes have pick pockets waiting for the best opportunity on a taxi to come along. I'll use the example at the corner of 2nd Road and Soi 3 I think (opposite the Big C North Pattaya). This soi allows the taxis to drive back down to beach road without going all the way up to the dolphin roundabout. So at this corner there are bars on one side and food stall with some seats on the other. This is where some will wait until they see the best opportunity, where usually the taxis stop for a moment for more customers. Once on, the pickpockets assess the situation going down the soi towards beach road, whilst on beach road you'd probably be too distracted to realise they picking your pocket. With or without your wallet, they usually get off at Klang and possibly do the same routine again. If it works, why change it. Another one is at the corner of Pattaya Tai and Soi Buakhao where the market and some food stalls are, again the taxis usually stop for a moment for customers.

Correction; Its Soi 2 on 2nd Road / Beach Road, not Soi 3.

Edited May 16, 2009 by TomBrown

[cobra]

... HOW WRONG I WAS ...

... purse which contained quite a few coins ...

... She then starts opening her bag which was HUGE and almost entirely EMPTY ... friend starts opening her bag...

... she is calling the police but to me it is clearly a FAKE PHONE CALL....

... I strongly suspect the baht bus driver was involved (but this is thinking about it later). By now we are on 2nd past Boyztown...

... Anyway, I don't pretend that I handled this very well.

The real issue isn't whether you were pick-pocketed or not, but that you let a bad situation possibly escalate into some more,

over a few coins.

The fact that the accused and others allowed you to examine their bags (which you declined) and wanted to go to the police to straighten it out, doesn't sound like some super pro gang you allude to.

It does sound like a Thai stranger you accused in public of robbing you, lost face, got angry, called police, etc.

It's one thing to be robbed at knife point,

it's another altogether of accusing someone over something of little value that is not on your person any longer,

TIT, don't make a bad situation worse,

Edited May 16, 2009 by cobra

[Jingthing]

They did not call the police.

I am 99 percent sure they were guilty.

I am sure they are a pro gang.

Otherwise what a rude nasty post.

I am sure it was fun for you.

People like you intimidate others from telling experiences that can help others here. I never said I was perfect or that I handled it brilliantly but for you to suggest that they are not thieves is basically a troll.

Edited May 16, 2009 by Jingthing

[Lost in LOS]

They did not call the police.

I am 99 percent sure they were guilty.

I am sure they are a pro gang.

Otherwise what a rude nasty post.

I am sure it was fun for you.

People like you intimidate others from telling experiences that can help others here. I never said I was perfect or that I handled it brilliantly but for you to suggest that they are not thieves is basically a troll.

oh my 99% how can you not be 100%, they robbed you or they didnt. if you are not sure best leave it alone.....guilty until proven innocent?

[Jingthing]

LOSTINLOS: oh my 99% how can you not be 100%, they robbed you or they didnt. if you are not sure best leave it alone.....guilty until proven innocent?

You're kidding right? I did try to find a cop. Obviously I am not a court of law and saying 100 percent would be pushing it in this case but honestly 99 percent is not. I have repeatedly said this was a petty crime in my case which may or may not have become more serious largely because of some mistakes on my part (trying to get them busted basically), but the way some nasty people here try to attack the crime victim makes it very understandable why so many people in the world are too afraid to report even major crimes.

Maybe I did not provide enough detail about the actual crime:

I felt the purse in my pocket. Then took my hand away (mistake).

The lady to my right was manipulating her bag repeatedly near my right leg. It was such a big bag that it was actually covering part of my leg so I COULD NOT SEE THE AREA. At one point I felt something rather funny in my pocket, it was light and subtle because she was very skilled. I wasn't sure yet that the purse was missing. Then I felt my pocket again. Its gone. What would any reasonable person think then? Not asking the Mr. Nasties.

BTW, next time you are a crime victim, please post here so that people like you can pick you apart and insult you.

COBRA:.over a few coins.

Just a correction here, not important because the loss was petty nonetheless, the purse (a very nice substantial leather one) was actually chock full of coins, by no means a "few" coins. I never said the word "few" but that is how one of the Mr. Nasties characterized it, shows you his general frame of mind when writing his flamola. I actually cared much more about the coin purse than the coins, it was the best one I ever had and very hard to find another one like it again (don't cry for me).

Edited May 17, 2009 by Jingthing

[MayBeLater]

Bad luck Jingie. Good you already knew you should always have only small change in accesable places, in this way you minimized your loss. Next time: always hand in pocket on wallet when in crowded places. I have been in a simular situation before, bag on my lap from people I didn't trust, I just moved to bag back and waved with my hand between me and them so they understood I wanted space there. Sometimes its ok to use your 'me no understand Thai culture' attitude, let them loose face.

I would have been infuriated also, but next time don't even consider going to the police, your in Thailand, a country where the majority of people despise farang, the outcome will seldom satisfy you. Save yourself that anger.

Good Luck Jingie.

MBL

P.S. That the Baht bus driver didn't make you pay the fare makes me wonder, I have never seen a Thai not asking for his money, never ever.

Edited May 17, 2009 by MayBeLater

[yongli]

The real issue isn't whether you were pick-pocketed or not, but that you let a bad situation possibly escalate into some more,

over a few coins.

The fact that the accused and others allowed you to examine their bags (which you declined) and wanted to go to the police to straighten it out, doesn't sound like some super pro gang you allude to.

It does sound like a Thai stranger you accused in public of robbing you, lost face, got angry, called police, etc.

It's one thing to be robbed at knife point,

it's another altogether of accusing someone over something of little value that is not on your person any longer,

TIT, don't make a bad situation worse,

@Cobra,

as far as I am concerned, Jing Thing has shown courage in confronting them.

This, IMO, has nothing todo with a few coins, but rather: If you don't confront a thief, when the situation is obvious to you - you make his/her life too easy and even encourage him/her to become even bolder in the future.

In the Chinese city I used to live, many Chinese people do not warn the (Chinese) victim of "pickpocketing in progress", because they are afraid of attracting the anger of the pickpocket and a potential knifing. That is how thiefs want us to be.

Cobra, I understand your reasoning to some extend, and maybe I would keep quiet, to avoid putting myself in a danger, but I am glad, Jing Thing is reporting his story. Difficult to act perfectly, after being robbed.

How it did play out in a another case:

My former girl friend (Chinese) got pick pocketed on a public bus in China, packed with people. She was sure (I guess 99%), who the thief was and confronted him by saying: Give me back my mobile. He denied the theft, of course. Then, being a local she shouted through the bus in local dialect, that she had just been robbed. The bus driver, also being a local, stopped the bus and kept the doors locked. He announced, the police was about to be called. Surprisingly (or not), all of a sudden, her mobile dropped down to the floor (not far from her). She picked it up and shouted through the bus, that she recovered her mobile. Driver started to drive again.

I am sure this incidence did not encourage the pick pocket. He míght do it again but, he will be a bit more scared. ;-)

I am of course aware, that u can't close the doors on a Baht bus.

Edited May 17, 2009 by yongli

[rafval]

of course they did it, they arent going to offer to let you look in their bags if they were innocent

[dogleg]

I dont know why anyone would use a regular wallet around here. In any airport you can get a canvas wallet to be worn inside your shorts/jeans except for the strong loop that your belt goes through. No chance of being picked or losing it (in public) as it it attached to your belt all the time.

I carry small notes/coins seperately, and if they are good/deperate enough, they are welcome to those, but they wont get my real money, card or ID.

[Jingthing]

I did have my wallet with me but it was in my left pocket, and as I was sitting on the back end seat of the bus, there was no pick pocketress on that side of me, lucky me. I guess that is another damage control thing you can do, sit on an end and keep the less valuable stuff next to people, and the more valuable stuff away from people. This time, it was not intentional, only luck. Of course they would have been much happier to lift my wallet in which case they would have scored over 3K baht. I understand not carrying a wallet, but I live here and want to live as normal a life as possible here. I have always carried a wallet and I don't want to be intimidated into not carrying one.

BTW, if you are going to have trouble entering your home without a key, you might want to consider copying my paranoid measure, carrying TWO sets of keys. They only got one. Sometimes you are not being paranoid, you are being smart.

To repeat again, I am SURE they were thieves, and I am sure that if any of you had experienced what I did with them YOU WOULD TOO. If I wasn't very sure they were guilty,why would I have taken the risks I did to try to find a cop to arrest them? Do you imagine I am the type to go around making unfounded accusations against rough locals? Think again.

So I am OK ignoring the ruder posters. I don't even understand where they are coming from, unless it is personal dislike of me, which is OK, don't really care if everyone likes me. Or perhaps they are amateur defensive attorneys. Cheers.

BTW, thanks again for the mostly informative and civil feedback, don't mean to focus on the angry ones.

P.S. That the Baht bus driver didn't make you pay the fare makes me wonder, I have never seen a Thai not asking for his money, never ever.

It is rare indeed, but not unheard of.

Edited May 17, 2009 by Jingthing

[Jingthing]

Back to the incident.

Let's play it out another way. Let's say I did manage to see a cop on second road before they turned, waved him down, and there we were.

What would have gone down?

All four were "related' and I would explain that I thought ONE of them had the item and also accusing the one lady I am sure did the original deed.

What would the officer do? Take us all to the station? Body search all four on the spot? Would the fact that the value was small mean a less serious response? What if he had done all that and not found the item? Now I have no doubt they stole my item, but for all I know one of them stuck it up her ample hoohah, know what I mean? Would I have been in trouble if nothing was found?

Edited May 17, 2009 by Jingthing

[britmaveric]

I move to the back of the baht bus in that scenario described. The cab wall protects one side of me and I think I can handle one pocket. I had a group like you described get on a baht bus on beach road when I was with a mate of mine. I motioned my mate to go to the back of the baht bus like I did. He did so because he got a bad vibe about this lot. The baht bus goes 100ft and they all buzz to get off. Prob realized we knew what they were up to - think they lost 30bht on this attempt.

[Jingthing]

He did so because he got a bad vibe about this lot.

Yes, I suspected them the moment I saw them coming. You'd have to be drunk or blind not to. Remember there was a (smarter than me) foreigner who actually offered his seat to one of them; I do believe it was not out of the goodness of his heart.

Edited May 17, 2009 by Jingthing

[cobra]

... Do you imagine I am the type to go around making unfounded accusations against rough locals? ...

We don't have to imagine anything, it's in your numerous posts, so since you asked lets recap:

Just a few from your previous posts:

There was the art shop where the proprietor/salesman wouldn't let you use his pencil, it escalated into a heated argument.

And there was another baht buss drama that resulted in the driver being so infuriated with you he ejected you off in the middle of traffic, basically you were insulting him in public, etc,

Then the ruckus over the discount coupon at the the fish place,

No one is attacking you, no one is flaming you, but you have displayed a pattern of behavior and attitude that puts you at unnecessary risk and in general makes the rest of us look bad.

I've told you before in the the most polite and respectful way possible, that it's just a matter of time until some interaction with the locals go's terribly wrong for you.

Your far from home, with limited options, and above all your only a guest in the LOS, go along to get along.

TIT

Edited May 17, 2009 by cobra

[TerryTibbs]

The term

[tropo]

I dont know why anyone would use a regular wallet around here.

I carry a regular wallet here for the same reason I carry a wallet anywhere...to keep my money, cards, receipts and anything else I need organised in one easy to reach place.

[JR Texas]

... Do you imagine I am the type to go around making unfounded accusations against rough locals? ...

We don't have to imagine anything, it's in your numerous posts, so since you asked lets recap:

Just a few from your previous posts:

There was the art shop where the proprietor/salesman wouldn't let you use his pencil, it escalated into a heated argument.

And there was another baht buss drama that resulted in the driver being so infuriated with you he ejected you off in the middle of traffic, basically you were insulting him in public, etc,

Then the ruckus over the discount coupon at the the fish place,

No one is attacking you, no one is flaming you, but you have displayed a pattern of behavior and attitude that puts you at unnecessary risk and in general makes the rest of us look bad.

I've told you before in the the most polite and respectful way possible, that it's just a matter of time until some interaction with the locals go's terribly wrong for you.

Your far from home, with limited options, and above all your only a guest in the LOS, go along to get along.

TIT

I hope you are not trying to make people think that the OP is totally responsible for these challenges........it happens frequently in Thailand now.........the attitude of Thais towards "farangs" has changed dramatically over the past ten years and in the wrong direction.

But, I agree that we are in THEIR COUNTRY and sometimes it is best just to smile and walk away. The problem, for some of us, is that we can only smile so much........take so much.........and at one point the kettle boils over (but in the world we live in today that can be dangerous).

I think this is true for Thais as well.

[Jingthing]

... Do you imagine I am the type to go around making unfounded accusations against rough locals? ...

We don't have to imagine anything, it's in your numerous posts, so since you asked lets recap:

Just a few from your previous posts:

There was the art shop where the proprietor/salesman wouldn't let you use his pencil, it escalated into a heated argument.

THAT IS A LIE. I DID ASK TO BORROW HIS PENCIL. THERE WAS NO HEATED ARGUMENT.

And there was another baht buss drama that resulted in the driver being so infuriated with you he ejected you off in the middle of traffic, basically you were insulting him in public, etc,

PERHAPS YOU ARE CONFUSING WITH ANOTHER POSTER. NO SUCH THING EVER HAPPENED TO ME.

Then the ruckus over the discount coupon at the the fish place,

I DID CHALLENGE AN UNETHICAL BRITISH BUSINESSMAN. SO WHAT? IN THIS CASE, IT WAS A CONFLICT WITH ANOTHER FOREIGNER ANYWAY. I WOULD DO IT AGAIN TODAY, NO PROBLEM.

Sorry, this poster has a personal vendetta against me, largely based on false perceptions.

If you care to bother to judge for yourself who is lying about this ...

The pencil incident -- no heated argument from me. The old man was a nut but I was constantly polite and calm. The term heated argument implies BOTH SIDES were engaged. It was only the old nut case.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?s=...t&p=1817399

I really don't know what baht bus incident he is talking about. I think I recall a story from another poster like that. Perhaps he is referring to my complaint that I was ejected from a baht bus at Walking Street in front of the fence and couldn't get off the roadway easily. This had NOTHING to do with the driver being infuriated with me, I was just a body in the back of the bus that he had never talked to. It was just that he wanted to clear the bus to wait for a charter fare.

Edited May 18, 2009 by Jingthing

[Jingthing]

The term

Yes, clearly Cobra is one of those. Do you blame me for defending myself against a liar? Also, I am annoyed that Cobra has hijacked an otherwise focused and productive thread (warning people about a real danger here) for his own personal vendetta against me. There ought to be a forum rule against such dirty business.

Back to my recent incident of being robbed. I take accusing strange rough Thai people of theft very seriously. I would never do such a thing unless I was extremely confident of their guilt. That is obvious and would normally hardly need stating, except for the likes of irritants like Cobra.

Edited May 18, 2009 by Jingthing

[Ulysses G.]

I trust Jingthing. TVs Poster extraordinaire.

[Lost in LOS]

The term

Yes, clearly Cobra is one of those. Do you blame me for defending myself against a liar? Also, I am annoyed that Cobra has hijacked an otherwise focused and productive thread (warning people about a real danger here) for his own personal vendetta against me. Their ought to be a forum rule against such dirty business.

[Meg_2003]

I've told you before in the the most polite and respectful way possible, that it's just a matter of time until some interaction with the locals go's terribly wrong for you.

Your far from home, with limited options, and above all your only a guest in the LOS, go along to get along.

TIT

So does that mean that its OK for the Thai's to rob us? Just because we're guests in this country with limited options, it means we must allow people to rob us and take advantage of us?

I would really like to see your reaction if you were put into Jingthing's shoes that afternoon on the baht bus.

Ignore them, Jingthing. Being robbed is a terrible feeling and its so easy for others to sit behind their anonymous computer screen pointing fingers at what you should/shouldn't have done.

Edited May 18, 2009 by Meg_2003

[cobra]

The term

Yes, clearly Cobra is one of those.

I believe "The Term" was referring to you,

I stand by ever thing I say as factual and a matter of record, all one has to do is peruse your posts,

I've neither attacked nor flamed you, nor have I any agenda or vendetta, it's a public forum, resolve yourself that everyone is not going to agree or share your view,