A Word Of Warning

[singhadrinker]

Just to let you know that a pair of  two man motorcycle pickpockets are active in chong nonsi.

around 2am I was approached by a young man - probably late teens, who was carrying what appeared

to be a large bag of bread, asking me to buy some, quite forceably, as I declined and said go away,

he stole my passport and 5000 baht - I did not realize this until I saw him speeding away on the back of a motorbike

Fortunately, I saw him throw something away into the road, which turned out to be my passport.

It all happened very quickly and I didn't feel a thing.

 

[britmaveric]

Why are you carrying your passport around with you? (just asking to lose it)

[singhadrinker]

Why are you carrying your passport around with you? (just asking to lose it)

To change a travellers cheque you have to show your passport - so 

not asking to lose it 

[britmaveric]

changed it early and then didnt bother go back to where you were staying?

[powderpuff]

2 AM. OK.

[Ulysses G.]

Did the criminals use a transporter to teleport your belongings into their pockets? How did two guys in the middle of the night get close enough to you to steal your passport and some money with out you realizing it?

[jazzbo]

As I found out about 15 years ago in Indonesia, pick-pockets often work in 3 man teams: the bumper or distracter, the actual pick guy, and the hand-off guy so the first 2 can say "What? I don't have anything" if needs be.

So in deference to the OP, there may have been one or two others involved that he never even saw.

[Microwave]

Thanks for passing on this word of warning.

[craigt3365]

I had my pocket picked in Manila a few years ago. Never felt a thing, never saw the guy...until I happened to turn around quickly and my hand fell on his...while it was in my pocket! He had my wallet in his hand. He let go, just looked at me and walked away. I turned my head looking for the police, which I found, and when I looked back, he was gone.

[richieudon]

Why are you carrying your passport around with you? (just asking to lose it)

Why shouldn't someone be able to carry their passport around?

Someone tries to give a warning about pickpockets and you always get a smart arse answer.

I bet you're the type who says a girl deserves to be raped for wearing a short skirt...

let's all just go around with 20 baht in our pockets...

[Curt1591]

2 AM. OK.

That's the first thing that came to my attention.

[tonywebster]

2 AM. OK.

That's the first thing that came to my attention.

so now we are all supposed to be in bed for midnight having not taken our passports out with us?

[StateSix]

Just to be pedantic, technically it was theft not robbery as no violence/threat of was used.

I would recommend anyone to be instantly suspicious about any stranger coming up and invading your body space like that. My reaction is always to keep my pockets protected and get out of there.

[kurnell]

I was pick pocketed in HCMC by a group of about 10 women. I saw them shuffling towards me and they pushed in into a sunglasses stand. I he been pre-warned about PP's in Vietnam so I was ready for them, but was surprised by the speed and skill of the picker. My hands were both occupied as I had been shopping so in the time it took to transfer bags from my right to left hand, I felt my wallet go. I immediately grabbed 2 of the girls in head locks (one was pregnant sadly) and yelled for the police. The girls were protesting (in English) that they didn't do anything, but I didn't care and just kept yelling for the police. One girl standing a few yards away pointed to my wallet on the floor and I had no choice but to let go of the girls and grab my wallet before someone else picked it up. On checking the contents, I noticed that $40 had been nicked and about $20 worth of dongers remained. I had concealed $200 inside the wallet and and that had not been touched so I pulled it out and raised it above my head in triumph showing them what they'd missed. Suddenly a wave of limbless beggars appeared out of nowhere, hands out and the wallet spotter also insisted on finder's fee, so I quickly dropped several thousand dongers and fled the scene.

[hunglikea]

how can you run without your dongers?

[kurnell]

how can you run without your dongers?

With a wide gait

[kurnell]

I got done by three ladyboys on lower Sukhumvit last year...

Lot's of Anusol to speed up the recovery?

[DP25]

I think some dude selling a giant bag of bread managed to swipe 5000 baht and a passport from my pocket at 2am I'd be too embarrassed to tell anyone.

[dvdcm]

Thanks for the head's up. It's not a lesson you have to learn twice, whatever hour of the day. The team of two or three approach seems to be a world standard.

The only place I've had my pocket nearly picked (so far) was the Vatican in broad daylight. Gypsy woman shoved a baby in my face and by instinct I slapped my pocket and yelled just in time to catch her wrist in transit. Fortunately I was quick enough.

I carry color photocopies of passport, visa, etc. instead of the real thing and have found them acceptable as ID in most situations.

Three ladyboys on lower Sukhumvit? I have a friend coming to town who might want to know the number of the soi.

[Rumblecat]

Friend of mine on holiday here got his wallet nicked by a ladyboy on the street. I'd warned him to keep his wits around him, don't stop for anyone- one ladyboy walks by and flashes her breasts. Friend stops dead in his tracks, rabbit in a headlight. Second one 'accidentally' bumps as she walks by- kind enough to apologise as well. Off they go. My friend stands there grinning like he's a lucky boy. I told him to check for his wallet. Sure enough, gone. Lesson learnt.

Or so you'd think. The next day he went to fortune teller and paid an extortionate amount after the fortune teller 'told' his future. Basically what happened was he was asked to write down his three biggest wishes on a piece of paper. And then the fortune magically was able to divine what these were. He paid them around five thousand baht for the privilege. He was genuinely amazed. Then I asked if the fortune teller made him write it down twice. "Yeah," he said. "The first time I wrote it in capital letters but apparently it doesn't work if you do that."

Of course the fortune teller takes the paper, 'tears' it up, but actually doing a circle tear so they can palm the bit of paper and read it when the fool is re-writing his wishes down in little letters. David Blaine does a similar trick, they just never show you the re-write bit on TV. Anyway, he was still adamant that this person really had known what he was thinking, until I pointed out that if this person really was truly psychic, they wouldn't be working in a back alley off Koh San Road.

Still, he had a nice holiday without any further incident. And if anybody wants to sell him the Eiffel Tower or a Nigerian royal inheritance, I'll give you his email address.

[123ace]

I had my pocket picked in Manila a few years ago. Never felt a thing, never saw the guy...until I happened to turn around quickly and my hand fell on his...while it was in my pocket! He had my wallet in his hand. He let go, just looked at me and walked away. I turned my head looking for the police, which I found, and when I looked back, he was gone.

That is a convenient way of explaining why a fellar had his had in your pocket!!

But seriously, the Chnong Nonsi area has been a hot spot for personal crime for many years. I know of several Thai's that have been robbed there at night. Office workers leaving late at night exit in to a black enviroment at street level without shops and few people etc, and the footbridges are a magnet for local thieves.

[Samuian]

Zipper pockets, money belt.... there are plenty of ways to avoid... been taken for a ride!

[jazzbo]

There are 'razor blade artists' out there that -- if you give them the opportunity -- can slit out the bottom of bags or zipper pockets without your even feeling a touch. Avoiding pickpockets is -- as I found out -- really avoiding the opportuntity to be pickpocketed. Personally I was in a bus station with the 'buses' similar to song thaews and I was trapped in between the buses by a 3 man crew.

And if it should happen to you, being embarrassed about it should be the least of your concerns... there are always those out there that think it could never happen to them.

BTW I was pick-pocketed in Padang, West Sumatra, Indonesia in about 1994 --

On September 30, 2009, a 7.6-magnitude earthquake hit about 50 kilometers off the coast of Padang. There were more than 1,100 fatalities, 313 of which occurred within Padang. (WikiPedia)

Edited February 11, 2010 by jazzbo

[mitsubishi]

There are 'razor blade artists' out there that -- if you give them the opportunity -- can slit out the bottom of bags or zipper pockets without your even feeling a touch.

Heh, that's why I have a reinforced wire running along my bag (padded with gaffer tape).

If they try slicing that they'll find their razor will snap

[jazzbo]

Yes... and I have 3/4" no slip foam flooring material in the bottom of mine. The trick is not to appear as an easy 'mark' in the first place.