Mugged On Sukhumvit - Friendly Warning

[osten]

Last Friday, at 3:30 am, I was walking down Sukhumvit Soi 28 (not drunk, I might add), and made the mistake of stopping for a moment to send an e-mail on my Blackberry. A minute later, two motorcycles (with two men on each one) turned off Sukhumvit, rode up to me, stopped, showed a knife, and pointed to my Blackberry. I happily handed it over, as I wasn't keen on the odds of a 4 on 1 confrontation, especially an armed one. Initially, I thought it would end there, but the other three guys jumped off the bike and stripped me of all other valuables. I lost my laptop, MP3 player, wallet, watch, and even wedding band. Rather than trying to be a hero and ending up badly beaten or dead, I handed everything over, spoke Thai to them and told them I didn't want a problem -- just take everything and leave me alone. I obviously left there feeling shaken up, but in hindsight, I think I was very lucky to have escaped physically unharmed.

I have been living in Thailand for 8 years, and this was the first problem I ever had. I don't blame Thailand, as it could have happened anywhere in the world. Just was the wrong place and wrong time. But what was the lesson learned? Stay away from walking on desolate sois without anyone else around. I will be taking taxis everywhere from now on...the cost is nothing compared to the risk of this happening again.

Just wanted to warn everyone, for what it's worth.

Osten

[Richard7]

dam_n - that is terrible. Good that you're OK.

So you were carrying your Blackberry, MP3 player and laptop.. I assume the laptop was in your backpack or something?

[osten]

dam_n - that is terrible. Good that you're OK.

So you were carrying your Blackberry, MP3 player and laptop.. I assume the laptop was in your backpack or something?

Yes, my laptop and accessories were all in a backpack.

Terrible indeed, but I feel lucky the longer I think about it, considering the circumstances.

Osten

[katana]

Wow, bad story. Guess it pays to keep your valuables out of sight.

Thanks for the heads up.

[wasabi]

I view this as more of a reminder than warning. As you said this could have happened anywhere in the world. You weren't being very street smart flashing expensive electronics in a desolate area at that time of night. I've done careless things like that in the past too and paid the price. Nowadays I don't go out after midnight anywhere in the world and if I must I am in some type of vehicle.

I agree you did the right thing handing everything over. We all would like to have flattened those thugs like Bruce Lee but the truth is most of us are not Bruce Lee and even Bruce Lee may not fair so well against an assailant with a gun which they may have had.

Sorry about your misfortune but fortunately you are alive to have it be a lesson learned.

Edited August 29, 2010 by wasabi

[gguy]

Traveled to Bangkok from Pattaya for a meeting and decided to stay the night.

First time in Bangkok in over 5 years.

It has changed for the worst. I did not feel safe walking down the small sois of the main street.

[Richard7]

You did the right thing - shame there was not any police around although I'm not so sure how helpful they would of been. There's a program called 'Prey' that you can install on laptops, if it's stolen you go to an Internet cafe and mark it as stolen - when they turn it on it tries to connect to a wireless connection, takes webcam pics of them, and flashes them a message saying report to police station etc...

I do worry about this sort of thing as I know I'd be really tempted to say "No f'ing chance", and run. Which could cause more problems.

[Shotime]

".... in hindsight, I think I was very lucky to have escaped physically unharmed."

That's one way of looking at it.

How do you walk arounf Sukhumvit ar 3 AM with all those valuables on you?

[thedistillers]

Traveled to Bangkok from Pattaya for a meeting and decided to stay the night.

First time in Bangkok in over 5 years.

It has changed for the worst. I did not feel safe walking down the small sois of the main street.

What has changed, how many small sois did you walk and why didn't you feel safe?

[craigt3365]

".... in hindsight, I think I was very lucky to have escaped physically unharmed."

That's one way of looking at it.

How do you walk arounf Sukhumvit ar 3 AM with all those valuables on you?

Agreed...glad to hear the OP is alright, but walking around at 3AM ANYWHERE with valuables is inviting trouble. Kinda like walking around Beach Road here in Pattaya with a 2 baht gold necklace on....not a good thing to do....

Again, glad to hear you got out of this one unharmed! So a relatively cheap lesson?

[lomatopo]

A universal bit of travel advice is to always be aware of your surroundings. This is difficult to do when you are focusing all your attention on your Blackberry. Anybody who needs to be warned to not walk down Sukhumvit Road at 3:30 in the morning with a load of personal valuables, tapping away on a Blackberry needs something, and its not a warning.

A better piece of advice: take a taxi.

[Microwave]

Many thanks to the OP for this warning. You did the correct thing and are therefore unharmed.

Many thanks also to the poster who suggested installing the "Prey" software, I didn't know that such software existed.

[Murf]

Bad stuff...

But as said... walking around at 3:30am with a cartload of expensive items is inviting trouble.

Glad you are ok.

[Motoon]

Right decision under the circumstances and very fortunate to have escaped unharmed or not being taken to the next ATM... Taking a taxi is certainly the better option.

[ajarnpot]

I think the very first mistake you already know where you went wrong

and made the mistake of stopping for a moment to send an e-mail on my Blackberry

Thus avoid ostentious displays of wealth as the same type of behaviour will get you mugged anywhere in the world.

[Shotime]

There have been instances where victims have been beaten because they had no valuables.

Best option is to avoid walking around desolate areas in the middle of the night, or carry a weapon.

[osten]

There's a program called 'Prey' that you can install on laptops, if it's stolen you go to an Internet cafe and mark it as stolen - when they turn it on it tries to connect to a wireless connection, takes webcam pics of them, and flashes them a message saying report to police station etc...

I had a similar program installed on my BlackBerry, called SmartGuard, which let me turn on the GPS remotely to track the device. We saw where they went with the phone ten minutes later, but then they apparently wiped the device and the program and it stopped tracking.

Good to know about "Prey." Will check it out.

Osten

[osten]

".... in hindsight, I think I was very lucky to have escaped physically unharmed."

That's one way of looking at it.

How do you walk arounf Sukhumvit ar 3 AM with all those valuables on you?

I was walking from my cigar club on Soi 28 directly to Sukhumvit, to catch a taxi. It is a total of no more than 1000 feet.

I know better than to walk all over town with valuables, unlike a few posters suggested, which is why I was walking directly to get a taxi (they don't go up and down Soi 28). Next time, I call the taxi to the door though. Had I not stopped to use my Blackberry, I think I would have had no problem...lesson learned.

Edited August 30, 2010 by osten

[farangene]

Some arsehol_e on a motorcycle tried to steal my wife's purse at Suk and Soi 28 about 8PM several years ago but she didn't give it up. The guy drove off empty-handed. Maybe there is a group that operates that area looking for potential muggees.

The arsehol_e cops at Thong lor station also didn't want to take a crime report because it "happens all the time and probably wont catch them". With attitudes like that, the crime rate will only go up.

Hope you reported it.

[MSingh]

Bad for sure & glad you're ok..

You definately did the right thing but what is learned is maybe that it is lucky you were in BKK when this situation happened, any many other Cities in the World i think it could have been much worse whethere you done the right for thing or not....

[Familyonthemove]

Good to hear you are OK ....

I think the people jumping in with 20:20 hindsight are being a bit harsh. I reckon many of us have walked along Sukhumvit and the side Sois with no problem - perhaps we've been lucky and this is a good reminder to all of us.

I try to leave the laptop and phone in the office after I've been working late, and I generally get a taxi ... but a taxi late at night could also be a risk. Sounds like opportunistic thieves who may still have approached him for cash even if he was not carrying a Blackberry and lap-top. Sometimes just being alone and a foreigner is enought to attract the scumbags, especially in a country where the police are just as likely to be the ones trying to mug you..

[hughben]

Has anyone else at the 'cigar club' experienced any muggings or attempted ones?

Did you report it?

[mark5335]

Has anyone else at the 'cigar club' experienced any muggings or attempted ones?

Did you report it?

I visit the cigar club and have never heard of similar occurrences in the immediate area. The OP was very unlucky in this instance.

This mugging took place on the corner of Soi 28 and Sukhumvit whilst the OP was waiting for a cab. The assailants spotted him whilst they rode past the entrance to the soi.

Soi 28 is generally a quiet and safe soi with some very wealthy residents & presence of security guards.

[Travel2003]

Traveled to Bangkok from Pattaya for a meeting and decided to stay the night.

First time in Bangkok in over 5 years.

It has changed for the worst. I did not feel safe walking down the small sois of the main street.

Yes it has changed.

It has become a big international city, with all its pros and cons you can find in an international city.

[Lumumba]

Glad you never mentioned to them you been out smoking till 3 am, they might have considered stabbing you too.

There must have been a reason why they jumped on you after you handed over the blackberry, may be they wanted to know what you do for a simple request.

If you had said go stuff yourselves, they might have put their knife away and disappeared.

But anyways, glad you are ok.

[RedNIvar]

Walking with your laptop and gear at 3:30 in the morning. One would think that you had gone for a drinking session with friends after work and were on your way back home. At that hour even the blind would have deduced that you would have probably been drinking, and your senses would probably have been a little numb. You claim to not be drunk, but that does not mean you were not drinking.

Soi 28, at 3:30 am is not very lively and is mostly dark and deserted. The basic rule of thumb, avoid places that are dark & empty, or seedy Soi's with no foreigners. After 8 years, you probably should have learned that at that hour the best option was to grab a Taxi back. If you were just looking for some fresh air, then you were probably not as sober as thought you were.

[chuang]

You made the right choice which may save your life....should not be alone walking at that ghostly hour....

life is very cheap in thailand...whether thai or farang....

[Englander]

Fairplay no point trying to be a hero, there isnt anyone i know that wouldnt brick it in such circumstances lucky you stayed calmish by all accounts.

However, for there to be 4 of them attack you they must have known each other and so presumably their soi maybe close by, hence would you be able to recognise the ferral scumbags?

[osten]

Has anyone else at the 'cigar club' experienced any muggings or attempted ones?

Did you report it?

Soi 28 is generally a quiet and safe soi with some very wealthy residents & presence of security guards.

Yes, I reported it, and the police are actually making progress, thanks to my family's persistence.

As for the guards, you're right, but they were ALL sleeping when this occurred. Worthless.

Osten

[osten]

Walking with your laptop and gear at 3:30 in the morning. One would think that you had gone for a drinking session with friends after work and were on your way back home. At that hour even the blind would have deduced that you would have probably been drinking, and your senses would probably have been a little numb. You claim to not be drunk, but that does not mean you were not drinking.

Soi 28, at 3:30 am is not very lively and is mostly dark and deserted. The basic rule of thumb, avoid places that are dark & empty, or seedy Soi's with no foreigners. After 8 years, you probably should have learned that at that hour the best option was to grab a Taxi back. If you were just looking for some fresh air, then you were probably not as sober as thought you were.

You must have missed my post that says I was merely walking from the club to get a taxi on Sukhumvit, about 1000 feet away.

I was actually working on my laptop til 3 am, as I work American hours, for what it's worth.