Livestock Theft

[swissie]

Disturbing news and in short: Good friend of mine, living near Kalasin for 9 years with his Thai-Wife found his livestock missing after a regular visa run. Had 2 Buffaloes, 50 Rabitts and a number of Chickens! All gone ! It was the first time he took his Thai-Wife with him on his visa-trip. As a guardian, they hired (on a short time basis) an old but respectable Thai-Woman to guard the property. Upon questioning, she claimed: "I am old and often fall asleep even during daytime and did not hear anything!"

- It is not that the loss of his lifestock would put him in the poorhouse, but he feels that someone robbed him of a part of his friends. And on top of it, he seems to think, that his "Thai-Family" may have something to with it, since they were the only ones that knew of the departure (and return) date of him and the wife. Nevermind: To him the subject is closed and he will not engage in animal-raising again.

This may concern myself in the near future. I am planning my retirement in Thailand along the same line: Have some animals and take care of the surroundings. But I would dislike the fact,that whenever I have to leave the place I will find myself "Cleaned-Out" upon my return, regardless of "respecable old women" that are supposed to look after things.

So then and question: If you find yourself in a situation like this, how do you handle absence-situations as described, as a long time Isaan Resident ?

Input, Ideas and Recomendations welcome. Cheers.

[isaanpaul]

Don't take livestock anymore and take your lost,we are the rich farang for the thai isaan people and can buy easy new livestock.

It is the way they think about farang and it is a bit true,They see live stock as food.Just grow tomato they dont like.

[IsaanAussie]

Theives are my least favourite people and unfortunately the issue of personal ownership and effort is not held in the same regard here in Thailand and especially here in rural areas like Isaan. But theft is not a condition unique to Thailand. Yes it happens around me too, and not just to farangs. A local farmer who was housing his cattle remote to his home lost the lot. People here simply do not leave things they value in open view or under the control of unsuitable people. Take what precautions you can, electric fences, locked gates, barking dogs and even overnight watchmen can all be effective but also can be beaten.

Stealing stock, especially larger animals involves a little more than a couple of opportunistic and thirsty young guys on a motorcycle. You would think that even a pickup truck with two buffalos, a pile of rabbits and chickens stuffed aboard would attract some form of attention. One thing that is for sure here, once it's gone it will stay gone.

Isaanaussie

Edited September 21, 2010 by IsaanAussie

[sezze]

Theives are my least favourite people and unfortunately the issue of personal ownership and effort is not held in the same regard here in Thailand and especially here in rural areas like Isaan. But theft is not a condition unique to Thailand. Yes it happens around me too, and not just to farangs. A local farmer who was housing his cattle remote to his home lost the lot. People here simply do not leave things they value in open view or under the control of unsuitable people. Take what precautions you can, electric fences, locked gates, barking dogs and even overnight watchmen can all be effective but also can be beaten.

Stealing stock, especially larger animals involves a little more than a couple of opportunistic and thirsty young guys on a motorcycle. You would think that even a pickup truck with two buffalos, a pile of rabbits and chickens stuffed aboard would attract some form of attention. One thing that is for sure here, once it's gone it will stay gone.

Isaanaussie

You are right . However very depending on location . If it is very very rural things can happen unnoticed . In small towns , somebody seen or heard something . Yes they will be gone , no point to argue about it . In this case the lady watching imho is or talking BS ( which states , she sold them , or knows who took them ) , or just said to look after things and didn't do so , so other people had time to take them .

In small communities/villages stealing happens but only rare since social control is big .

[RedBullHorn]

In my case (8 catfish ponds), i'm not worry so much on the theft thing, i announced openly to some of the most nosey and chatter boxes whenever i get the chance to let them know i've install multiple spy cam around my farm, knowing for a fact that they will not resist the temptation to spread the news and exaggerate it to higher level....for me, i'm more concern about sabotage...you all know the saying " some people like you and some people don't "

[WatersEdge]

At the farm in the past 3 years,

I have now lost

Not Yet Solved:

7 goats

1 pig

Numerous Catfish and

Unknown Chickens because dogs and cats also steal chickens.

Solved & Restitution in Process:

B12,000 cash

Stun Gun &

Phone battery burglarized from the Manager's home.

Two diesel engines vandalized

One gasoline engine pull start rope slashed.

We busted this guy,

He is now working off B15,000 debt

on half pay for 300 days.

He is probably 1/3 finished.

The reward for wrists in Police cuffs is B1,000

I make it clear to all my workers that any of them can collect B1,000

any time they like,

just turn the Perp in to me.

Before anyone steals,

they know there is B1,000 upping the odds

that lips will squeak.

I actually had to pay B2,000 to catch this guy,

because the water tight evidence came at two different times,

from two different people.

Since both reports were sufficient for me to put the guy in jail,

I paid them both on the days they came to me

then waited 14 months for him to carelessly come back to the area

Oh Yes,

My Agreement with the Restitution Worker is,

He will be a perfect employee.

If at any time during his restitution

he causes any trouble whatsoever

He still goes to Thai jail, even if it's day 299

Me dealing through the inconvenience of catching him,

and then putting up with his ugly face as he works

doesn't in any way obligate me.

I just didn't want to pass up the chance to enhance the local reputation,

with every Burmese working within a 10 km radius knowing the last detail.

and recover the money to boot....in that order.

When the opportunity to discuss thievery with laborers comes,

I explain to them through the Manager interpreting,

In Daylight, I am the best Friend you have.

I wish you well,

I'm happy you came to work today.

Please return as you like.

HOWEVER....

Should I catch you at night

I will cut your throat and never feel bad.

Please don't put yourself at foolish risk.

In the north farm, now abandoned due to

corruption turbocharged thievery

I lost 200 heavy digging hoes over the duration of the job,

all locked in the tool shed every night

I was meant to be stupid,

yet continue to deliver boxes of 12 blades,

but I keep meticulous expenditure records.

Each hoe blade costs B155

Each wood handle costs B45

Over the course of that excavation and construction job,

it was an even B40,000

There was a great deal more at that village

in the two years to follow...

Let's say B40,000 isn't the operative number.

My deductive opinion is that the puyaiban

put threat and pressure

on my manager

that he must deliver value somehow,

since I was intransigent about delivering cash

in the normal corrupt manner.

The manager was therefore more afraid of him than of me.

My goal there was to make good money,

as I enabled the flow of a whole lot of money

into high productivity irrigated year round farming.

That ain't happening in that village,

but it's coming along at the south farm.

Up north they can now continue to enjoy poverty

all dry season long,

every year for as long as it takes.

Should the south puyaiban ever try anything,

you'll be reading about two abandoned operations.

To his credit, he has never bothered me for one second.

Now my House Burglary:

The only person outside our family

who knew that my son had guitars

was our neighbor across the street

who also happened to clean our house for nearly 3 years.

None of his school friends had ever visited the house.

His music teacher didn't ever have our address,

and never saw his equipment.

There is only one person who had every seen those guitars.

On the night when my daughter stepped out at 1900 and returned at 2300

it all vanished.

My son also came in on the bus that night,

arriving 0230.

So, the charming little lady who watches over your place,

is the ideal one to preside over your goods going.

In that regard I'd say our stories are parallel.

By the way, there was cash money in an open drawer.

My daughter had her brand new bright yellow notebook on the desk.

There was a desk top, CD players, IPod's, TV's XBox, MicroWave, etc.

All they took was the music equipment, very focused and well planned.

No way was it a random burglary

The kicker is that the land owner took the side of the cleaning lady,

saying she'd been a trusted friend

and that she was very ill,

which makes her immune to any accusation.

They begged us to be much more understanding of her plight,

and to exhaust all possible methods to find the real thief.

Hey, Only she knew the guitars exist...

what's to find?

They pointed out that she could not possibly move all that stuff by herself.

OK, well, then it makes sense she had helpers?

In the two weeks between us moving out

and the land owner arriving from the US,

she came back and took the TV as well.

The land owner then expected us to stand behind the value of the TV.

Noooo, We did tell you the cleaning lady

was cleaning with a Pickup truck!

But she is very ill,

so please be understanding of her plight

and exhaust all possible methods

to break her worthless skull.

[glomp]

I don't recal if it was here or some other forum but one farang farmer got cleaned out, he put up a cash reward. Didn't take long and now he has a shit list of people not to be trusted or given work.

If the family wont act as the village mafia and look out for your shit it apears you will get taken for a ride?

[tim armstrong]

Difficult one. We've been lucky in a curious way. We live in the country - large farlang house,and 6 rai etc. Next door is a young Thai family - not often there. Parents also live o/s. The family are often under the watchful eye of the local police -just around the next corner, because of potential involvement with drugs.

When we first built our house, the police asked us if we could help them with an extension to their station. After some struggle with my western values, I agreed. No problems either with neighbours or anyone else. I also have helped the school and others, because I want to, but maybe its useful insurance too.

[fruity]

I'd wager that nice repectable old lady who was minding the place had some of her not so respectable kith & kin come around to help themselves!......Lets be fair, can't round up a load of chickens, load 50 rabbits & then a pickup coming in for the Kwai without making some din. Guess the old girl is deaf?

[Khonwan]

I’ve been lucky. Over the years, when I raised livestock here, I’ve had hundreds of cattle and pigs, dozens of ducks, chickens, fish, a very large aviary full of birds including peafowl & Golden Pheasants plus rabbits, squirrels and tortoises, and have even had 4 buffalo, 2 sheep and 3 goats, not to mention cats & dogs. Not one has ever been stolen. It no doubt helps that I live deep in the countryside at the edge of the hill-forests beyond the village.

Rgds

Khonwan