Food Thieves

[TripleB]

Farang food thieves? I didn't think they existed. How wrong I was. My mum and I run a small western grocery shop in Bangsaray and we didn't think anyone would steal a block of butter or a pack of salami worth merely 60 bht, especially from a family-run shop who obviously can't afford these kind of losses like the big food giants can. Anybody runs a food shop or similar and have the same experience? It just keeps happening to us recently. you name it; last week it was a bottle of Miracle Whip that miraculously vanished, then it was the pepper salami, after that it was the cheddar then this morning it was butter. what's next is anyone's guess. We just made sure the till was well-guarded but didn't think once about the food being stolen. maybe we should put a padlock on the fridge!

We're thinking of putting CCTV but that's like spying on customers and we don't really want to go to such length. any feedback will be most welcome!

[Kilgore Trout]

With the low cost of cameras these days you probably should invest in some. Either that or keep a better eye on your customers. Thieves are everywere from every culture and income. Just look at Winona Ryder

[onnut]

I run bars, or did do at one point in Thailand. you should see some of the scum who tried every trick in the book not to pay! all walks of life!

[Ulysses G.]

There are a number of travelers who subsidize their wanderings by stealing everything they can get away with.

One mini-mart in our area caught a Westerner with two bottles under his jacket and tackled him when he ran away. Many of the merchants in the neighborhood told the police that he had been stealing from their shops too, but they let him go.

[griser]

Cheddar, pepper sausage, miracle whip.... I sure wished your shop was near my house!

Drool

Greg

[DP25]

last week it was a bottle of Miracle Whip that miraculously vanished, then it was the pepper salami, after that it was the cheddar then this morning it was butter. what's next is anyone's guess.

All he needs now is the bread

[NanaFoods]

My first thought was that it sounds like one person who keeps returning.

Just an impression of course.

My recommendation: Get the cameras, and a recorder as well.

Your concern over "spying on customers" is misplaced, though admirable.

It is your shop. You have every right to maintain security.

The cameras provide security/evidence for not just you, but also your customers should any violence break out.

[TripleB]

the worst thing is, we know all these faces and to us, no one act suspiciously and always smiling. It's just disheartening that you're only trying to make an honest living. And to steal from Thais? why not at least go to Tesco's!

Anyway I think it's the trust issue. maybe we can't trust people on face value?

As a customer going into a small shop, will you feel akward when you go shopping with a camera pointing over your heads? Does it bother you or spoil your browsing? It was only for this reason that I didn't install one.

[NanaFoods]

the worst thing is, we know all these faces and to us, no one act suspiciously and always smiling. It's just disheartening that you're only trying to make an honest living. And to steal from Thais? why not at least go to Tesco's!

Anyway I think it's the trust issue. maybe we can't trust people on face value?

As a customer going into a small shop, will you feel akward when you go shopping with a camera pointing over your heads? Does it bother you or spoil your browsing? It was only for this reason that I didn't install one.

Personally, coming from the West, I am used to it.

I would object of cameras on every public corner (like in the UK), but not on private property.

My guess is most farangs would think nothing of it.

[Krungbin]

If almost all 7-11's have CCTV now, why do you hesitate installing one?

[DP25]

As a customer going into a small shop, will you feel akward when you go shopping with a camera pointing over your heads? Does it bother you or spoil your browsing? It was only for this reason that I didn't install one.

Not at all, I don't see why anyone would care. You should put a camera in if it will save you money from theft.

[Spoonman]

CCTV stuff is expensive, better and cheaper would be to hire a local Somchai and get him strip search all store patrons as they leave.

[TripleB]

last week it was a bottle of Miracle Whip that miraculously vanished, then it was the pepper salami, after that it was the cheddar then this morning it was butter. what's next is anyone's guess.

All he needs now is the bread

Bread is now to be put in a vault. anyone wanting bread from our shop now needs to have a secret code: FREEZE

[tolsti]

last week it was a bottle of Miracle Whip that miraculously vanished, then it was the pepper salami, after that it was the cheddar then this morning it was butter. what's next is anyone's guess.

All he needs now is the bread

Bread is now to be put in a vault. anyone wanting bread from our shop now needs to have a secret code: FREEZE

Miracle whip eh? Well Moriarty, that narrows it down a bit...not real food is it... manufactured rubbish for the obese cousins from over the pond.

[Ulysses G.]

The obese cousins on the other side of the pond would probably go for a healthy can of Bisto instead.

[TripleB]

The obese cousins on the other side of the pond would probably go for a healthy can of Bisto instead.

you now got me thinking.

suppose..let's play detective on this thief or thieves

Items taken this month

Miracle Whip = perhaps not someone so health conscious

Processed cheddar slices = took the processed ones instead of the proper English cheddar

Pepper salami = out of all the available salami, took the spicy one...maybe like a bit of spice

Oldenberger butter = German butter, the most expensive one in the fridge so knows a thing or two about street value

[Ulysses G.]

I would deduce that he was a German trying to pin the blame on an American.

[DP25]

Processed cheddar slices = took the processed ones instead of the proper English cheddar

He might have needed the processed slices because he hadn't stolen a knife to cut the real stuff with yet

[Igor]

If almost all 7-11's have CCTV now, why do you hesitate installing one?

You know, 7-11 is a big company with huge purchasing power for all the equipment involved. The OP needs to consider not only the cost of a camera or two (or three or ten - how big is the shop?) but then needs to add in the cost of installation, a recording device - or is he going to keep an eye on it himself? Might as well not have a system, then. Or maybe after a long day at the shop, you're gonna watch the tapes instead of playing with your kids or being with your wife. That ought to make your life better. Surveillance systems can work wonders but you really need to calculate in the cost against your losses and the added costs to your happiness. After all, if a 60 B piece of cheddar is affecting your bottom line that much, what is a 50,000 B surveillance system gonna do for you? As for customers feeling uncomfortable? I doubt that will affect your sales.As long as you don't turn into the gestapo. I mean, where else are they gonna go for the pepper sausage and cheddar? One early step you should think about is simply improving the sight lines. Do you have 5 liter bottles of water in front of the register? The cheddar and sausage ought to be there. Put the boxes of soap powder and big boxes of cereal in your blind spots. Hard to shove a box of corn flakes under your tee shirt.

[PEP]

Hey! What about those dark coloured dome shaped CCTV camera shrouds. Could this be a camera? Could it be trained to view any direction? COULD BE AN EMPTY DUMMY?

Combine this with notices in Thai and English that reads:- "For your safety and protection these premises and now being monitored by Closed Circuit Survalience Monitors". Who would then risk doing the evil deed? Cost? Minimun.

[SpoliaOpima]

I'd go with the opinion that there are more farang food thieves about than Thai food thieves.

[TripleB]

first of all,

there's only me and my mum-both Thai women. And sometimes there's only one of us around.

Maybe the thieves think women are easily distracted:huh:

Anyway, we're only a small family-run shop so obviously a full-on CCTV system is not necessary and not cost effective at all. As you said, we're only talking about a few stolen packets of cheese and meat. We'd like to be able to prevent ourselves and keep the thieves away rather than trying to catch them days later having to watch hours of CCTV.

We're in Bangsaray only a small seaside village so we don't get the kind of customer traffic volume like in Pattaya. This is a town where everybody knows everybody but we start getting more unfamiliar faces coming into the area now so a lot more mysterious characters.

p.s dummy CCTV are good idea though.

[Tim207]

I agree that most westerners wouldn't think twice about cameras but would be less likely to buy if they had to ask (if locked up or behind counter). A camera would be good as long as you are recording. Obviously you are aware when something goes missing so you wouldn't have to be watching tapes all the time. It is fairly quick and easy to fast forward through a recording to find when something was stolen if you know what was taken.

I suspect that you have one person causing the problem and once you know who it is you will feel better.