Thai Men Impersonating Police Robbed German Tourist Of Bt300,000

[OzMick]

Nice story if just stolen 8.500 euro's from your Swedish so called friend .

Thinking the same here, 99,99% of motorcycle drivers have nothing but a green book under the seat. Set up with help of locals who probably keep everything

The bad and the stupid found eachother again

"..............., 99,99% of motorcycle drivers have nothing but a green book under the seat." If you are referring to the registration book, under the seat of the bike is the last place to keep it. Possession of the book is prima facie evidence of ownership - if someone steals the bike and has the book as well, how do you prove it belongs to you?

[taurus8]

Last time I checked FoReX 8500.-Euros bring in 346.000.- Tbt .Something very fishy about this story..Besides who carries that much cash?For what?

[JimsKnight]

What kind of idiot carries 300,000 Baht in cash? DOH! A fool and his money are soon parted.

Ohhh, maybe someone just happens to be:

Transferring it to another bank...

Making a large cash purchase

1000 other reasons!

Not everyone is a credit whore you know... :rolleyes:

[111tingtong]

The link provided to PattayaOne states that it was not a Swede but a Dane that actually owned the Euros that was supposed to be exchanged.

Geeezzzz.... strange story indeed:

1. Why did the Dane have Euros in his possession, when the official currency in Denmark is DKK?
2. Why wasn't he able to exchange the money himself? He couldn't be too occupied, as he later turned up and confirmed the German's story!

BTW....just because the German has tattoos, does that mean he is a criminal? Sound like that when reading the posts in here! :-(

1.The guy might not live in Denmark or he gets paid in Euro's.

Dont think anybody specifically pointed out his tattoos or said he was a criminal, people were just indicating that they wouldn't trust the guy going by the general appearance from the photo I guess. Would you hand over 300K cash to someone like in the photo, im guessing they are not the closest of friend as they come from two different countries.

[111tingtong]

Last time I checked FoReX 8500.-Euros bring in 346.000.- Tbt .Something very fishy about this story..Besides who carries that much cash?For what?

The original report from PattayaOne doesn't mention anything about Baht, the guy got his money stolen in Euros before he could exchange it.

The OP headline is incorrect

[HC82]

PattayaOne story so unlikely any of the facts are accurate and this is grossly sensationalized/possibly never happened at all.

That said, sounds like a scam gone wrong, probably didn't anticipate so much attention from the police.

[chuang]

What kind of idiot carries 300,000 Baht in cash? DOH! A fool and his money are soon parted.

One of a kind..

[Bakseedaa]

Does anybody anywhere believe this tale..?? And it just had to happen in Pattaya, where are the witnesses to the robbery.. ? I`ve heard some shi* in my lifetime but this tale takes the biscuit... I fell off my chair laughing... pass another Chang..!!

8

[maxtingtong]

The thieves did strike lucky, TOO LUCKY.

Appears like a set-up job to me. Seems someone tipped off the thieves that the German guy would be carrying a large amount of cash, where and at what time.

This is sure. Too good to be true. I think here we're even over the tip. My feeling is a setup by the german, or both the farangs. Who is so crazy in thalland (and pattaya) to give 8500 euros to 'a friend' to make change it in baht??? Sorry I don't believe it at all

[maxtingtong]

Nice story if just stolen 8.500 euro's from your Swedish so called friend .

Thinking the same here, 99,99% of motorcycle drivers have nothing but a green book under the seat. Set up with help of locals who probably keep everything

The bad and the stupid found eachother again

"..............., 99,99% of motorcycle drivers have nothing but a green book under the seat." If you are referring to the registration book, under the seat of the bike is the last place to keep it. Possession of the book is prima facie evidence of ownership - if someone steals the bike and has the book as well, how do you prove it belongs to you?

no more than 70%.. the others don't even have it

[Chang_paarp]

The money belonged to his Danish Friend who soon arrived to confirm the story.

My BS meter just hit max.

[moskito]

What kind of idiot carries 300,000 Baht in cash? DOH! A fool and his money are soon parted.

absolutely agree, the story stinks. Every morning an idiot gets up, someone just have to find him

[moskito]

1 Why wasn't the guy who's money it was on the back of the bike ? Just who in their right minds gives 8,500 Euro to somebody else to change ?

2 why did the guy just stop ? I had to go to the bank last week to take out 380,000 baht. If anybody had tried to get me to stop on route home the only place I would have stopped would be the nearest police station and nowhere else. Something just doesn't sit right here for sure. A hard one to prove though that's the problem the police have.

you are either bulletproof or cant read ....both men carrying guns.... the important word here is GUN

Hope the guy wont regret going to the police, something tells me there is more to the story as simple money exchange for a "friend" (wich not even bother to go together with him)

[Woolybully]

The thieves did strike lucky, TOO LUCKY.

Appears like a set-up job to me. Seems someone tipped off the thieves that the German guy would be carrying a large amount of cash, where and at what time.

Yep - I would start by questioning who exchanged the money then check phone records as to who he/she called around that time. As for the guys in police uniforms, it probably was police! What else is new in Thailand. Street corner or run down the courier - same same.

Great story , why do I have a hard time to believe it ?

[happyrobert]

What kind of idiot carries 300,000 Baht in cash? DOH! A fool and his money are soon parted.

The kind of "idiot" whose insurance covers stolen cash as long as you have a valid police report.

Don't you wish you were that stupid?

[BigC]

German caught up in armed theft involving two uniformed men

PATTAYA: -- A German Tourist was robbed at gunpoint by two men men who were wearing Police Volunteer uniforms on Friday evening. The incident occurred in Soi 7 off the Tepprasit Road in Jomtien. Mr. Michael Maslankowski aged 43 alerted Police who soon arrived and were told that he was driving his motorbike along the road when he was stopped by the two men who were both carrying guns. They were wearing uniforms consistent with those worn by Pattaya Police Volunteers.

Full story HERE

-- Pattaya One 2011-01-16

[newsfooter][/newsfooter]

maybe they sore zee germans coming. Maybe the thais have been spending too much time with my granndad arrhhh

[dighambara]

What kind of idiot carries 300,000 Baht in cash? DOH! A fool and his money are soon parted.

Plenty, it would seem, including many on here who think it's far better to bring in cash and maybe save 0.01% than do a simple bank transfer. The pair were either very lucky or had a little help from Mr Swede, or another close to either party.

I think I am nutty at times, but what on earth was the Swede doing letting a German change his euro's, into baht, and what in he-ll would he want that amount changeing for?? a night out ??..Is the Swede housebound ?? One can only think that that money could well have been used for monkey business !! why didn,t he get a police escort, for safety-like the V.I.Ps get on the road. :lol: . god i've met so many westerners with no white matter between the ears.

Just all too coincidental.

Who changes money in the evening..??

Who stupidly carries that much around..??

How would anyone know to stop that particular person at that time..??

Methinks only the German and the Swede would know - the Swede has nothing to gain by stealing his own money, so it falls on the German to be the suspect...

[pipo1000]

What kind of idiot carries 300,000 Baht in cash? DOH! A fool and his money are soon parted.

The kind of "idiot" whose insurance covers stolen cash as long as you have a valid police report.

Don't you wish you were that stupid?

No I wished I was so smart that I could find an insurrance company that covers stolen cash.

[BigC]

What kind of idiot carries 300,000 Baht in cash? DOH! A fool and his money are soon parted.

The kind of "idiot" whose insurance covers stolen cash as long as you have a valid police report.

Don't you wish you were that stupid?

No I wished I was so smart that I could find an insurrance company that covers stolen cash.

i wish i could find an inssuerence company that covers stupidity. i would be a millionaire. In Pounds that is

just one thing i don't understand. why would criminals need to dress up as coppers to rob someone. i could under copper dressing up as criminals to rob someone at gun point.

seems like they were confussed crookes

[BigC]

German caught up in armed theft involving two uniformed men

PATTAYA: -- A German Tourist was robbed at gunpoint by two men men who were wearing Police Volunteer uniforms on Friday evening. The incident occurred in Soi 7 off the Tepprasit Road in Jomtien. Mr. Michael Maslankowski aged 43 alerted Police who soon arrived and were told that he was driving his motorbike along the road when he was stopped by the two men who were both carrying guns. They were wearing uniforms consistent with those worn by Pattaya Police Volunteers.

Full story HERE

-- Pattaya One 2011-01-16

[newsfooter][/newsfooter]

were they forang volenteers. if so then i could understand. i mean everyone knows thewe forangs volenteer police are not corrupt.

[swillowbee]

Is it just me, or does it seem in the last year or so that open season has been declared by crooked Thai officials and crooked Thai Thais on foreigners? We've always been targets, but it seems I am reading more and more of the in-your-face, out in the open, on camera, bold face, you-wanna-do-something-about-it crime purpetrated against foreigners.

The fake cops in BKK holding The Nation reporter and his son (ethnic Indians) at gun point last week, trying to rip them off? ... the jet ski thugs, with their crooked Royal Thai Police partners, openly threatening and scamming tourists (on camera)? ... the murder of the Canadian tourist in Pai by the Royal Thai Police? ... the Thai 'Litter Police' in BKK methodically extorting foreign tourists for allegedly littering? ... this thing? ... and on, and on, and on?

Is this accelerating?

Is it possible that every Thai who has the slightest bit of larceny in them now knows there is no protection for foreign victims in Thailand, and that nothing will happen to Thai criminals if they go after foreigners?

I've lived here 10+ years, and this feels to me like a tipping point, where lawlessness is now a daily risk for any foreigner seen on the street, and no Thai institution has the ability, or an interest, to stop it?

I am thinking of what happened to Jamaica years ago, from which it has never recovered. Is anyone else here sensing this?

Edited January 16, 2011 by swillowbee

[Payboy]

No you should have said "Pissing myself I am. Brilliant report it is."

Report it isn't. Retort it was. Get my coat - I will.

[LordPoona]

me thinks there is no swede friend

me thinks this was dirty cash

play with fire...

[newermonkey]

I would love to see the progress of this one, its fascinating!... A real "who dunit"!

With quite a serious accusation against the police, they are going to follow up with a full investigation are they not ?

1) Talk to the bank staff and ascertain if and when did the German withdraw the cash and see if his "story" holds true.

2) Study the security footage. a) to see if anyone was hanging around in a suspicious way Note exactly what the German did during his visit.

3) Question staff at the Germans bar regarding anything they may have heard or overheard (The German is the owner of a prostitution establishment by the way and not a tourist as published)

4) Do a full stake out on the German and the Swede to see if they are acting suspiciously.

5) Find out if either men are claiming this alleged loss through travel insurance from overseas (I believe there is a 45 day limit on policies) if the German is working here is he illegal if he is on a tourist visa)

6) Do background checks on everyone concerned.

I think "IF" the police did the above then we might see a much more colorful story emerging, and the Police might be able to clear their name ever so slightly!

[hughben]

Wasn't there a reporter from one of the newspapers taken by 'fake cops'?

[NCFC]

More like german gets chatting to gullible swede in Pattaya bar and says he knows a place where to get great exchange rates. Gullible Swede hands over cash. German pops into a bank to make it look like he's genuine and then makes up a story about getting robbed by two police volunteers. Easy 300k.

[F4UCorsair]

There area lot of things that stretch the bounds of credibility in this story.

It seems to me the German has 'done' his Swede/Dane mate, or it's drug money, or the whole thing is a fabrication or whatever bizarre reasons.

Travel insurance companies won't cover cash stolen under these circumstances regardless of how many police reports you secure. I bet they wouldn't even cover cash stolen from a room safe. If they did, every second tourist would be having money stolen.

Edited January 17, 2011 by F4UCorsair

[newermonkey]

There area lot of things that stretch the bounds of credibility in this story.

It seems to me the German has 'done' his Swede/Dane mate, or it's drug money, or the whole thing is a fabrication or whatever bizarre reasons.

Travel insurance companies won't cover cash stolen under these circumstances regardless of how many police reports you secure. I bet they wouldn't even cover cash stolen from a room safe. If they did, every second tourist would be having money stolen.

Are you sure about the travel insurance limitations? because about 30 years ago I lost 10,000 Baht on a boat going over to Koh Samet, just got a police report and sent with a letter to the insurance Co and within one month the money was in my account in London, no questions asked.

Of course that was in the days of the dinosaurs when things may have been less jaded!

[Wavefloater]

Something definitely sinks in Denmark (or rather Sweden in this case).

Every aspect of this seems fishy. As some have pointed out, we shouldn't judge a book by its cover, but looking at this particular "book", he's not the type that fills me with a great deal of confidence.

It sounds like the fake police knew exactly who to stop and where to look.

I might be tempted to believe that we have a case of illegal funds being illegally taken.

[animatic]

The people at the change desk are the 1st suspects.

Someone tipped off these guys, cops or not, that this guy would be coming by with a lot of cash.

Out of all the people going by they picked him. How did they get this information?

The source seems pretty obvious.