Urgent- Does Anyone Know How To Contact Taxiradio Station In Bangkok

[orchidlady]

I took a cab from the market with my shopping bags and briefcase. Somehow my wallet must have fallen out in the cab because I paid him. Usually they help you out with groceries but he didn't and it was dark in cab and in my parking garage so i didn't see it that it had fallen out probably on the floor of the cab... But it has all of my credit cards, Thai ATM card, my Thai gov't id., my medical certificate for wp renewal, my new photo pictures, my work permit, ETC, ETC and my immigration/wp fees. the worst is I am supposed to go immigration for renewal of my work permit and visa tomorrow AM. Before I went shopping I picked up all of the documents I need for tomorrow and went to the bankto get the money. i have been texting and phoning my university Thai admin staff and their phones keep saying in call - busy.

I need to get the message out as soon as possible to the taxi driver before he goes home for the night or his next fare decides the've hit a jack pot..

I tried calling the number to make a complaint about taxis but there is a recording in Thai which i can't understand. I'm guessing the office is closed.

[arkom]

1681 or 1584...just wait until the Thai message is over and it will give option for English with I think is press 9.

[orchidlady]

Thanks for the number however, I have been calling the taxi radio number for over one hour straight.. They must have a problem with their system. After I press 9 for English any of the next selections you are offered (1 TAXI SERVICE, 2 SERVICE INFORMATION, ETC) all revert to a repeating Thai message. I've listened to all of the messages repeatedly waiting...hoping it would revert to ENGLISH without luck.

I've tried the Tourist police number they told me to go to my local police and make a report but they can't tell me where my local police station is. They said just ask a taxi. F...Unbelievable.

Rather than going out at night looking for my local neighborhood police station I'm going to start canceling my credit cards, ATm cards, call my insurance companies to get new cards. Probably replacing all my Thai government cards is going to be a nightmare: my Thai government ID, my Thai gov't university ID card, my work permit, Thai social security medical card, private insurance card. I'll go out during daylight to go look for the police station.

[arkom]

What area area of bangkok do you live? Maybe we can help locate the police station closest to you.

Edited May 24, 2012 by arkom

[orchidlady]

Thanks for the hep,I walked outside and looked at the sign posts-my side of the street is the Phaholyothin police Station. I looked on-line and found out it is near Ratchada/Phaholyothin. Phaholyothin is a parking lot at night so i will go to the police station tomorrow morning..

[KHR1010]

You might want to check with your building security and see if they have any cameras, you may be able to get the taxi license of the cab that dropped you off.

[orchidlady]

What a wonderful idea. I know they are supposed to record license plate numbers and hand out temp parking/transit really passes but rarely do. The problem is the people in the office don't really speak English. There are probably 3 foreigners in this building-the other two have Thai wives/GFs so it's not an issue for them.. I have neither a Thai husband /BF nor a Thai wife/GF! The former manager was quite fluent and helped me with various things(like when TOT kept stalling about putting in my phone for the DSL Line) but then she lost her job around the time of the floods. I will attempt to get someone from my university to request this information.

This is why I have been frantically attempting to contact the admin staff at my university for some assistance. I will raise hell tomorrow. They had just sent out a memo stating if we are going to take a trip out of the country we need to apply for permission from our faculty director and the Vice Rector for the university "so if there is any trouble they will know where we are and can assist us." How can they be expected to do that when they are not even available in Bangkok?

[Nisa]

Be prepared to offer the right police a donation if you want them to investigate but that will be pointless unless you have the license number of the taxi. However, it is good to check with the police in case the Taxi driver turned it in. Just don't waste hours there waiting and filling out reports because it is pointless unless you have the Taxi ID and help compensate them for the gas and their time.

Good Luck to you and am sure you have a lot on your mind and other priorities now but if when you get past this and happen to remember, I am curious about your Thai ID ... what is it? I thought you had to be a citizen to get an ID Card.

Again ... you may just want to cancel the local cards and double check with the banks back home because, at least in the US, you have like 24,48 or 72 hours to report the card stolen and not be on the hook for anything or at least anything over $50. But don't go by my words, double check. Point being is you may get incredibly lucky and get the wallet back and and most banks will not let you turn back on a card once reported stolen but keep in mind you probably can if persistent and give good reason. I've done it before a day or two later when I discovered the bank cancelled the wrong card # ... took speaking to a manager but after being told it was impossible it turned out it was possible when I explained I was in Thailand without access to either card now.

Edited May 24, 2012 by Nisa

[orchidlady]

Nisa, when you work for the Thai government (I work at a Thai public university) you get an official Thai WORK ID) this allows you to get the Thai price at national parks, free admission to Thai museums, Grand Palace, etc (or pay the Thai price whenever Thais pay a nominal fee for admission vs the much higher tourist price). You have to give them a stack of photos and fill out multiple papers in carbon copy(yes carbons are still used!). It lists your passport number also so it is accepted in lieu of passport for official ID purposes. Any card issued by the gov't-my Thai social security medical card, my work permit, even the uni library card(!!) in addition require a police report to be able to get a replacement. If this was not necessary I wouldn't waste my time filling out the report

I know about not expecting anything from the police. When my cell phone was stolen in Chiang Mai when I was at a hotel spa at 10;00 pm (only two workers-mgr and spa attendant on duty, no other patrons--not much to have to investigate) after the report was filled out...the police taking the report told me it was my fault for having such a nice phone! It was all I could do to keep my mouth shut and just shook my head.

[orchidlady]

The id also gives you a little more respect when showing it to Thais. they are impressed by the uni name. It has stopped police from attempting to solicit 'fees' from taxi drivers who committed some minor infraction. I did not want to be late for class so when taxi was asking ME either to pay the fine(or maybe the taxi fare upfront so he could pay...didn't want to get into what ridiculous thing he was asking me-not sure if this was some set up... I just demanded he show them my id--this has happened several times...they wai me and send us on.

[dddave]

I once dropped a wallet containing $6000 in a Bangkok taxi and actually got it back, money untouched so don't entirely loose hope.

[BrianCR]

Nisa, when you work for the Thai government (I work at a Thai public university) you get an official Thai WORK ID) this allows you to get the Thai price at national parks, free admission to Thai museums, Grand Palace, etc (or pay the Thai price whenever Thais pay a nominal fee for admission vs the much higher tourist price). You have to give them a stack of photos and fill out multiple papers in carbon copy(yes carbons are still used!). It lists your passport number also so it is accepted in lieu of passport for official ID purposes. Any card issued by the gov't-my Thai social security medical card, my work permit, even the uni library card(!!) in addition require a police report to be able to get a replacement. If this was not necessary I wouldn't waste my time filling out the report

I know about not expecting anything from the police. When my cell phone was stolen in Chiang Mai when I was at a hotel spa at 10;00 pm (only two workers-mgr and spa attendant on duty, no other patrons--not much to have to investigate) after the report was filled out...the police taking the report told me it was my fault for having such a nice phone! It was all I could do to keep my mouth shut and just shook my head.

Sorry to correct you but you are not a Thai Government employee, you are a local employee employed on a yearly contract directly by the University in question and are only describing your univ ID card. Thai Government employees including Thai teaching staff have a permanent employment status, are issued with Thai Government uniforms (to wear on specified dates), it is even illegal for you to wear the uniform. They also receive additional benefits unavailable to you! If you lost a Teachers Council of Thailand Membership Card it will take up to two years to re-issue. I have been here 32 years part of which have been doing the same work as you.

[BrianCR]

The id also gives you a little more respect when showing it to Thais. they are impressed by the uni name. It has stopped police from attempting to solicit 'fees' from taxi drivers who committed some minor infraction. I did not want to be late for class so when taxi was asking ME either to pay the fine(or maybe the taxi fare upfront so he could pay...didn't want to get into what ridiculous thing he was asking me-not sure if this was some set up... I just demanded he show them my id--this has happened several times...they wai me and send us on.

P.S I do agree that the ID (and Thai teachers license) gets more attention and respect when shown and in certain circumstances with -hotel, domestic flights, some government departments can be accepted as proof of ID without a passport.

[Nisa]

Nisa, when you work for the Thai government (I work at a Thai public university) you get an official Thai WORK ID) this allows you to get the Thai price at national parks, free admission to Thai museums, Grand Palace, etc (or pay the Thai price whenever Thais pay a nominal fee for admission vs the much higher tourist price). You have to give them a stack of photos and fill out multiple papers in carbon copy(yes carbons are still used!). It lists your passport number also so it is accepted in lieu of passport for official ID purposes. Any card issued by the gov't-my Thai social security medical card, my work permit, even the uni library card(!!) in addition require a police report to be able to get a replacement. If this was not necessary I wouldn't waste my time filling out the report

I know about not expecting anything from the police. When my cell phone was stolen in Chiang Mai when I was at a hotel spa at 10;00 pm (only two workers-mgr and spa attendant on duty, no other patrons--not much to have to investigate) after the report was filled out...the police taking the report told me it was my fault for having such a nice phone! It was all I could do to keep my mouth shut and just shook my head.

Thanks and I didn't mean to derail the topic but was curious.

Any update on the wallet or is the only solution to move on?

FYI, our Thai Daughter (Bangkok University Student) had her brand new Ipod snatched (grabbed out of hands) a couple months ago from a taxi driver as she was paying through the window. He drove off and she was able to get his license number. She went to the police station and spent hours only to find out they weren't going to do anything. Interesting .. as I am typing this I realized why she probably had faith in them doing something initially. Years ago, when I think she was in her last year of school before university, a girl stole her phone at a party or gathering. Nobody was really positive (no eye witness) who did it was one of those situations were they were confident who did it. Anyway, she went to the police station and the ended up calling the girl accused and putting a little scare in her. The cops set up a meeting for all of them to come in the next day at the police station and the girl returned the phone. No charges or anything but just made the situation right.

Bottom line I guess it is always best to go into these situations with no positive expectations.

[orchidlady]

This is the latest update:

I had to go to the university police station with the int'l co-ordinator from my school. To be able to replace my gov't issued uni docs we had to do this before we went to immigration. This was after i had run around in the AM getting another set of my passport/id photos re-printed (interesting aside-the photos appeared to be photo shopped and went through about 2 shades of 'whitening"-I guess the Thai customers expect this- I ended up looking almost like a ghost (but no wrinkles on my face) as I have light skin normally but two shades whiter this is how it appears. Immigration didn't care so I don't just making observation) and getting duplicate of med cert etc. The woman gave the officer 40 baht. When we were outside, I asked if this was a fee for the report copy or an inducement to do work... She said more of an inducement--unbelievable... People can't just do their job without expecting something additional.

I was told to bring that report to my local police and add the more financial/personal items lost-uni police only cared about all the gov't docs.

I spent 1 hour reviewing tapes at my condo office. All we could determine was the taxi was a yellow green taxi. The cameras can't get a clear id of license plate as the lights reflect too much. They don't appear to be able to use computer controls to enlarge anything on the side writing of the taxi or the license plate areas.I heard them ask the security guards if they wrote the number on the logs. No it is just easier to sit and talk extensively with each other as we saw on video tapes then get up and fill in the report logs the license plate numbers. My university liasion said the taxi radio station may be able to send out a notice now that I know the exact time the taxi entered /exited and that it was a yellow-green taxi.

They told me to get a new mail box key from my land lord and said i should get my door lock changed as the house key was lost. The condo office can't they do either of these. I guess they just change light bulbs.

My land lord is a high ranking officer in the military and has police connections so he said he will follow up with his police friends after i file report in my local police. He will see about sending some of the soldiers under him to deal with my key issues. This is how he always deals with the hands on issues. I realized after I met him the first time that it is the duty of rank and file soldiers to take care of the owner's rental property here.

At least i got my visa renewed yesterday-they could have denied it without seeing the actual wp (we just showed copies of the document). Next week I will go about getting the WP replaces and renewed.

All the bank cards are cancelled-no charges/deductions had gone through when I called.

Everyone expressed more concern that the next passenger in the taxi may have taken the money from the wallet and just dumped the documents. I would prefer to get all of my documents back rather than the money.