Pick-Pocket Experience

[jackr]

A male friend of mine and I were standing at the Coliseum in Rome just gawking when some children came up and tried to sell flowers to my friend. They were with an older woman, at least in her 60's. I was standing off a ways and it probably didn't look like we were together.

I saw that woman lift my friend's wallet, just like that. I was pretty close and ran over, backhanded her and knocked her to the pavement before she could give the wallet to a child who would have run away with it. I reached down and pulled that wallet out of her hand and my friend and I took off, not wanting police after I had hit that woman.

Nothing ever came of it, but my buddy would have lost a lot of money and cards, etc. It pays to be careful.

Well done, you should have booted her as well. These people right up there with druggy scoundrels, scum.

[SeaVisionBurma]

I'm going to post a tip which goes against what a few others have said previously on this thread.

Some people say they always have their hand over, or in, the pocket where they keep their wallet. In principle it might seem like a good idea, but I was always taught that these professional thieves can spot this a mile off, and it just ends up showing them exactly which pocket to aim for.

One moment off your guard, hand moves away, and they're in there.....

[Rsquared]

I'm going to post a tip which goes against what a few others have said previously on this thread.

Some people say they always have their hand over, or in, the pocket where they keep their wallet. In principle it might seem like a good idea, but I was always taught that these professional thieves can spot this a mile off, and it just ends up showing them exactly which pocket to aim for.

One moment off your guard, hand moves away, and they're in there.....

.....and your tip is?????.....don't put your hand in your pocket that contains your wallet or valuable?

I can understand what you are saying that the professionals can spot it a mile away, but for me it has become second nature for me to walk around crowded areas with my hand in my wallet pocket, I would feel naked now if I didn't do it.

[zorm999]

I was walking behind a guy late at night on sukhumvit outside landmark hotel. A ladyboy approached him and put her arms round him while he tried to fend her off. She flipped his wallet out of his back pocket onto the pavement and continued to grope him. Another ladyboy appeared from beside a bank kiosk to pick up the wallet. I shouted to the guy and he turned and I pointed at the wallet. I walked up to him and he verbally ripped into the ladyboys. I think he was eastern european and wasn't scared of the two girls/blokes.

keep your wits about you out there.

I had a very similar thing happen to me a few weeks ago on soi Sala Daeng. I was walking home around midnight having just got out of a taxi on Silom Rd (yes I had been drinking but was definitely not very drunk). Walking along Sala Daeng, a lady boy approached me. I walked away from her clearly saying no I don't want anything. She chased after me, grabbed my arm then put her arms around me. I stopped and tried to prise her off me but couldn't without getting violent (which I definitely didn't want to do). After about 20 seconds or so, with me protesting and telling her to go away, she suddenly let go and walked off. I immediately checked my pockets to ensure my wallet and phone were both there, which they were. It wasn't until I got home that I checked my wallet again and noticed that all the cash had been taken. I was very grateful that all my cards were still there and that I only had about 1000 baht in my wallet at the time. In hindsight it's possible there had been someone else behind me while I was trying to get the lady boy off me, and I just didn't notice them. It was clearly a well-planned scam. I've lived in that area for about 5 years and this is the first time I've seen or heard about anything like this. I'll be much more careful in future.

[SeaVisionBurma]

.....and your tip is?????.....don't put your hand in your pocket that contains your wallet or valuable?

No, my tip is to be kind to the elderly, and to use a handbrake when parking on a hill or incline???

My apologies for not specifically spelling out the tip, didn't realise it was be pedantic day - yet it was to not keep your hand obviously over your wallet to avoid drawing attention to it. Better?

Edited September 26, 2012 by SeaVisionBurma

[chuang]

I have been travelling for so many many years nothing of that sort happens to me...just my ass-luck some months ago while shopping at Pratunam my wallet in my front cargo-pant pocket was lost or picked pocket....credit cards/ATM cards and 50K thai baht all gone...

Few weeks later my credit card bank called asking whether I was shopping on-line with a branded store in NY.....then again my card appeared in Luxembourg trying to make purchases at iPad store...

If the person had my wallet was honest he would have called me ( fat hope )..I have all my contacts in the wallet..

[NewlyMintedThai]

Cargo pants are the worst. Too loose-fitting.

[Tchooptip]

Bad luck OP. A very very similar sting happened to me in Pratanum markets a year or so back. They got my passport on that occasion.

I feel your pain.

For many years, when places were overcrowded did I put my wallet...in my underpants for a little time, absolutely impossible to gain possession of it in such a place. . When I read your post I guess I will continue !

[silverb]

A few years ago in Pattaya I had been out with my girlfriend and we got a songthaew to go back to our hotel. The Sangthaew was almost full and not enough spaces for us to sit on the same side.

I sat next to this ladyboy and my girlfriend had to sit next to the ladyboy's friend on the other side. After a while I felt a small movement in my pocket and put my hand in my pocket. As people dis-embarked on the way, there became a space on the other side in between my girlfriend and the other ladyboy. This was pointed out to me by the ladyboy next to me. I crossed and sat next to my girlfriend and then after a while I could feel the other ladyboy's hand in my pocket!

I usually do keep my hands in my pockets in crowded places but I think that night I was a little drunk. Luckily I managed to foil them both.

[JoeLing]

I recon most pick pockets are opportunists. They don't just go on pure chance that there might be a wallet in your front, back or what ever pocket. I'm pretty sure, pick pockets know already where we stash our goods, probably after watching us at the ATM or at a shop.

In general there are always people around that might look easy targets (like when I was p***ing) so maybewe just have to try not to look "easy"? Now with suitcases, rucksacks that's not difficult as there are plenty of people who don't take care and so are easy prey (just like I was)

As an earlier poster said, I just have some loose money in different pockets when I go out. My "good" mobile phone stays at home. I got a redirect on it, so even if my "hightec" 550baht phone get's stolen, lost or drowns at sea, I don't loose my sim card. If someone manages to take some money out of a pocket, mostlikely I don't even notice (I might just think I spend it already) as I have money in the other pockets too.

Now for traveling, I normaly put my stuff in some of those big rice, sugar, phosphate or pig food bags. Banana Box is ok too. No one is interested in a dirty rice bag or a Banana box if there are loads of nice, new big suitcases and backpacks around.

[canopy]

Yes, I normally do that also (keep my hand pressed against the pocket). I think in this case I brought my hands up because of the amount of pushing going on.

Kind of like a thief banging on your locked door and you respond by opening it. Obviously, that kind of ruins the strategy and you need to instead respond by pressing harder. I follow the rule of hands to the pockets anytime there is close proximity which is typical in Bangkok. As long as my hand is pressed firmly against my wallet in my pocket I feel at ease no matter what is happening around me. If I am walking in more open spaces I still like to brush it once per stride. In the highest risk situations I twist the pocket.

[pauljones]

Twist the pocket. That's a good one.

We were so poor, my mother cut holes in our pockets so we would have something to play with...

[JSixpack]

Now for traveling, I normaly put my stuff in some of those big rice, sugar, phosphate or pig food bags. Banana Box is ok too. No one is interested in a dirty rice bag or a Banana box if there are loads of nice, new big suitcases and backpacks around.

So convenient to carry down the BTS stairs and down the sidewalk to one's hotel.

[JoeLing]

Now for traveling, I normaly put my stuff in some of those big rice, sugar, phosphate or pig food bags. Banana Box is ok too. No one is interested in a dirty rice bag or a Banana box if there are loads of nice, new big suitcases and backpacks around.

So convenient to carry down the BTS stairs and down the sidewalk to one's hotel.

Have you tied it? Definately easier than two suitcasses

Edited September 28, 2012 by JoeLing