Purse Snatching Again - Community Warning

[realthaideal]

It seems this convenient crime is happening again with some frequency.

Just last night a friend of mine saw/heard one happen off Soi 9 Moonmuang. It was a drive-by, Thai (assumed) on Farang victims.

Also, about 2+ weeks ago, 2 Farang lady friends of mine were on their way home about midnight when they were attacked in a drive-by. Just as they rounded the NE corner inside the moat (end of Moonmuang) and took the 1st right to head outside and go east, a motosai with 2 Thais started approaching them very closely on the curve. As they went to straighten, my friend who was driving became perplexed/ worried she was doing something wrong as the other moto was coming so close. The perpetrators steered right up to my friends, and the Thai girl (ladyboy ?) in the back made a grab for the back girl's (passenger's) purse. She held tight and it ended with my friends crashed to the ground outside the moat. Thank goodness for helmets and slow speeds, but there was some scraping and bruising as well as injured knees and arms from the incident. They're also thankful for the kindly THai folks who helped them pick up the scraped bike and get themselves collected afterwards.

Everybody should be on the lookout for these folks ! Keep your wits about you ! Don't look vulnerable, confused, or like an easy mark, as the holiday season combined with hard times seems to have these predators about !

[cloudhopper]

Being home safe asleep at those hours has been my strategy.

[realthaideal]

Being home safe asleep at those hours has been my strategy.

Last night's incident happened just around 9pm ! Quite bold of them, actually.

[hellodolly]

Perhaps a cheap strap to wrap around ones body would stop the easy snatch and run.

It would be a nusience but it would work.

[hiso1956]

Have a read about this story reported on an theft in Thailand. SAD http://www.smh.com.au/travel/a-quick-trip-to-madness-20121123-29xc5.html

[StevieH]

Have a read about this story reported on an theft in Thailand. SAD http://www.smh.com.a...1123-29xc5.html

shame for the author of course but he does sound a bit of a pillock. took all his cash, credit cards and passport to a fullmoon party?

[daoyai]

A friend of mine, a young Austrian woman was recently attacked for her bag while walking at 9 pm, near Tha Pae, she fought a bit and got punched in the face before she gave up her bag.

[jackr]

Bastards. Have also noticed more 'wrong change' incidents of late (never in my favour). You know they're up to no good when they count out the notes three times and strangely omit 100 baht!

[rene123]

Thank you for the warning, Realthaideal. They better not mess with this red head. I have a mean right hook and a nasty disposition when I get mad. Thankfully I never get drunk and I'm always aware of what is around me. And, I seldom carry a purse. I found out a long time ago they are too easy to leave somewhere.

[cloudhopper]

Being home safe asleep at those hours has been my strategy.

Last night's incident happened just around 9pm !

Like I said....

[CobraSnakeNecktie]

Having a better strap or tighter hold just means the likely hood of hitting the ground just increased manyfold.

This happen to a Thai woman friend in CM almost 3 years ago.. She held tight and hit the pavement. Was wearing a helmet but hit the ground so hard she got a busted eardrum and concussion.

She has gotten MRI's but still plagued sometimes with nausea, vertigo and headaches.

Probably better to have a decoy purse with a breakaway strap or something.

[MESmith]

Surely, the greater the fight back by the person being robbed, the greater the chance of having a fatal stab wound?

[LivinginKata]

Surely, the greater the fight back by the person being robbed, the greater the chance of having a fatal stab wound?

Exactly the case on Phuket Island 4 months ago. The lady was stabbed through the heart, collapsed and died. The 2 snatch thieves got life...

http://www.thaivisa....e-smith-murder/

Tragic case.

[Dante99]

If all you have is 1,000 Baht, a 900 Baht cell phone and maybe an ATM card, you have enough for 99% of life and certainly not enough to bother getting into an altercation about.

[Mapguy]

Of course there are some purse snatchers in Chiang Mai and other Thai towns. Always have been --- just as, especially, in any tourist town where people walk around in a daze and/or at night!! So why a community warning? Be glad you are not being assaulted in Italy or in Peru where purse-snatching is a serious business! IMHO, scare-mongering with anecdotal stories is not particularly useful. What is revealing, perhaps, is that it is still news here! And I do not work for TAT!

Edited December 4, 2012 by Mapguy

[FolkGuitar]

I wonder if the people who already were robbed were wearing their purses cross-shoulder? I find it difficult to imagine any snatch-and-grab artist even attempting to make a grab&run on a bag that is worn with the straps across the body. Even 'most' crooks aren't THAT stupid...

Unfortunately, a lot of people just loop their shoulder strap over the same side shoulder that they carry on. That's simply asking for trouble. Don't be a target.

[daoyai]

Of course there are some purse snatchers in Chiang Mai and other Thai towns. Always have been --- just as, especially, in any tourist town where people walk around in a daze and/or at night!! So why a community warning? Be glad you are not being assaulted in Italy or in Peru where purse-snatching is a serious business! IMHO, scare-mongering with anecdotal stories is not particularly useful. What is revealing, perhaps, is that it is still news here! And I do not work for TAT!

It is news because it is never "in the news" it seems that this crime is increasing here yet not being taken seriously by the bib. The fact that other cities are worse is not the issue. The point of the thread is so maybe our friends and aquaintences can be warned of this danger. Edited December 5, 2012 by daoyai

[realthaideal]

Of course there are some purse snatchers in Chiang Mai and other Thai towns. Always have been --- just as, especially, in any tourist town where people walk around in a daze and/or at night!! So why a community warning? Be glad you are not being assaulted in Italy or in Peru where purse-snatching is a serious business! IMHO, scare-mongering with anecdotal stories is not particularly useful. What is revealing, perhaps, is that it is still news here! And I do not work for TAT!

Mapguy, I can't help you if you don't get it, but after a couple years of basically none of this, there are at least 2 that I know of in my small sphere in just about 10 days' time. To me, that equals a community warning to all who would be in the area. Should be easy enugh to process that. Add to that, that in both cases it seemed to be 2 people on the bike, male driving and then either lady or ladyboy doing the grabbing from the passenger position. For all your wordy posts about this or that in CM, here's a cut-and-dry, to-the-point warning about criminal activity and the area it seems to be occurring in that we should all be aware of.

You may do as you wish, but Thailand, and especially CM seems to lull people into a false sense of security, forgetting to keep their wits about them. Yes, bag snatching happens everywhere. However, it's unique to CM that we may feel overly safe and forget that such things do occur here. In fact they seem to occur in waves usually, persisting for a few weeks to months, and then going away.

Imagine if two of your friends who were fairly recent newcomers to CM - a 1st year, and a 2nd year pair of girls - had been pulled down in an attmepted snatching some night while minding their own business, and not under the influence. Predators are about. You can bet I tell my friends, and pass on the word to the greater CM community.

I'll also add that another friend had his motoscycle stolen from in front of his apartment near the British Council 2 weeks ago as well - a black and orange CBR.

Clearly, people are acting a bit boldly right about now, and it's worth everyone's while to err on the side of keeping extra alert.

[CobraSnakeNecktie]

Of course there are some purse snatchers in Chiang Mai and other Thai towns. Always have been --- just as, especially, in any tourist town where people walk around in a daze and/or at night!! So why a community warning? Be glad you are not being assaulted in Italy or in Peru where purse-snatching is a serious business! IMHO, scare-mongering with anecdotal stories is not particularly useful. What is revealing, perhaps, is that it is still news here! And I do not work for TAT!

Maybe not useful to Mapguy but why restrict the free flow of information?

It might be useful to some.

Why try to guilt or criticize people into self censorship?

[vagabond48]

Of course there are some purse snatchers in Chiang Mai and other Thai towns. Always have been --- just as, especially, in any tourist town where people walk around in a daze and/or at night!! So why a community warning? Be glad you are not being assaulted in Italy or in Peru where purse-snatching is a serious business! IMHO, scare-mongering with anecdotal stories is not particularly useful. What is revealing, perhaps, is that it is still news here! And I do not work for TAT!

It think the OP alerting us, is a helpful warning and there is no need for panic and worry. One just needs to be extra cautious while riding a MC where a purse snatching could be a serious hazard to your health.

[Thakkar]

Thanks for the warning, realthaideal.

Minor incidents like these often go unreported, leading to a sense of complacency.

And, of course, it's not so minor when you're the one it happens to.

T

[Rancid]

I think the level of crime in CM is quite low compared to the West, Thailand is still a pretty safe place, albeit teachers in the the South. However crime is a fact of life anywhere, I think the heads up is useful, as always be alert but no need for paranoia at this stage. Personally I never walk around with a handbag, aka manbag.

[Briggsy]

Mugging people on a moving motorbike is a very serious crime as there is a considerable chance of serious injury.

Thanks to the OP for bringing this to people's attention.

[TommoPhysicist]

Your bag goes under the seat.

You shouldn't be carrying anything when riding a m/c.

Especially at night. Too much temptation.

Edited December 5, 2012 by TommoPhysicist

[Mapguy]

My goodness! There seems to be a lot of nervous people out there!

Of course, it is no joke to get bonked on the head or have your bag stolen. Sh*t does happen. But not a lot round here. And you can find this sort of warning circulating in a lot of towns in a lot of countries. Some of it is real, some of it is second and third-hand rumor. Neither makes much of a case.

Anecdotal evidence like this often spreads like a virus and poisons the air. Just to take Priceless'es line, such tales do not make much of a case. I am not constraining anyone to say what they wish about their personal experience on the streets of Chiang Mai, as someone above suggests, but the problem I have seen over the years with this sort of "warning" is a constraint on common sense rather than the opposite which is intended.

To stretch the point (considerably), would you now recommend that people arm themselves with personal weapons for self-protection? I dimly recall a thread several months ago when some (IMHO) gun nuts locally were suggested just that!

Edited December 5, 2012 by Mapguy

[FolkGuitar]

( The "YOU" in this post is NOT directed at anyone in particular. It's the general 'you.')

The odds of getting YOUR bag ripped off are pretty slim.

This doesn't mean that it doesn't happen fairly often... everywhere in the world.

The odds that YOU will need serious medical attention are pretty slim too.

This doesn't mean you shouldn't have insurance. Do YOU have insurance?

[CobraSnakeNecktie]

My goodness! There seems to be a lot of nervous people out there!

Of course, it is no joke to get bonked on the head or have your bag stolen. Sh*t does happen. But not a lot round here. And you can find this sort of warning circulating in a lot of towns in a lot of countries. Some of it is real, some of it is second and third-hand rumor. Neither makes much of a case.

Anecdotal evidence like this often spreads like a virus and poisons the air. Just to take Priceless'es line, such tales do not make much of a case. I am not constraining anyone to say what they wish about their personal experience on the streets of Chiang Mai, as someone above suggests, but the problem I have seen over the years with this sort of "warning" is a constraint on common sense rather than the opposite which is intended.

To stretch the point (considerably), would you now recommend that people arm themselves with personal weapons for self-protection? I dimly recall a thread several months ago when some (IMHO) gun nuts locally were suggested just that!

uh how are you determining that people are really nervous? and that anecdotal information is spreading like virus and poisons? Are you measuring this somehow?

Most adults can interpret anecdotal information just fine. We all read the news BTW.

If your saying people shouldn't share anecdotal information then this might be all about your issues. Where is the aggregate information going to come from?

Intelligent people can hold opposing viewpoints simultaneously.

for example

Chiang Mai is a great place to live but the roads can be dangerous so caution is advised.

That fact that someone is sharing information about a traffic accident doesn't cause most people to change their opinion about Chiang Mai.

Unless your presuming people are really stupid and sheep like and you need to control their information for them.

[TommoPhysicist]

Unless your presuming people are really stupid and sheep like and you need to control their information for them.

Haven't you just described most governments?

[kjhbigv]

Your bag goes under the seat.

You shouldn't be carrying anything when riding a m/c.

Especially at night. Too much temptation.

Agreed, having a handbag hanging off your shoulder late at night is too much temptation (not just in CM, but many cities) for some people. Stick it under the seat, job done. Same problem with wearing expensive jewelry and expensive watches....fortunately, I can afford neither!

Being a bloke, everything I carry is stuffed in my pockets.

[Mapguy]

My goodness! There seems to be a lot of nervous people out there!

Of course, it is no joke to get bonked on the head or have your bag stolen. Sh*t does happen. But not a lot round here. And you can find this sort of warning circulating in a lot of towns in a lot of countries. Some of it is real, some of it is second and third-hand rumor. Neither makes much of a case.

Anecdotal evidence like this often spreads like a virus and poisons the air. Just to take Priceless'es line, such tales do not make much of a case. I am not constraining anyone to say what they wish about their personal experience on the streets of Chiang Mai, as someone above suggests, but the problem I have seen over the years with this sort of "warning" is a constraint on common sense rather than the opposite which is intended.

To stretch the point (considerably), would you now recommend that people arm themselves with personal weapons for self-protection? I dimly recall a thread several months ago when some (IMHO) gun nuts locally were suggested just that!

uh how are you determining that people are really nervous? and that anecdotal information is spreading like virus and poisons? Are you measuring this somehow?

Most adults can interpret anecdotal information just fine. We all read the news BTW.

If your saying people shouldn't share anecdotal information then this might be all about your issues. Where is the aggregate information going to come from?

Intelligent people can hold opposing viewpoints simultaneously.

for example

Chiang Mai is a great place to live but the roads can be dangerous so caution is advised.

That fact that someone is sharing information about a traffic accident doesn't cause most people to change their opinion about Chiang Mai.

Unless your presuming people are really stupid and sheep like and you need to control their information for them.

Our thinking is probably closer than you might suppose, but I don't think there was any need for your last sentence if your meaning was critical.

I am not interested in controlling information, but I become concerned about the "viral impact" by modern communication of limited anecdotal accounts. "Going viral" is one of the more useful new popular terms in popular discourse these days. Sometimes it is productive; sometimes not.

"Going viral" on TV Chiang Mai seems, anyway, to be restricted to a limited number of favorite topics. Anyone done "views" or "posts" counts lately? Like TV Chiang Mai Visa's "Top Ten!"