1 Million Baht “Locker” Theft From South Pattaya Condominium

[Rimmer]

1 Million Baht “locker” theft from South Pattaya Condominium

PATTAYA:--At least 1 Million Baht’s worth of Gold, cash and other valuables are thought to have been stolen from lockers situated in the reception area of a South Pattaya Condominium block.

Police were called to the In-Town Place Apartments in Soi Khopai in South Pattaya on Thursday morning and met with Khun Jaleuk aged 28 who arrived for work to find the Night Security Guard sleeping at the rear of the building. He discovered the guard had been drinking with a middle-eastern man until the early hours of the morning.

It is thought the middle-eastern man, who was seen to be dressed in a shirt and neck tie, may be responsible for the theft from 36 of the lockers, many of which contain valuables belonging to foreign residents at the condominium.

Full story:http://www.pattayaone.net/pattaya-news/69213/10-million-baht-locker-theft-south-pattaya-condominium/

-- Pattaya One 2012-12-28

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[angsta]

5555 make that 2 million, actually make it 3?? Yeah right...

[chuang]

Only clowns would keep their valuables in a reception area...

[Rimmer]

By the way those doors are bent out of shape, those security boxes don't look very strong, they look more like the ones you get in gym to put you stuff in.

[Suradit69]

Only clowns would keep their valuables in a reception area...

It sounds a bit like the clowns who reportedly have had their things stolen while walking on Beach Rd at 02:30 in the morning ... usually something like 3 iPhones, 4 x 5 baht gold necklaces, dollars, Euros, Baht, laptops, diamonds etc. It beggars belief in so many ways.

[Tywais]

The guard had to be seriously sloshed not to hear the noise that had to be being made to tear into those.

[TheFishman1]

look's LIKE A SAFE PLACE TO KEEP YOUR DIRTY SNICKERS IN AFTER A WORK OUT

[hawker9000]

Only clowns would keep their valuables in a reception area...

Some hotels have no in room safes. Travelers who wear/carry expensive jewelry around town with them are highly vulnerable to pick pockets and snatchers (or worse). The adolescent instinct to namecalling should be avoided by those who don't have all the facts. For some, those lockers, as flimsy as they do indeed look, may have been the best choice available or even just something resorted to short term. IMO, it's the sleeping guard who has something to answer for, not the victims for pete's sake!

[masaomi]

look's LIKE A SAFE PLACE TO KEEP YOUR DIRTY SNICKERS IN AFTER A WORK OUT

or schoolgirl's uniforms, lingeries & bras! Soiled! Ha..ha...

[kinmaew]

mmm nice to know our valuables are "safe" with guards of this calibre employed. Nowadays I book the bulk of my hotels onliine and therefore only need to carry minimum amounts of cash when on holidays in LOS

[Suradit69]

Only clowns would keep their valuables in a reception area...

Some hotels have no in room safes. Travelers who wear/carry expensive jewelry around town with them are highly vulnerable to pick pockets and snatchers (or worse). The adolescent instinct to namecalling should be avoided by those who don't have all the facts. For some, those lockers, as flimsy as they do indeed look, may have been the best choice available or even just something resorted to short term. IMO, it's the sleeping guard who has something to answer for, not the victims for pete's sake!

If you are a tourist, as opposed to a long term resident, and can only afford to stay in some dump that provides no reasonable security for your possessions, why would you be travelling with expensive jewelry (which you're afraid to wear when going out), gold and large sums of money or other valuables?

If you are a long term resident and had gold, jewelry (which you're afraid to wear anywhere), then you ought to invest in a worthwhile safe for your room or arrange to store these things somewhere that doesn't look like it could be looted by anyone giving it a good rap with his knuckles.

When people act like clowns, they invite ridicule. The claim that these flimsy lockers held loads of gold and jewelry either indicates a remarkable naiveté on the part of the owners of the valuables or a major exaggeration of the worth of the things taken.

While the guard was obviously derelict, does anyone seriously expect someone who probably makes under Baht 10,000 a month to risk life and limb to safeguard someone else's possessions?

If you read further in the article it becomes ...

At least 500,000 Baht in cash and a reported 40 Baht’s worth of gold worth around 10 Million Baht were inside the lockers and had been taken.

Edited December 28, 2012 by Suradit69

[pacovl46]

Who leaves their valuables in a locker in the lobby??? Amazing!!!

[Kerryd]

Oh wait - I think I stopped in there once and left 10 mil baht and a dozen gold chains worth 50 mil baht in one of those lockers. Sure hope their theft insurance will cover my undocumented losses !!!

pbbbttttt - hahahhahaHAHAAHAHHAHA - rotfLMAO !

[Briggsy]

Lol, I have seen that very same design of mini-lockers cabinet in my old workplace. Whenever anyone forgot their key, it was possible to prise open the doors. 1 million Baht, 1 million Kip's worth more like.

[Jingthing]

Who leaves their valuables in a locker in the lobby??? Amazing!!!

Understood but unless you know the specifics of the security with access to the rooms, that flimsy locker setup could conceivably be more secure because it was supposed to be GUARDED. It could be a really serious problem for some of these crime victims, lost passports, etc. so I don't think ridiculing them is helpful.

[BlackPuddingBertha]

.... that flimsy locker setup could conceivably be more secure because it was supposed to be GUARDED.

Indeed. Most of the point of centralised security boxes is that there should be someone awake and nearby 24/7. This is why they are generally considered to be much safer than in-room boxes where there would often be no-one around much of the time.

[saroq]

Only clowns would keep their valuables in a reception area...

Some hotels have no in room safes. Travelers who wear/carry expensive jewelry around town with them are highly vulnerable to pick pockets and snatchers (or worse). The adolescent instinct to namecalling should be avoided by those who don't have all the facts. For some, those lockers, as flimsy as they do indeed look, may have been the best choice available or even just something resorted to short term. IMO, it's the sleeping guard who has something to answer for, not the victims for pete's sake!

Good point they may have been the best option or only option at the time and it's not helpful to blame the victims but it's open season on the sleeping guard :-)

[Jingthing]

Yeah fire the guard and he'll find a new job in ten minutes anyway.

[vijer]

I'd guess the 1 million figure was ficticious, and considering the type of lockers, they decided they should not push their luck claiming the value of the contents was higher. There are 24 lockers which represents an average of 41,667 baht per locker. I guess that's just chump change for the residents of In-Town so they just toss it in a locker in the lobby.

[chickenslegs]

Yeah fire the guard and he'll find a new job in ten minutes anyway.

He won't be looking for a new job until he's spent his share of the loot.

[cbrer]

Amusing Amazing Thailand.

[Ohio]

I have got stomach cramps

Bent over from Laughing. I was looking for a serious crime story to add my expertise

All I got was Comedy Hour at the Reception

[KhunMoo]

There could easily be 1 million in gold and other stuff, if the rooms doesn't have safes - as we all know cash is king here. And the amount of cash and easy liquid-able items, people carrie around here is sometimes unbelievable.

[lemoncake]

Only clowns would keep their valuables in a reception area...

You can not possibly be blaming the guests? Only clowns would even consider doing it.

Hotel and security company are 101% responsible for the theft and should be reimbursing the guests in full.

Rest assured its not the first time guard was asleep

[lemoncake]

I'd guess the 1 million figure was ficticious, and considering the type of lockers, they decided they should not push their luck claiming the value of the contents was higher. There are 24 lockers which represents an average of 41,667 baht per locker. I guess that's just chump change for the residents of In-Town so they just toss it in a locker in the lobby.

There are 18 lockers not 24.

And 1 million is really not that much, laptop,phone and some cash already easily adds up to 50000baht, not to mention watches and some jewelry

[Arkady]

Looks like the thief was able to just force a screwdriver into these flimsy locker doors and bend them open. The management also let someone do this noisy job undisturbed.

[fakename]

I doubt that anyone will be "reimbursed" for this, by the hotel or security, since no one can prove what was taken. Maybe their insurance company back how will meet them part way, but not on the cash side of it, you dont get compensation for stolen cash. But why would anyone put their jewelry and watches in there, dont they usually wear that kind of stuff? How do you know when your cell phone is ringing, if its locked up, or know what time it is, if your watch is locked up? Passport and things like this, yeah, that is probably the only thing that was stolen, but then, who can really know what people hide in their gym lockers.

[Tywais]

But why would anyone put their jewelry and watches in there, dont they usually wear that kind of stuff?

On the beach?

[BookMan]

The lockers are placed in reception, a high traffic area where guests think their possessions would be safe and you are encouraged to use your own padlock. It gives an illusory sense of security.

I am not sure why guests would leave their valuables in the lockers overnight though. Surely safer with them as they sleep?

[lemoncake]

The lockers are placed in reception, a high traffic area where guests think their possessions would be safe and you are encouraged to use your own padlock. It gives an illusory sense of security.

I am not sure why guests would leave their valuables in the lockers overnight though. Surely safer with them as they sleep?

They have "guests" overnight and these lockers suppose to be secured by the hotel. Hotel employs a security company who happened to drink on the job and sleep. So both should split the costs. This is no different to catching hotel staff stealing from the safe in the room in my opinion