Postal Theft Scandal In Patong, Phuket

[george]

Thai TV channel ITV tonight reports that emplyees of the Thai Post Office at Patong Beach, Phuket, are under investigation for repeatedly stealing letters containing cash sent from foreigners abroad to service girls working at Patong Beach.

More will follow as soon as we have the transcript from ITV.

[ovenman]

I'm surprised the letters made it all the way from farangland to Patong. I don't know of anywhere in the world that it is recommended to send cash by mail.

[cdnvic]

Some poor girl's buffalo isn't gonna get that medicine now

cv

[meadish_sweetball]

I'm surprised the letters made it all the way from farangland to Patong. I don't know of anywhere in the world that it is recommended to send cash by mail.

Couldn't agree more. But I think it is fair to say that some of the people who buy the "buffalo" stories might not be that well-informed of the world in general.

[Pink Mist]

I'm surprised the letters made it all the way from farangland to Patong.  I don't know of anywhere in the world that it is recommended to send cash by mail.

Couldn't agree more. But I think it is fair to say that some of the people who buy the "buffalo" stories might not be that well-informed of the world in general.

you mean they arn't true !!!!

[george]

Update:

Mail thief caught – but only on video

PATONG: A manager at the Patong Post Office was caught recently stealing items from mail after five hidden cameras were installed in the building.

However, after being carpeted by his boss, the manager was allowed to walk out of the Post Office and has not been seen since. Police are looking for him, but admit they have no idea where he is.

Wirat Bunpetchkaew, the Patong Post Office chief, told the Gazette that before the cameras were put in place, there had been numerous complaints of mail going missing.

Once installed, the cameras recorded Prawit Prateep Na Thalang, the Distribution Manager, sitting at his desk after work hours on February 3 and removing the contents from envelopes.

The next day, when K. Wirat confronted him, Prawit denied stealing from the mail. Eventually, however, after being shown the video tapes, he confessed.

Oddly, the police were not called immediately and Prawit simply walked out of the building, never to return.

“I don’t think he has gone too far,” K. Wirat said. “He may be staying with relatives in Phuket.” He added that police, after being informed of the matter, had reported the case to the National Counter Corruption Commission.

The footage of Prawit stealing from the mail also found its way to a number of national TV stations, which gave it wide play.

“I can still guarantee that registered mail will not be lost,” K. Wirat stressed. “But please don’t put cash or valuables in the mail because we don’t know who are the good guys and who are the bad guys.”

Pol Maj Komdej Pohthong, Inspector of Kathu Police Station, said he had forwarded details of the case to the NCCC in Bangkok because a government official was involved.

“Now he has escaped, and we have no idea where to find him,” Maj Komdet added. If caught, Prawit faces up to five years in jail.

--Phuket Gazette 2004-02-11

[astral]

On a general note. Get a PO box it is generally safer than delivery to your house.

If mail is routinely disappearing write to

General Post Office

New Road

Bangkok

and complain. It may not get your mail back, but they will kick some arse at your local post office.

[Jeepz]

Good advice Astral!

Regardless where you live, including the USA, mail theft is a problem. The vast majority of postal employees are honest (at least in the USA) but every now and again one is not.

And mail sitting in an unlocked mailbox is an invitation to theft. Sort of like leaving your good jewelry on the counter when you have a party of strangers by to look at your house.

Register the important stuff, get your mail from a locked mailbox, and complain when things go missing.

Jeepz

[Ricardo]

Couldn't agree more. But I think it is fair to say that some of the people who buy the "buffalo" stories might not be that well-informed of the world in general.

you mean they arn't true !!!!

Jeez - it's enough to make you sick as a buffalo

[SoiSniffer]

OLD NEWS!

[Basher]

From my own experiences I found that brown paper envelopes tend to get through and any other, more expensive types are the ones that go missing.

This may sound silly but I did a few experiments and it really does appear to work.

Also if you are receiving subscription mail from overseas, magazines and the like, get them sent in brown envelopes, they too suprisingly get to the mailbox.

just my tuppence worth

Bash

[singer]

I couldnt help but notice that the consequence is that the money had fallen into more honest hands.