Inside Man: Safecracking U S National Arrested In Bangkok

[jbrain]

I went there and took a look.

The picture in the OP is not from there.

The boxes are small, with tiny padlocks.

Was your check out visit before or after the news broke

[Nisa]

Well, since this is all speculation, here's my take. He pissed someone off at the hotel, the lock boxes were raided by someone, probably with the help of the hotel staff, they needed to pin it on someone, so the hotel staff pinned it on a guy who had pissed them off already and who kind of resembled who they saw on the cctv, so bada bing, there you go. haul him off to jail, and next week some hotel staff will be driving new motorcycs.. After all, all us farang look alike anyway..

I agree but then again I think the moon land was a hoax, Elvis is still alive and JFK was actually an alien and why the CIA killed him

[MegaRanter]

Well, since this is all speculation, here's my take. He pissed someone off at the hotel, the lock boxes were raided by someone, probably with the help of the hotel staff, they needed to pin it on someone, so the hotel staff pinned it on a guy who had pissed them off already and who kind of resembled who they saw on the cctv, so bada bing, there you go. haul him off to jail, and next week some hotel staff will be driving new motorcycs.. After all, all us farang look alike anyway..

I agree but then again I think the moon land was a hoax, Elvis is still alive and JFK was actually an alien and why the CIA killed him

you forgot to mention some country as the land of smiles.

[Nisa]

http://www.pattayadailynews.com/en/2013/01/10/american-busted-in-bangkok-for-koh-samui-heist/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+PattayaDailyNews+(Pattaya+Daily+News+-+Pattaya+news+Powerful+news+at+your+fingertips)

Initially, the officers sent the suspect to Borphud police station in Koh Samui to prosecute according to the law. Police will also seize all the stolen property in his possession.

Wishful thinking of did this clearly innocent man video taped stealing from the hotel and identified by hotel staff also have the stolen goods in his possession?

[tinfoilhat]

I wouldn't be surprised if the guard and the receptionist let the guy drug them after receiving a red banknote each.

yeah, right, those thais will do anything for a hundred baht.

is it hard to believe some stupid yank can be just a thief without helps of any one ???????????????? so please I know many Thais who wouldnt do everything for one hundred bath

@laurentbkk... apparently yes it is, plenty of people here that wouldn't pass up an opportunity to trash the Thais...

it would seem sarcasm is lost on some folk.

as a serious question, how do you manage without a sense of humour?

Edited January 10, 2013 by tinfoilhat

[friendothai2]

Doesn't seem like the type of guy who would be a hotel safe box thief

- http://www.24-7press...-who-241539.php

But who knows?

Believe nothing what you hear and half what you see. Has kept me in pretty good stead in Asia.

He did not do it. lets see what fingerprints show up...where is the loot? if I am correct think of the experience he is going thru just because he wore a hat similar to the thief.

[OzMick]

The hat theory doesn't work with me. Do people normally consume food/drink (drugged or not) offered to them by somebody they are not familiar with?

[steelepulse]

I've known Harris for 20 yearsand no way he did this. Here's his side of the story as told by his business partner. Sounds like a total set up.

"Harris was in Koh Samui with some friends over the holidays for a New Year's party. A few days into the New Year Harris was accused of robbing the hotel at which he was staying. Apparently at some point during the preceding evening someone allegedly drugged the front desk person and the security guard at the hotel and then broke into and emptied the contents of the safe deposit boxes. The following morning when Harris went to the lobby there were police everywhere and the co-owner of the resort accused him of being the thief.

Harris was then arrested and taken to the police station in Samui where he was charged with this robbery and, apparently, an identical robbery at another hotel that took place on New Year’s Eve itself. Local legal counsel was obtained and, after much evidence was provided that he couldn’t possibly have done something on New Year’s (there are lots of pix of him at that New year’s party!), he was able to leave the police station.

Since Harris’ passport and credit cards were stolen, he borrowed some money from friends in Samui and made his way to Bangkok to get a new temporary passport from the US embassy. He got the temp passport on Tuesday and was scheduled to go to the Thai immigration authority on Wednesday.

On Wednesday morning Harris left the place he was staying to go to the Thai immigration dept to get a new ‘white card’ (e.g. the card you fill in when you enter/exit the country). Before he could get there, however, he was accosted & arrested by the police, who then took him to jail. I guess this second arrest relates to the robbery at the hotel where he was staying.

I became aware of this and contacted various friends of Harris. Over the past day-plus we have been working on this matter. The US embassy in Bangkok has been notified and Thai legal representation has been obtained.

As of late yesterday, we learned that Harris was taken from Bangkok to Surat Thani (the provincial capital of the province of which Koh Samui is part), and would be sent to Samui today, as that is where the warrant for him was issued.

We arranged for Thai legal assistance to be there as soon as Harris arrived in Samui. From what I understand, over the course of today, Harris and his lawyer have been working to get him out on bail and he won’t have to spend another night in Thai jail. I hope that this will be the case.

I spoke with Harris earlier today and he said that last night was the worst night of his life. He also confirmed that he is, of course, innocent of these ridiculous charges.

That is where it stands as of now, 5pm on Thursday."

[steelepulse]

Here's the report from someone that was with Harris over the New Years period:

"Basically all the sources say wrong place wrong time, just bad luck. On New Year's Eve there was a similar robbery they got a picture from the hotel where it happened. A Farang with a baseball cap. Some similarity to Harris.

Harris rocked up to check out of his resort same time cops and owner were there. They had a photo they were showing around of the previous robber and the owner pointed at Harris and said "It's him!" he had his cap on as usual.

Everyone says it's cause of the similarity but we proved he couldn't have done the New Year's Eve job via photos so they conveniently forgot that robbery and just went after him for the Seascape deal".

[chooka]

Here's the report from someone that was with Harris over the New Years period:

"Basically all the sources say wrong place wrong time, just bad luck. On New Year's Eve there was a similar robbery they got a picture from the hotel where it happened. A Farang with a baseball cap. Some similarity to Harris.

Harris rocked up to check out of his resort same time cops and owner were there. They had a photo they were showing around of the previous robber and the owner pointed at Harris and said "It's him!" he had his cap on as usual.

Everyone says it's cause of the similarity but we proved he couldn't have done the New Year's Eve job via photos so they conveniently forgot that robbery and just went after him for the Seascape deal".

What's the seascape deal?

[steelepulse]

Basically there were 2 hotel robberies within a couple of days of each other, so because there was proof that Harris didn't commit the New Years robbery, they then pinned this second one on him due to him wearing a cap as the robber did. From what I hear, the owner that is accusing Harris is a bad guy with clout.

[Nisa]

Basically there were 2 hotel robberies within a couple of days of each other, so because there was proof that Harris didn't commit the New Years robbery, they then pinned this second one on him due to him wearing a cap as the robber did. From what I hear, the owner that is accusing Harris is a bad guy with clout.

I am confused -- he was accused of robbing a hotel on New Years but they couldn't prove it and then another hotel was robbed where he was caught on video and the staff identified him as the guilty one and because the police couldn't pin the first robbery on him he is innocent of the second?

[amboy]

Basically there were 2 hotel robberies within a couple of days of each other, so because there was proof that Harris didn't commit the New Years robbery, they then pinned this second one on him due to him wearing a cap as the robber did. From what I hear, the owner that is accusing Harris is a bad guy with clout.

I am confused -- he was accused of robbing a hotel on New Years but they couldn't prove it and then another hotel was robbed where he was caught on video and the staff identified him as the guilty one and because the police couldn't pin the first robbery on him he is innocent of the second?

there is no video at the Seascape hotel the police had a picture of the person in a cap from the New Year Eve's heist but Harris was somewhere else that night. The owner who is now freaking out see's Harris and automatically accuses him of the robbery at the Seascape hotel. Understand people his passport & credit cards were also stolen. This is such a disgrace and an embarrassment to the people of Thailand.

[Puwa]

I don't know which is worse, the quality of policing or quality of reporting.

[Nisa]

Basically there were 2 hotel robberies within a couple of days of each other, so because there was proof that Harris didn't commit the New Years robbery, they then pinned this second one on him due to him wearing a cap as the robber did. From what I hear, the owner that is accusing Harris is a bad guy with clout.

I am confused -- he was accused of robbing a hotel on New Years but they couldn't prove it and then another hotel was robbed where he was caught on video and the staff identified him as the guilty one and because the police couldn't pin the first robbery on him he is innocent of the second?

there is no video at the Seascape hotel the police had a picture of the person in a cap from the New Year Eve's heist but Harris was somewhere else that night. The owner who is now freaking out see's Harris and automatically accuses him of the robbery at the Seascape hotel. Understand people his passport & credit cards were also stolen. This is such a disgrace and an embarrassment to the people of Thailand.

So the reports are false that states footage from the hotel security camera "clearly" showed the suspect as he carried out the theft and that the hotel staff also confirmed his identity from the footage?

Surely it is possible but a hotel with 80+ rooms, safety deposit boxes behind reception and 60k baht on hand during the week -- i would think they might invest in a security camera where the money and boxes are.

It would not be unreasonable for the police to lie about such a thing to the suspect to get a confession but regardless of what people like to believe or say here, the criminal judges will never hold over the suspect if the only evidence is a baseball cap in a photo and doesn't make a lot of sense for the police to publicly say they have evidence they don't have publicly. If things are like you say then this will all be cleared up soon enough. The police need to not only present evidence for an arrest warrant but have to provide stronger evidence to hold him.

We'll have to wait and see how this plays out but I commend your efforts and faith in defending your friend or friend of friend.

Edited January 11, 2013 by Nisa

[Nisa]

noitom Today, 21:54

Doesn't seem like the type of guy who would be a hotel safe box thief

- http://www.24-7press...-who-241539.php

Stanford Who's Who Executive Publishing will print whatever you want upon payment of a small fee.

But who knows?

The position mentioned on there too is one with a company that is now out of business and one which he worked less than a year according to his Linkedin profile ... his current job shows him as a sales person for some company. One of his longest jobs was working at a Hotel booking company.

[Nisa]

I went there and took a look.

The picture in the OP is not from there.

The boxes are small, with tiny padlocks.

Click here to see the boxes at 1-minutes in

Edited January 11, 2013 by Nisa

[TomTao]

Basically there were 2 hotel robberies within a couple of days of each other, so because there was proof that Harris didn't commit the New Years robbery, they then pinned this second one on him due to him wearing a cap as the robber did. From what I hear, the owner that is accusing Harris is a bad guy with clout.

I am confused -- he was accused of robbing a hotel on New Years but they couldn't prove it and then another hotel was robbed where he was caught on video and the staff identified him as the guilty one and because the police couldn't pin the first robbery on him he is innocent of the second?

there is no video at the Seascape hotel the police had a picture of the person in a cap from the New Year Eve's heist but Harris was somewhere else that night. The owner who is now freaking out see's Harris and automatically accuses him of the robbery at the Seascape hotel. Understand people his passport & credit cards were also stolen. This is such a disgrace and an embarrassment to the people of Thailand.

When his innocence is proven I hope the hotel owner is charged with making a false report, I hope this gentleman is properly compensated and I hope the American embassy applies enough sustained pressure to see that this whole affair is taken care of in a satisfactory manner, that includes a proper public appology from the RTP. It would also be good if the real culprit was caught.

[chooka]

Basically there were 2 hotel robberies within a couple of days of each other, so because there was proof that Harris didn't commit the New Years robbery, they then pinned this second one on him due to him wearing a cap as the robber did. From what I hear, the owner that is accusing Harris is a bad guy with clout.

I am confused -- he was accused of robbing a hotel on New Years but they couldn't prove it and then another hotel was robbed where he was caught on video and the staff identified him as the guilty one and because the police couldn't pin the first robbery on him he is innocent of the second?

there is no video at the Seascape hotel the police had a picture of the person in a cap from the New Year Eve's heist but Harris was somewhere else that night. The owner who is now freaking out see's Harris and automatically accuses him of the robbery at the Seascape hotel. Understand people his passport & credit cards were also stolen. This is such a disgrace and an embarrassment to the people of Thailand.

When his innocence is proven I hope the hotel owner is charged with making a false report, I hope this gentleman is properly compensated and I hope the American embassy applies enough sustained pressure to see that this whole affair is taken care of in a satisfactory manner, that includes a proper public appology from the RTP. It would also be good if the real culprit was caught.

A public appology? That would not be a loss of face, but being squarely hit in the face with a shovel.

[biplanebluey]

I wouldn't be surprised if the guard and the receptionist let the guy drug them after receiving a red banknote each.

On Samui, most Thais would not get out of bed for less than 500 .

I know some Thais that would not get INTO bed for less than that too

[A_Traveller]

"Inside Man" (arranged or provided by someone within an organization) - Does this mean that he was employed by the hotel in some capacity?

I'm guessing here that thiis is a movie reference to the eponymous file staring Clive Owen.

[PoorSucker]

Happened again in Phuket.

www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/612589-receptionist-drugged-hotel-robbed-by-foreigner-in-phuket/

[jbrain]

So how about the Samui guy, has been released as another poster predicted a week ago ?

[FlamingBull]

Thought Americans were avid community gunslingers. This one was clearly multi-tasking.

[fasteddie]

Surprise surprise, in the 46yrs I've been visiting/living in Thailand, all the worst people I've met have been yanks (apart from one froggie who had the bare faced cheek to chat up my longtime girlfriend while she was with me! she was pretty stunning though).

[EyesWideOpen]

Surprise surprise, in the 46yrs I've been visiting/living in Thailand, all the worst people I've met have been yanks (apart from one froggie who had the bare faced cheek to chat up my longtime girlfriend while she was with me! she was pretty stunning though).

Really......If one were to slag off a nationality group based upon stories on TV, I would think the hands down winner would be Brit yobs....:-)

[FlamingBull]

Surprise surprise, in the 46yrs I've been visiting/living in Thailand, all the worst people I've met have been yanks (apart from one froggie who had the bare faced cheek to chat up my longtime girlfriend while she was with me! she was pretty stunning though).

Really......If one were to slag off a nationality group based upon stories on TV, I would think the hands down winner would be Brit yobs....:-)

sigh.......My job as a Thai policeman is not easy. After hearing the yanks & poms mouth off one can hardly blame Pattaya for turning Russian. At least the Russians bring their girlfriends along and don't fall over high mileage farm hands from Esaan.

As for - "chat up a longtime girlfriend", Pattaya is packed with "longtime girlfriends" who love a 'Chat for Baht'.

[EyesWideOpen]

Surprise surprise, in the 46yrs I've been visiting/living in Thailand, all the worst people I've met have been yanks (apart from one froggie who had the bare faced cheek to chat up my longtime girlfriend while she was with me! she was pretty stunning though).

Really......If one were to slag off a nationality group based upon stories on TV, I would think the hands down winner would be Brit yobs....:-)

sigh.......My job as a Thai policeman is not easy. After hearing the yanks & poms mouth off one can hardly blame Pattaya for turning Russian. At least the Russians bring their girlfriends along and don't fall over high mileage farm hands from Esaan.

As for - "chat up a longtime girlfriend", Pattaya is packed with "longtime girlfriends" who love a 'Chat for Baht'.

Hahaha ...... Thai people in Pattaya were so happy when the Russians first showed up flinging money around ( sort of ). Now the bloom is long off the rose, and they are viewed more like bulls in a china shop. And no need for them to fall over high mileage farm Isan farm hands, they are cleverly bringing their own prostitutes !!!!!! And putting them to work on Walking Street,,,,, I suspect many Thai people are longing for the good old days of yanks and poms sexpats..

Edited January 18, 2013 by EyesWideOpen

[californiabeachboy]

Doesn't seem like the type of guy who would be a hotel safe box thief

- http://www.24-7press...-who-241539.php

But who knows?

Good find. At the bottom of the page:

"Stanford Who's Who disclaims any content contained in this press release."

From now on, I am disclaiming anything contained in my posts.