Hey guyz,

My iPhone got stollen 3 days ago from a common charging point near reception in my guest house. I immediately flied police report in nearby police station. But the police here in Krabi doesnt seem to be really interested/active in getting it back to me.

After a little research and with the help of "Find My iPhone" app, I now know exactly who stole my iphone(no location as he turned off the location service). Infact, I have all the details of the thief that I could collect from the hotel ppl. including his passport no. and departure card code of this backpacker who came with his girl. Plus I have my phone's IMEI no.

The police here is simply waiting for him to put a sim card in the ph and locate him using GPS. They dont seem to be really active in finding it. I have to tell them all the time that this is what they should do next.

I wanted them to check all the hotels where he would have gone or the bus companies in case he moved out of town. There doing it just casually.

What do you guyz recommend I should do? Should I contact his countries embassy or mine? Or go to travel/immigration police? I dont want him to go out of Thailand with my ph. otherwise I would never be able to get it back. Plus I have lots of data on the ph. Even if he throws it away or sells it, he should be punished so that he learns a good lesson and others dont be his victim.

Please advice what should I do in order to catch this thief.

Write a song, like 'evil man from krabi', and post it on youtube.

After a little research and with the help of "Find My iPhone" app, I now know exactly who stole my iphone(no location as he turned off the location service). Infact, I have all the details of the thief that I could collect from the hotel ppl. including his passport no. and departure card code of this backpacker who came with his girl. Plus I have my phone's IMEI no.

I thought the the " find my iphone" app worked on location.

Didn't know it revealed the identity of the thief.

App said the name of the person cuz he tried registering it using his name and I got all details from the hotel for that name. He checked out in 1 hr after it was stollen.

Phones are stolen all the time. You are freaked because it is your phone, with your personal data.

For the police, just another 'matter'; their superiors get to decide what is important for them to work on. You can't possibly know what other matters are on their plate, nor comprehend their lack of rapid response to your suggestions for jumping thru hoops to recover your phone.

To the police, just another day on the job.

I would call the number and tell him you give him 500 U.S. Dollars if he returns it no questioned ask

I dont think you are making yourself clear to the police, what you need to do is shout a bit louder to them, maybe wave your arms around a bit too, do all of this whilst telling them how they should do their job and then come back and tell us how it all worked out. Alternatively, quietly offer them a finding fee and any information you have as to who has your phone. The finding fee is the key.

Did you not have the phone locked? Call provider and give them the imei number as get it locked.

At least that would cause him some grief trying to have it unlocked to use it.

Do you have insurance to cover it?

Also, if your info was backed up to iCloud you should be able to buy another and go again?

The phone may be miles away by now and if I am being honest you have little chance of getting it back.

Good luck though.

I dont think you are making yourself clear to the police, what you need to do is shout a bit louder to them, maybe wave your arms around a bit too, do all of this whilst telling them how they should do their job and then come back and tell us how it all worked out. Alternatively, quietly offer them a finding fee and any information you have as to who has your phone. The finding fee is the key.

Yeah because shouting and acting like a lout to the police in LoS gets you everywhere doesn't it?

They'll just laugh and put him to the bottom of the pile.

The money incentive might work though.

Depends how bad he really wants the phone back.

Have you offered the police a reward? This normally gets them off thier <deleted>

THanks guyz! I really appreciate each suggestion. Love!

I think I am going to give them some incentive. Phone was locked but that MF today wiped off everything. I do have icloud to get back some data but my data in the apps is gone already I guess. I would just want to leave the ph at last with him. But at the same time my instinct says to atleast get that man caught so that he doesnt repeat this with anyone else.

Do you guyz think I should contact my country embassy or his french embassy or immigration police? Or you think this local police will only be able to help me?

THanks!

I think you should contact Interpol as this is such a dastardly act and he should hang for his crime, that thoughtless, stinking French (I'm assuming he's French since you said you might consider contacting his French embassy?). Incidentally, I'm going to Paris in a couple of weeks' time and tell me if you would like me to make a police report on your behalf (the French police takes thievery very seriously as these actions give France a very bad name on the world stage). This might even be escalated up to Sarkozy's level as one of his political manifestations - tough on crime - oops, sorry, Tony Blair had used that already.

In any case, I think you should contact Thai immigration to ensure that he is unable to leave the country as this would be another blemish on TAT, what will all the suicide jumpers and ladyboy muggers and buffalo drivers killing all these Brits, Aussies and Swedes on the roads.

I think you should contact Interpol as this is such a dastardly act and he should hang for his crime, that thoughtless, stinking French (I'm assuming he's French since you said you might consider contacting his French embassy?). Incidentally, I'm going to Paris in a couple of weeks' time and tell me if you would like me to make a police report on your behalf (the French police takes thievery very seriously as these actions give France a very bad name on the world stage). This might even be escalated up to Sarkozy's level as one of his political manifestations - tough on crime - oops, sorry, Tony Blair had used that already.

In any case, I think you should contact Thai immigration to ensure that he is unable to leave the country as this would be another blemish on TAT, what will all the suicide jumpers and ladyboy muggers and buffalo drivers killing all these Brits, Aussies and Swedes on the roads.

I have just been informed that it will be on the agenda of the next G8 top as well as the world economic conference.

Am I the only person wondering who the hell leaves a Iphone at a "common charging point" or is that something different to what I am imagining.

Secondly take nothing of value to Thailand especially in a Backpacking arena. Cheap £40 Smartphone does nigh on the same as a £400 Iphone....

Crazy.....

As for Plod being interested its now no doubt already in the Chiefs locker if recovered......Forget it and learn from experience.

Has anybody who uses this forum NOT had a mobile phone stolen at one time or another.

OK! Thousands will now chip in, but you get my point?

I do understand the OP's desire to nail the barsteward though. I emphasise with his need for revenge.

Official channels will not be the slightest bit bothered by such a "minor" crime.

Bribe a BiB and you may, just may get a result.

Has anybody who uses this forum NOT had a mobile phone stolen at one time or another.

OK! Thousands will now chip in, but you get my point?

I do understand the OP's desire to nail the barsteward though. I emphasise with his need for revenge.

Official channels will not be the slightest bit bothered by such a "minor" crime.

Bribe a BiB and you may, just may get a result.

I dont know about thousands responding but I have never had anything ever in life stolen but then I'm not the sort to leave items in the way of temptation let alone an Iphone !!

Common charging Point !!

Edited I lie.......!!

I got drugged and robbed on a beach !! Is that the same as stolen, or just a plain mugging !!

Try the "Tourist Police" not the BiB. They make take it more seriously. Might being the operative word.

Secondly, you could try the phone company your sim card is with and tell them you want the old phone number back. Takes a week to get a new sim card. Plus they will have a record of all phones numbers called so you could possibly get some of that information back. And they may be able to "lock" the phone.

Offer a 1,000-2,000B to a BiB to collect your phone works too.

"My iPhone got stollen 3 days ago from a common charging point near reception in my guest house"

Ir wan't stolen, you gave it away.

Sorry to say, but best to get a new one and forget about the old.

Sent from my GT-I9100 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Do you really want to spoil your holidays by trying to trace a 150 grams piece of crap ?!?

You'd better spend - asap! - a few minutes to change all your sensitive accounts passwords before all your data will end into more serious wrong hands... Just methinks!

"My iPhone got stollen 3 days ago from a common charging point near reception in my guest house"

Ir wan't stolen, you gave it away.

Ye it's a common problem all over the world.

Does the OP have travel insurance?

If yes, let it go, claim the theft and get a new phone.

If you don't have travel insurance, do you have insurance on the phone itself?

If yes, again claim the theft. New phone.

Depending on when you last backed up your data will determine how much data you lose.

Or if all else fails, contact a guy by the name of Bryan Mills..

He has a 'particular' set of skills that are quite useful in these types of situations..

Good luck..

Who really cares an iPhone ?

Did you offer the Police some $ for them to assist you in finding your phone? If no you might want to try it

Meet with a sergeant-major of the TOURIST POLICE, someone with at least twenty years on the force.

Buy him coffee at Starbucks.

Explain slowly and calmly the info you have.

Pay for his coffee.

Slide a few bills across the table.

Make clear that the bills are a deposit.

The phone has gone forget about it , the pOlice are not going to do anything for a phone there is probably you and 100 other people in Los who lose or have there phone stolen everyday.

This is really potentially easy. Your aim is accountability, right? Return of the phone would be a bonus.

Seemingly more cynics just want to waste their time posting 'why care' remarks when you obviously, do care. It was your phone and as you stated you want to teach him a lesson. Nothing wrong with that. I'd suggest 80% of those saying 'why care' would probably be just as aggrieved as you are if they were in your position.

I assume that once you were aware of the persons details, that you provided them to the police. Such details, if you are correctly stating the facts should be enough for the police to seek to interview the person as a suspect. Still they didn't do much which is not a surprise. However, you can't expect them to be checking hotels and / or bus companies for a minor theft. A more serious crime yes.

Your aim should be to ensure that an arrest warrant is issued or at the very least a request for the person to attend interview for questioning by the Krabi police. Either of these will be updated on his immigration record and he won't be able to depart the country - if he hasn't done so already. That will really make a statement to him. You have his pp copy and arrival card number so it is easy. However, you have to be sure that this is the person who stole your phone.

Either give the police a financial incentive to progress the case (5k would be about right) or better yet spend the same amount of money to engage a local lawyer to liaise with the police & seek the issuing of an arrest warrant.

Is it all a hassle, yes. May you end up being out of pocket, yes. Will it greatly upset your holiday plans staying longer there? You need to weigh up if it worth your time and all other factors given the hassle of loss of your phone & data.

I dont think you are making yourself clear to the police, what you need to do is shout a bit louder to them, maybe wave your arms around a bit too, do all of this whilst telling them how they should do their job and then come back and tell us how it all worked out. Alternatively, quietly offer them a finding fee and any information you have as to who has your phone. The finding fee is the key.

And how the police in their 'home' country would close all borders and be, well, efficient.

I actually thought that the find your phone app allowed you to send a code to the phone and wipe all the data on. Doesn't get the phone back but at least clears your personal data. Stupid having a common charging point if it's not supervised.

The phones gone, forget it. Go for a Samsung galaxy 3 and you'll be glad you lost it.

Don't charge your phone in public and walk away - doesn't get more blindingly obvious than that.