Break In's

[Rimmer]

We read all the time of break in's and muggings in Pattaya but I wonder if anybody here has actually experience of this terrible event.

It would also be interesting to find out if some areas in town are worse than others and if as I suspect out of town locations are less prone to breakins than in town ones.

The other thing that would be usefull to know is what precautions members take to safe guard their property.

[alexth]

Happened to me, fortunately there were just a bunch of amateurs as everything they took was about 15.000 Bht that were laying on my desk, they left my notebook, both cellphones and many other valuables, probably in a hurry and pleased with the cash...I hear that Jomtien is the most visited...I've heard a lot of complaints

[barryofthailand]

You cannot stop people from breaking in any home any where in the world, but you can try and detour them. Leave lights on outside, or as I do have a photo sensor that turns on lights automatically when it gets dark. Lock all windows, and have locks on gates and doors. The more you can slow people down, the better chance they will go somewhere else where the robbery might be easier.

Barry

[kurgen]

I've heard some pretty bad stories about Suksabai Villas on Soi 17 from mates that live there.

I live out at Maprachan Lake where it's quiet and peaceful without much crime.

Even so , i've had window locks and an alarm fitted and I have invested in 4 paws security,which is the best deterrant available in Thailand

[barryofthailand]

I've heard some pretty bad stories about Suksabai Villas on Soi 17 from mates that live there.

I live out at Maprachan Lake where it's quiet and peaceful without much crime.

Even so , i've had window locks and an alarm fitted and I have invested in 4 paws security,which is the best deterrant available in Thailand

I live close to your area. What is 4 paws security?

Barry

[sierra01]

Dog

[CGW]

I got turned over about ten years ago when I was staying at land & house, we put it down to the gardeners? Went out for twenty minutes, came back and the steel outer security thingy had been removed, if I remember the total value of goods was around 5k US. This was between 6 - 6:30PM

Now I have alarm system, with one Very secure room to lock yourself in, windows and doors are a joke.

[Mighty Mouse]

I live out at Maprachan Lake where it's quiet and peaceful without much crime.

Even so , i've had window locks and an alarm fitted and I have invested in 4 paws security,which is the best deterrant available in Thailand

Every known crim has now read your post and is preparing to do a raid at Maprachan Lake.

They'll be armed with bricks for your windows....so much for your window locks......

They'll have a pick up truck with a loud public address system on the back, blaring out some message of cheap fruit..........so much for your alarm.......

They'll bring along the cutest looking poodle...on heat....so much for your 4 paws security....

So there........watcha gonna do now????

[h90]

wife, mine makes a lot of noise....

Dog

[BKK90210]

Do you know that most thais you see here are not actually from this area? They came from outside the area but the majority of them came from poor Essan region, as seasonal migrant workers for tourisms and construction industry. As more and more of them descended, it’s harder and harder to make the money, therefore many of them will do anything to get that money. The concentration of them seems to be in and around Pattaya and Jomtien only, because these are where most of them live and work.

As you can see most of these crimes involved around petty theft cases…such as drive by purse snatching, breaking in people houses and condo – they are only looking for cash or anything that can be converted to cash quickly – because they didn’t have any means to transport those big big items! And what did then they do afterward?...Well most of them will just disappear from the area for awhile….gone back to where they came from. This is why many crimes and incidents happened here remain unsolved.

Just my thought

BKK

[donkeykong]

Yes got broken into when living at Suksabai Villas, Soi 17 last year. Now moved.

A dog is the best option in the yard, but if the monkeys can access the roof they're in via a ladder anyway.

A dog in the house when you're not there is a recipe for disaster by itself.

Lights and TV/radio left on helps (but maybe a fire hazard).

Alarms only work if the thief runs away, otherwise nobody pays much attention.

A good heavy safe, secured in concrete is always a nice option.

Bars and heavy padlocks are good, but look terrible.

House-minders in the shape of TGF's cousin/uncle/nan is probably the safest cheapest and most reliable alternative.

Personally, I prefer a castle, with a moat, 3 minefields, and a battalion of naked amazon gogo dancers skilled in muay thai and ecky-thump!

[Maigo6]

A safe isn't always a good thing, a locked safe with unknown contents leaves the thieves a chance to come back when you are there, and you could be forced to open it, with whatever means it takes to force you to open it.

When I used to live in Pattaya in a house, I had one attempted break-in, not bad really for the ammount of time I was there, but many guys I know have been broken into.

[kurgen]

I have a safe in the house.

It's light enough for a man to carry but heavy enough that he can't carry anything else.

I haven't got round to hiding it ,fixing it down or putting anything of value in it yet.

[daleyboy]

So with a bit of luck, they will take the safe, think they are onto a winner, leave everything else, and in reality all they get is a heavy empty paperweight Nice plan

[alexth]

I think I'll stick to donkeykong's ideea, it looks the best I've heard, when trouble is at your door...it WILL get inside...

Now seriously, a medium safe hidden into a wardrobe or kitchen cabinet would do just fine, also a dog in the yard it's a second good measure

[britmaveric]

Thats an idea - put a safe out in the open (decoy) and have a hidden safe elsewhere.

[Digger]

BKK90210 - I think your correct in your understanding but with one exception. From my experience, it tends not to be construction workers that are the problem - they tend to travel in groups and are for the most part known to the head guy - rarely do you get trouble of any kind out of these guys - they are there for a purpose (work and earn money) and they tend to stick with it. The big area of concern is young guys who come into Pattaya on their own, perhaps work in a bar, get exposed to nightlife side of things, drugs etc and then become lose cannons. Teeming up with a few newly found 'mates' and often with too much time on their hands leads to trouble. If you look at the profile of trouble makers in and around Pattaya, 90% of the time they follow this form. Despite their being thousands of construction workers, you rarely see anything negative about them.

For that reason, the areas that have groups of these resident, tend to have the problems. If you looked for example at Suksabai, I'd put money that most of their problems emanate from being located near to that massive and very cheap thai condo building less than 500 m away and there aint no police stationed around that area, which means they can make a quick getway back to that condo.

The average construction worker is in bed by 9pm knackered from a hard days work and having to get up again at 6am to start again. Its the lose wasters that congregate around 3rd road that are the problem - hence so many shootings, gang incidents etc.

[glassdude007]

i just talked too my sister in-law in pattaya,they have built a new house,

(not sure of local) but in six months since moving in they have been hit twice.they think its construction workers,that worked on thier house because they get in through the roof vent, and one time through the house connected next door. just stealing what ever is lying around nothing heavy. her hubby works in Singapore and she is scared to stay in the new house with infant,have little brother staying with her now but he's just a kid. they basically lock themselves in the bedroom at night and don't come out till morning. its a bad situation . she said she went too the police station and their were 10 other people there reporting the same kind of problem. hope it works out for her because they spent plenty of money on the new house...

[lovethailandlongtime]

BKK90210 - I think your correct in your understanding but with one exception. From my experience, it tends not to be construction workers that are the problem - they tend to travel in groups and are for the most part known to the head guy - rarely do you get trouble of any kind out of these guys - they are there for a purpose (work and earn money) and they tend to stick with it. The big area of concern is young guys who come into Pattaya on their own, perhaps work in a bar, get exposed to nightlife side of things, drugs etc and then become lose cannons. Teeming up with a few newly found 'mates' and often with too much time on their hands leads to trouble. If you look at the profile of trouble makers in and around Pattaya, 90% of the time they follow this form. Despite their being thousands of construction workers, you rarely see anything negative about them.

For that reason, the areas that have groups of these resident, tend to have the problems. If you looked for example at Suksabai, I'd put money that most of their problems emanate from being located near to that massive and very cheap thai condo building less than 500 m away and there aint no police stationed around that area, which means they can make a quick getway back to that condo.

The average construction worker is in bed by 9pm knackered from a hard days work and having to get up again at 6am to start again. Its the lose wasters that congregate around 3rd road that are the problem - hence so many shootings, gang incidents etc.

you hit the nail on the head...

[BKK90210]

Come to think about it, you're correct they might not be so much the construction workers. In fact last time I had a talk for about 1 hr with the son-in-law of the viewtalay owner when we were looking at one of their project "Viewtalay Marina". He said almost all of their construction workers are not thais but Cambodians. He said many thais from upcountry are not that responsible, less dependable, and more lazy than the Cambodians...plus demanding more pay also.

I can understand a few thai dialects, and can tell you he's not lying because I heard them talking at the sites....they are definitely not thais....Oh the same at "Siam Royal View" also.

That's why I'm not looking to buy a house in town, I want to be far away as possible. In the outer fringe the people there are mostly locals. If you understand the culture here you will know that whenever there's an established settlement, the thais would build the temple. The more temples in the area you can bet on it most people there intend to stay there for generations. This is why I'm looking at Bangsaray area, coz they have at least 3 temples!

When the areas are mostly for local people they tend to watch out for each other and scrutinize any newcommers more. They tend to take pride in what they have and espectially their neighbourhood.

Sadly Pattaya and Jomtien are not such the place. People come and go, both tourists and the thais. This is the place for quick fun and quick money. That is why you have so much problems in the area like crimes and sanitation, garbage, and sontheaw drivers. Many good policies can not be implemented because the type of people currently working and living here won't make it possible. Most young men, taxi / sontheaw drivers, bar girls, street vendors, tour and guest house operators for example are not from the area.

And if you don't believe me ask them next time you see one of them.

Edited March 6, 2006 by BKK90210

[barryofthailand]

From what I have seen, most of the breakins are people that have been inside your home.

Barry

[kurgen]

I had a friend who rented a house on Suksabai for him and his gf.

While he was away working in Iraq the house was hit twice.

Both times were traced back to his gf's friends who had stayed with her while he was away.

Obviously the boys in brown were to overstretched and underfunded to investigate.

[Noel]

From what I have seen, most of the breakins are people that have been inside your home.

Barry

Yes, or were given the info by someone who had.

[Rimmer]

From what I have seen, most of the breakins are people that have been inside your home.

Barry

Some time last year at the moo baan where I stay we had an incredible 14 "minor robberies" in one month.

The boss of the complex fired all the guards and housmaids and now employs his own security force. Stopped the problem at a stroke.

In another event a single scandi guy at the back of me had a new girlfriend EVERY night was most surprised when his house was turned upside down by someone who forced open the sliding aluminum doors with a pair of cheap scissors. The girl in question actually called him first to find out if he was in, when he told her no he was out, she and a friend went over and ripped him off. He was even daft enough to go to the ATM that morning with her and then hide the money in the bedroom with her watching Duh! Lost 30k on that one.

My GF won't even let her friends through the outside gate, makes em stand in the road and talk.

[Patex]

...My GF won't even let her friends through the outside gate, makes em stand in the road and talk.

She must know why...

Aaah, thanks to Lord Buddha for my boring life .

[thaiflyer1]

I got broke into about 18 months ago when i lived down Nern Plub Wahn.............i/d stayed in Pattaya the night ( ) only to get back home in the morning to discover the break in.................lost 70k baht.

The BIB came round and offered their services for a thousand a month they will install a post box at the rear of the house and come round during the night to check on the place (they put a logging in book in the box, sign and put time they visited in it)...............used them for a year before i moved, seemed to work ok.

Think seeing the "post box" tends to make any prospective burglars look for an easier target.

[jdinasia]

for some reason I don't think my 4 legged security system will be a good detterant .... but she's a sweet chihuahua!

[kurgen]

for some reason I don't think my 4 legged security system will be a good detterant .... but she's a sweet chihuahua!

You could always make up a frame that holds a large magnifying glass in front of her.

Hey presto a frankenchihuahua

[Mobi]

I've got a police post box - only costs 500 Baht/month But we are out in the sticks a bit

I've also got a Golden Retriever (4 legged guard). Bought a book on Goldens - first piece of advice: 'Don't buy a Golden if you want a guard dog!'. Thanks a million. She's very brave at barking at the street dogs when she's inside and they're outside. When I take her for a walk she runs a mile. She welcomes all visitors with a waggy tail and a smile - Thai, farang, burglers, police - she never discriminates with her affections - what a nice dog.

[daleyboy]

I've got a police post box - only costs 500 Baht/month But we are out in the sticks a bit

I've also got a Golden Retriever (4 legged guard). Bought a book on Goldens - first piece of advice: 'Don't buy a Golden if you want a guard dog!'. Thanks a million. She's very brave at barking at the street dogs when she's inside and they're outside. When I take her for a walk she runs a mile. She welcomes all visitors with a waggy tail and a smile - Thai, farang, burglers, police - she never discriminates with her affections - what a nice dog.

Same with our golden lab in the uk. You could hear him barking from 5 streets away, but open the door and you were more likely to get licked into submission than bitten into submission.