Police Raise Alarm After Phuket Hotel Thief Uses Master Key

[webfact]

Police raise alarm after Phuket hotel thief uses master key
Phuket Gazette

PHUKET: -- Police have warned hoteliers across the island to beware of thieves targeting Phuket hotels after a Patong hotel room safe was robbed by a man who reportedly used a master key to enter the room.

The news follows 29-year-old Russian tourist Egor Nikolaev reporting valuables being stolen from his hotel room safe at The Bliss South Beach Patong hotel, on the Patong beach road, on Monday.

Among the items reported stolen were a mobile phone, US$1,500 and 5,700 rubles in cash, a Canon camera lens, a Samsung netbook, a silver earring, a Festina watch and his passport.

“Hotel CCTV footage showed a foreign man, about 25 to 30 years old and 180 to 185cm tall, and wearing a gray t-shirt, gray shorts and sunglasses, approaching the room and opening the door with a key.

“He was inside the room for about 10 minutes, then left carrying a black bag,” Lt Col Somsak Thongglieng of the Patong Police said.

After seeing the CCTV footage, Mr Igor told police he believes he even walked past the thief while he was returning to his room following a swim in the hotel pool.

“After the thief exited the hotel, he took a local taxi to Jungceylon. After that, he disappeared. However, we will try to find him on CCTV around that location and arrest him as soon as possible,” Col Somsak said.

Patong Police Deputy Superintendent Akanit Danpitaksat told the Phuket Gazette that reports of hotel rooms being robbed had become a common occurrence.

“To protect guests, we have sent a letter to the Patong Hotels Association, and to the owners of small hotels and guesthouses, to be on the lookout for thieves,” Col Akanit said.

“If you see anyone acting suspiciously, please call the Patong Police on 076-342769,” he added.

Source: http://www.phuketgazette.net/phuket_news/2013/Police-raise-alarm-after-Phuket-hotel-thief-uses-master-key-20493.html


-- Phuket Gazette 2013-03-14

[Rionoir]

No one is raising any kind of question about WHERE he got (bought) the master key? Awesome police work as usual.

[keestha]

Small hotels usually don't have a master key, it is more a thing for big hotels.

[julemanden]

Most likely he stayed in that room at one point and made a copy of the key

[how241]

Most likely he stayed in that room at one point and made a copy of the key

+1

[bunta71]

Nice tip off by the police. Better they kept quiet about the amazing success until after arresting the guy.

[NamKangMan]

The most baffling part of this case is how the thief caught a "taxi" (which don't exist here) from the hotel to Jungceylon. :)

Seriously, he has a key to the room, and the room safe. Unless he is working with staff at the hotel, he, or an assocciate of his, must have stayed at the hotel at some point. No one questioned him when he walked past reception, or at least asked him to show his room key.

180 - 185 cms tall - a guy like that stands out. He obviously didn't care about the CCTV.

Staff should never give a master key to a customer. They should accompany the customer to their room and open the safe with them.

I hope they catch this guy. Who knows how many other keys he has, from previously staying at various hotels/guest houses.

[easybullet3]

Who said it was a master key???!!

if it was a master key, then why did he only rob ONE room?

obviously he stayed in that room before and he copied the key... and then he came back later to steal from another hotel guest.

not so difficult to work out!

[scorecard]

I've said it before, I'll say it again; hotel rooms and safes are not secure, pretty much all over the world.

In many hotels security over traditional turn in the lock keys is a total joke and this is true of many hotels in Thailand.

Keys ...

- Many hotels have handed out master keys to many different employees / supervisors, etc etc over decades

- In many hotels records of issue of these keys are either non existent or far from complete

- Many hotels have never bothered to demand the keys be returned when the employees leave, and a waste of time anyway because they could have easily had the keys duplicated

- Electronic keycards pretty much the same level of non secutity because in many hotels there is laz security over using the machine that enters the room code onto the plastic card when you check-in

- Many times when keycards don't work there is no proper check that the person standing at the lobby counter (saying 'my keycard doesn't work') is the person who is actually checked into the room. Sometimes there will be the question 'what is your name sir / madam', but no check that the person standing there is that person

Room safes......

- I travelled all of Asia for 12 years, for my work, stayed in many many hotels, many times 3 hotels in a week.

- Many times my staff travelling with forgot the button operated combination to the room safe

- Many times junior security staff / young bell boys / junior housekeeping staff were despatched to the rooms and opened the safes easily and within a couple of seconds

I learned quickly to travel with only what I needed and to keep passports, phones, notebooks etc., with me at all times, plus a copy of passport etc., well hidden inside of a suitcase or similar

[NamKangMan]

Who said it was a master key???!!

if it was a master key, then why did he only rob ONE room?

obviously he stayed in that room before and he copied the key... and then he came back later to steal from another hotel guest.

not so difficult to work out!

The "master key" for that specific room safe. If the batteries go flat, or the guest forgets his combination, there is a key to open the safe, not all the safes in the hotel, just the one in that specific room.

Edited March 14, 2013 by NamKangMan

[david555]

Watch this new "electronic masterkey" for electronic locks , for high end locks...;