omanrob Posted May 31, 2013 Share Posted May 31, 2013 Been to BKK several times and never had a problem, never lock my cases so they have never been opened. One good tip for some new travellers to BKK airport, when you arrive at the terminal, go up the escalators to departure level and pick up one of the taxi's there to the main city. Ensure they use a meter as the charges are normally around 220BHT as these guys have just dropped off. Never failed me yet Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
omanrob Posted May 31, 2013 Share Posted May 31, 2013 (edited) Happy Days Edited May 31, 2013 by omanrob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
belg Posted May 31, 2013 Share Posted May 31, 2013 just go to any mall toilet, while you take ur willy for a spin, you will see female cleaners come to inspect ur thingie and that of your neighbors, well actuall cleaning the floor or whatever Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
omanrob Posted May 31, 2013 Share Posted May 31, 2013 just go to any mall toilet, while you take ur willy for a spin, you will see female cleaners come to inspect ur thingie and that of your neighbors, well actuall cleaning the floor or whatever Fair enough but in Paris, boys and girls use the same toilets, at the same time really odd coming from the UK to see that for the first time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HerbalEd Posted May 31, 2013 Share Posted May 31, 2013 18 months is a very long time in Bangkok ..... Depends who you are. Time flies when you're having fun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HerbalEd Posted May 31, 2013 Share Posted May 31, 2013 it was a nice welcome back to the LOS at the time. How long ago was this? I was about 18 months, just curious as to wether it still goes on and if others experienced this. I was kind of stunned as it's usually done by men. That's why its called security....they check things...dunno why the men comment is relevant Aren't you blasé. Maybe you get searched by security upon arrival in BKK, but it's actually very unusual. And women frisking men is very rare indeed ... but not for you, eh? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HerbalEd Posted May 31, 2013 Share Posted May 31, 2013 . Breaking into a locked, zipped suitcase with the humble pen ... That lady I was buying my suitcases from (the same style as in the video) alerted me to this. Apparently, there is one expensive brand where this trick (don't remember which as it was about double what I could afford), due to the zipper style, this can't be done. Just a heads up ... . Just buy a Samsonite with no zipper and combination lock,problem solved! I wish it was that simple ... these basic locks simply deter the honest thieves. Combination locks are also easy to detect the combination. But, agreed, the hard case (Samsonite) style they are a less easy target then the fabric suitcase. . Locking your luggage is just begging for security to break the lock or cut them off. If they are locks you attach yourself then you just lose the lock ... if they are locks that are part of the bag/case, then the lock gets broken and the bag/case gets damaged. I travel a lot and in all my USA domestic flights ... plus going out of and into the USA on many international flights ... my checked bag is opened and inspected by US security on about half of those flights. I know when this happens because inside the bag is an official card stating that the bag has been opened and inspected. But here's an interesting twist: A friend stashed a small vial of weed inside a shoe in his checked bag. Upon arriving home he looked inside the shoe and his vial of weed was still there, but with a US security inspection card wrapped around it. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HerbalEd Posted May 31, 2013 Share Posted May 31, 2013 2 women doing frisk search why complain ? I didn't see where he was complaining. But on the subject (locks removed) if it's done anywhere in the world you can bet your bottom $$$$$ that it will be here..... I don't believe that ... and I bet you have no evidence or even experience to indicate such. Given that I've arrived at and departed from BKK airports literally hundreds of times, I've yet to see any evidence of my checked bags ever being opened. If breaking locks at the airport is as common as you fantasize, then unlocked bags would be opened much more often. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manarak Posted May 31, 2013 Share Posted May 31, 2013 But here's an interesting twist: A friend stashed a small vial of weed inside a shoe in his checked bag. Upon arriving home he looked inside the shoe and his vial of weed was still there, but with a US security inspection card wrapped around it.must have been bad weed with too low THC I just use some twisted metal wire on my luggage to prevent the zippers from opening. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IsaanUSA Posted May 31, 2013 Share Posted May 31, 2013 Has anyone seen or experienced this. Yes, of course. Japanese ladies pat you down in Japan, Chinese ladies pat you down in China, etc. I assumed the USA was the only country where men patted down men and women patted down women. Padlocks on a suitcase? Of course they will be missing. They had to cut them to inspect your luggage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HidyHo Posted May 31, 2013 Share Posted May 31, 2013 All my checked in luggage are locked with TSA locks. I don't think I've ever lost one ... even if few were opened for inspection. I travel frequently between BKK and SIN and less frequently between SIN and other locations (mostly to SFO). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guzzi850m2 Posted May 31, 2013 Share Posted May 31, 2013 I never had my luggage/myself checked upon arrival in Thailand, just go right though the green exit and I been though many times the last 15 years. I was doing some oil offshore work in the Philippines in 2012 and every time I collected my suitcase in BKK when coming back here for holidays the Samsonite strap lock was tampered with. Only clothes in the suitcase so nothing was missing. I flew in from Singapore last Tuesday and I had my old netbook pc in my checked in suitcase as I bought a new pc in Singapore so I was a bit nervous if it was still there, but yes it was there thankfully. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LesT21 Posted May 31, 2013 Share Posted May 31, 2013 Headed back over in August, is it possible to make reservations for the pat-down? Would be a nice boost after the long flight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Mamma Posted May 31, 2013 Share Posted May 31, 2013 Many years ago, as I took out my shlong to pee, the little guy cleaning in the bathroom next to me was actually a little gal. A little gal with big round eyes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SunsetT Posted May 31, 2013 Share Posted May 31, 2013 I put very small cheap padlocks on my zips just as a deterrent to the opportunist thief who could otherwise slip his hand in and out with something very quickly. It also keeps the zips closed so nothing can spill out. I've been doing this in and out of BKK for years, and always transiting somewhere en route. Not had a lock removed yet and, touch wood, never had anything stolen. Have u ever noticed that inside the front zip on cheaper fabric suitcases (Never had an expensive one!), there is a very thin separating membrane to the main compartment, which could be cut easily, some contents removed, and zip closed again so no-one would notice. Hence my little padlock or sometimes a plastic electrical tie to prevent this. Having said this, experience tells me that, these days, airline baggage is pretty secure and very rarely tampered with. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hawker9000 Posted May 31, 2013 Share Posted May 31, 2013 Have been using the TSA locks for years, then take a quick photo of the locked bag before checking-in. 'Never been tampered with either in Thailand or the US. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
F4UCorsair Posted May 31, 2013 Share Posted May 31, 2013 I use tiny padlocks on every zip fastener, and never had any removed, anywhere in the world. I once had a small opening made in a duffel bag (knife or similar) in Singapore so they could poke a sniffer probe in. I wouldn't mind a female pat down one bit!! Never so lucky, and always get a man, but now the full body scanners are being rolled out, I'll go for those. I have a steel hip joint, and it's inconvenient going back and forward through the arch progressively removing, belt, shoes, etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimbob1 Posted May 31, 2013 Share Posted May 31, 2013 (edited) To the OP ... yes, I do the padlock thing on the zippers also ... and I've had them tampered with before ... sometimes they come through with those electrician ties on them. Last time leaving Swampy (earlier this year), I this sticker attached ... LR P5310009.JPG Anyone else has this? . Yes I had one of these last year .... I think it was because I packed a lot of camera / computer cables / electrical power board and batteries together .... Must have look rather suspicious through the X-Ray ... Edited May 31, 2013 by Jimbob1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wpcoe Posted May 31, 2013 Share Posted May 31, 2013 Here's an old video showing how easy it is to gain access to any zippered luggage -- padlock or not: Before I retired, I used to commute between Bangkok and Tokyo a couple times per month and in a period of about two years my locked, checked suitcase was broken into at least six times. The first time they got a small digital camera and did not rifle through the bag, they went directly to where it was -- under clothing at the bottom of the bag. I suspect it was someone who could watch the security x-ray machines in the bowels of the airport. One time they stole some Taiwan money -- about US$15 worth -- it is useless unless you are in the country of Taiwan to exchange or use it, but obviously on the x-ray they couldn't determine the nationality of the currency. The other times, nothing was stolen, but it was obvious that things in the bag had been moved around. And, for those folks who believe that only airport security personnel have access to the master keys for "TSA-approved" locks -- perhaps you are a bit naive? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spectre324 Posted June 1, 2013 Share Posted June 1, 2013 it was a nice welcome back to the LOS at the time. How long ago was this? the locks were probably removed by the security people at the air port especially if you left the U.S. as for the search, bring it on! especially women! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishhooks Posted June 1, 2013 Share Posted June 1, 2013 You need to use locks marked TSA. They have a seperate keyhole and only airport bag checkers have a key for it. Apparently....If not they will just cut them off if they want to have a look in your bags. People put locks on their bags because they believe it is so easy for someone to put illegal narcotics in your bag and use your bag to smuggle the dope to another country. I have no way of knowing just how easy this is or how often it happens, if ever. But I don't take chances, especially when the penalties are high and the law enforcement in parts of Asia is, ahem, different. I either use separate TSA locks or TSA locks that are built into the suitcase - there is one brand that designs this into a suitcase that is made of aluminum. And the case is sealed when shut properly and so impossible to even cut the case or otherwise hide the drugs in another compartment in the case. As the suitcase lasts for years, I bought one - it even doubles as a "safe" in those hotels where safes don't exist. You just make sure that there is other stuff in the case so that it is heavy - the thief would have to carry out the entire case or make a huge amount of noise trying to break open the locks. Not impossible but enough to make him/her seek out a softer target ...............And Get ready with your wallet for the "Very Reasonable" excess baggage charges! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdamRich Posted June 1, 2013 Share Posted June 1, 2013 What was your routing? Carrier? Locks do get removed by security - departing the U.S. that would be CPB. Best to not even use them. Or they get snapped off in normal handling. You can probably request a male pat down if you are uncomfortable with a female. Here in Asia it is not unusual to have women doing this. UA does a secondary at the gate, here ex-BKK, with mostly female security personnel. CBP (Customs and Border Protection) does not deal with outbound luggage. That jurisdiction belongs to TSA (Transportation Security Administration). There is no outbound inspection by immigration or customs in the USA as there are in most other countries. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
indyuk Posted June 1, 2013 Share Posted June 1, 2013 it was a nice welcome back to the LOS at the time. How long ago was this? I was about 18 months, just curious as to wether it still goes on and if others experienced this. I was kind of stunned as it's usually done by men. Searching you as an operational exception, probaly thought you were a butch dyke lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scully Posted June 1, 2013 Share Posted June 1, 2013 Carry on luggage has all my expensive items, check in luggage has clothes, toileteries etc so no need for any locks. Why would anybody else do different ?. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lomatopo Posted June 1, 2013 Share Posted June 1, 2013 What was your routing? Carrier? Locks do get removed by security - departing the U.S. that would be CPB. Best to not even use them. Or they get snapped off in normal handling. You can probably request a male pat down if you are uncomfortable with a female. Here in Asia it is not unusual to have women doing this. UA does a secondary at the gate, here ex-BKK, with mostly female security personnel. CBP (Customs and Border Protection) does not deal with outbound luggage. That jurisdiction belongs to TSA (Transportation Security Administration). There is no outbound inspection by immigration or customs in the USA as there are in most other countries. My checked baggage almost always gets checked by CPB TSA at my first departing airport, leaving the U.S.A. I always pack a box of 'goodies' which gets checked as baggage through to BKK, and this box always gets opened and examined by TSA. I know because they leave, re-seal the box using duct tape, and leave a card inside the box detailing their search. I honestly thought that CPB agents did this checked baggage inspection, but clearly I was wrong. My point was that many security personnel do search outbound, checked baggage, and as you can see from the wording on the TSA card, locks can be removed. Yes, the T.S.A. is responsible for security checkpoints, unless the airport authority has contracted this to an independent service provider - as is done at SFO for example. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishhooks Posted June 1, 2013 Share Posted June 1, 2013 Carry on luggage has all my expensive items, check in luggage has clothes, toileteries etc so no need for any locks. Why would anybody else do different ?. Well, Just maybe 'anybody else' could have an 'expensive item' that it just too big or heavy to carry on? Just maybe! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
omanrob Posted June 1, 2013 Share Posted June 1, 2013 CTRL + Q to Enable/Disable GoPhoto.it CTRL + Q to Enable/Disable GoPhoto.it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
omanrob Posted June 1, 2013 Share Posted June 1, 2013 Lost Luggage Funny, ejoy folks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrWorldwide Posted June 1, 2013 Share Posted June 1, 2013 I've seen some truly bizarre stuff roll down those luggage carousels - buggered if I know how some of them got the check-in staff to accept it ! Sometimes it comes off the plane looking very secondhand - no way would I be trying to 'ship' anything expensive like that. If I cant carry it onto the flight, I wont buy it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scully Posted June 1, 2013 Share Posted June 1, 2013 Carry on luggage has all my expensive items, check in luggage has clothes, toileteries etc so no need for any locks. Why would anybody else do different ?. Well, Just maybe 'anybody else' could have an 'expensive item' that it just too big or heavy to carry on? Just maybe! Such as? Anything of value that is larger than carry on should be sent by courier, have you seen them throw the luggage off planes into transit?. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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