Bike missing or stolen - next step?

[ClareQuilty]

Last time a bike of mine 'went missing' it was easy enough to find as the security guards at my work place informed me (apologetically) that they had had the police take it away. This time I left the bike with a friend in Khon Kaen who parked it unused at an apartment building for about a week, and now it is gone. By coincidence it is the same bike - an old Yamaha Fresh that isn't worth more than 5-6k baht by any stretch of the imagination.

Anyway, I'm going to go look into it tomorrow night, and possibly report it stolen to the Khon Kaen police. I plan to just bring the usual paperwork (owner book, passport) but I'm not extremely motivated about it. What I'm wondering is - will the police actually do anything about it?

I used to get a lot of my old cheap used cars stolen in the USA, and they would almost invariably turn up again within a few days - the purpose of stealing such cars was 'joyriding' or just getting from point A to point B, not in fact to sell the car or make money from it.

I'm wondering, why would someone steal a nearly valueless bike in Thailand? Admittedly, the bike would have been easy to steal - I think almost any key would start it or open the seat. If the purpose was joyriding, I suppose reporting it may do some good as it may turn up abandoned somewhere.. if the purpose was likely cutting it up for parts, then reporting it is probably a waste of time.

[Shurup]

you left it with a friend who parked it bla bla bla... well, if it was my friend I would ask him to cover the losses even if it's only 5-6K as there probably was no insurance on it. Then go to police and report it regardless. That what I would do.

[BSJ]

"I used to get a lot of my old cheap used cars stolen in the USA,"

Interesting, from what you say you where a 'Cheap Charlene' in the USA as well. So it would seem your buying habits in the Land Of the Plenty were identical to the Land Of Stupidity!

PS: Not that there is anything wrong with being frugal.

Edited June 23, 2013 by BSJ

[dezy1801]

'an old Yamaha Fresh that isn't worth more than 5-6k baht by any stretch of the imagination' so why bother even posting on here go buy something else. The police will more than likely have more important things to deal with other than an old bike worth 5-6k.

[Thailaw]

In your last post concerning this bike (almost 2 months ago to the day) you said that you "forgot one of my old Yamaha Fresh's [how many do you have?] on a parking lot for a few weeks, and they had the police come and haul it away (I know because the security guards told me). The bike's a bit of a lemon ..., so I haven't been motivated to go to the police station to try to get it, and its been there a month or six weeks now." Now, you have "left the bike with a friend in Khon Kaen who parked it unused at an apartment building for about a week, and now it is gone". So, basically the bike sat on a parking lot for a few weeks and then in police impound for another 4 to 6 weeks and then in an apartment building unused for about 1 week, gone around 9 weeks with little motivation on your part to do anything to retreive it. Isn't the obvious answer -- forget about it! You seem to be very good at doing that. Perhaps its present "owner" will enjoy using it and make some effort to keep up with it and its whereabouts for a change.

[Jerry Cornelius]

In your last post concerning this bike (almost 2 months ago to the day) you said that you "forgot one of my old Yamaha Fresh's [how many do you have?] on a parking lot for a few weeks, and they had the police come and haul it away (I know because the security guards told me). The bike's a bit of a lemon ..., so I haven't been motivated to go to the police station to try to get it, and its been there a month or six weeks now." Now, you have "left the bike with a friend in Khon Kaen who parked it unused at an apartment building for about a week, and now it is gone". So, basically the bike sat on a parking lot for a few weeks and then in police impound for another 4 to 6 weeks and then in an apartment building unused for about 1 week, gone around 9 weeks with little motivation on your part to do anything to retreive it. Isn't the obvious answer -- forget about it! You seem to be very good at doing that. Perhaps its present "owner" will enjoy using it and make some effort to keep up with it and its whereabouts for a change.

To lose it once is human.

To repeat the conditions of loss is .............

Fill in the blanks.

Jerry

[ClareQuilty]

Guys, I have a lot of motorbikes - its sort of inevitable that I can't get around to all of them. Funnily enough it seems like this particular one is a 'bad luck bike'.

I do have one other Fresh I've kept rented for two years straight, also bought about 6,000, took in about 24,000 in rent, so it all balances out I guess.

[BSJ]

Guys, I have a lot of motorbikes - its sort of inevitable that I can't get around to all of them. Funnily enough it seems like this particular one is a 'bad luck bike'.

I do have one other Fresh I've kept rented for two years straight, also bought about 6,000, took in about 24,000 in rent, so it all balances out I guess.

Well I am glad your not teaching Best Business Practise to the young infertile minds of LOS. With that sort of attitude they will all go broke with your help!

If you didn't lose the bike you could be renting it out making even more money....the purpose of starting a business in the first place.

[fakename]

Any bike is worth something to somebody. If you have no money, no bike, no job, and not much imagination, then any bike that can be taken, with any key, is a target. You could have put a wheel chain lock on it, and it might not have ran away. Probably taken by the neighbor hood boys, now its all parted out.

[ClareQuilty]

Thanks for the comment, fakename, I think I will just make sure I have good ignitions put in all my old bikes. I only have a couple with that 'any key' problem, and I think that its just 250-300 or so to put in a new ignition.