This evening I was enjoying a beer in a beer bar on Beach Road, there were the usual interruptions every two minutes; watches, DVD's, stun guns, photo-service, roses, wooden craftwork, etc.

Two hawkers (vendors) were potential thieves; One women with dozens, of red roses, did a rather crafty 'slight of hand trick' by thrusting the flowers into my chest and then attempting to steal my mobile telephone from my breast pocket. She nearly succeeded....so beware.

Secondly; a young child maybe 6 or 7 years of age offered to sell me chewing gum (1 packet) and with the other hand tried to pick-pocket my wallet from my FRONT pocket. Again nearly sucessful.

So, take care, if I had had more to drink I would have lost wallet and telephone.

Just a warning........

Uh normally on guard with these sorts at all times, bloody annoying gits. Add pick pockets to their endeavours and their fate is sealed.

Uh normally on guard with these sorts at all times, bloody annoying gits. Add pick pockets to their endeavours and their fate is sealed.

Should have whipped out your cellphone and dialed 1155. Get the Tourist Police on them right away, before they have a chance to successfully rip off other, less aware tourists.

I don't usually have a problem with the touts. I see them coming, make eye contact and shake my head a little bit. They usually just pass me by then.

I use to have fun with the little kids, trying to barter them down from 10 baht for their (gum/lighters). I'd offer them 6 baht, they'd say 10, I'd up my offer to 7 or 8, they'd stick to their guns and ask for 10. I'd finally relent and pay them (I would have given them 10 in any event, knowing that their parents would probably go snaky if the poor kid accepted less than that).

The kids shouldn't even be out there in the first place though. 2 in the morning and you still see them running around. Obviously not going to school. Mostly (I think) the children of people here illegally.

It's sad, but then I think, what would their lives be like if they (and their families) get sent back to where ever they came from ? Probably a lot worse.

No excuse for the theivery though.

This evening I was enjoying a beer in a beer bar on Beach Road, there were the usual interruptions every two minutes; watches, DVD's, stun guns, photo-service, roses, wooden craftwork, etc.

Two hawkers (vendors) were potential thieves; One women with dozens, of red roses, did a rather crafty 'slight of hand trick' by thrusting the flowers into my chest and then attempting to steal my mobile telephone from my breast pocket. She nearly succeeded....so beware.

Secondly; a young child maybe 6 or 7 years of age offered to sell me chewing gum (1 packet) and with the other hand tried to pick-pocket my wallet from my FRONT pocket. Again nearly sucessful.

So, take care, if I had had more to drink I would have lost wallet and telephone.

Just a warning........

That's the way the Gypsies pick pockets in Spain.