What you expect that police will do?

My GF's low life brother helped us to move from place A to B, and while "helping" he decided to steal my 20k baht camera. He then when asked told us that we forgot it in his car and told he will bring it soon. Well, then next week or two came bunch of excuses until my GF threatened to go to police and the guy told that he took the camera to pawn shop. He asked 1 more day and that he will get it back.

Now that 1 more day is gone and time to get BIB involved. What you think they will do or nothing?

I am surprised he bothered stealing a camera of that value.

He probably thought its only cheap,it won't be missed.

police, <deleted> him, he stole it, get the police involved if you do not have it back asap.

In pawn shop already?

Camera bye bye.

Sorry, but the best you can get out of this very unfortunate situation is some punishment for the thief.

Things are not being stolen by family members. They are just being borrowed

They will take it seriously but not worth the trouble and you shouldn't want to be the agent of his misfortune. Have his sister make sure that the camera is in safe hands then wait for him to redeem it for you.

Personally I might prefer him to default because that would be one family member for whom you would have no responsibility, but he might not be all bad. Redeeming the camera yourself would be small price to pay for getting rid of him as a potential dependant.

I'd just go get it back myself.

Then he is forever OUT of the circle of trust. You do not want to be out of the circle of trust. There's no coming back. Ever.

Buy the camera back yourself, without any form of punishment of the thief, will send out a very special signal.

Things are not being stolen by family members. They are just being borrowed

Great avatar!

I "missed" a Baht20K camera but being forgetful could not 100% blame theft.

I had all the essential accessories and when they went missing, I knew it was the maid.

I got a go-between and offered 5K for it's return.

"Give the 5K"

"NO, only when the camera comes back"

Exchange words betwee maid and go-between.

"Don't you trust her ?"..indignantly .

Things are not being stolen by family members. They are just being borrowed

Great avatar!

the one and only Afro-ninja

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BEtIoGQxqQs

He helped you move, so he probably figures that he deserved some kind of gratitude.

Friend of mine had a similar issue with his laptop some years ago.

Turned out that the "brother" actually was the husband.

A real brother.....or the Thai BF "brother" type ?

Take him to the pawn shop and see how much it will cost to get it back (if it is available, or if the cost is such that you should just get a new better one).

Tell the shop it was a stolen item.

Don't get the police involved, it will come between you and your wife, and the family.

Write it off.

Never ever ever let him darken your door again......... ensure the wife grasps that!

Give him a week to return your camera, making clear that is non-negotiable and that failure to comply will result in him becoming an ex-brother-in-law as far as you are concerned - not welcome in your house due to risk of theft; refuse to go anywhere that he is likely to be etc. When the deadline is passed repurchase your camera, if you are still interested in it, and implement the sanctions strictly. I had a similar situation with someone I was helping to educate 10 years ago, although not one of my wife's relations. Write him off. You'll be glad you did it.

I think you should make it the girlfriends responsibility to negotiate with him. Make it clear to her that if the camera is not returned all extra payments such as for makeup and family stop until the amount has been made up.

A friend, against his better judgment lent his Thai brother in law 20,000 Baht for some hair brained business idea. He made it clear to his wife when he reluctantly handed over the money that he had no hopes that the debt would be repaid. That this was perhaps more of a gesture of good will. His wife was indignant saying that the debt would be repaid within the time frame and questioned why did the foreigner always think bad of Thai people. Many moons later I was talking to my friend and as we spoke he recalled that the same debt had not been repaid as promised. He rang his wife who in turn called her brother in deepest Isaan. Result? His wife called him back and berated my friend for lending the 20,000 baht to her brother knowing full well that he could never repay the debt.

Rule number 1 in Thailand, keep brothers, in law or not in law, as far away as possible and make that very clear to your wife or girlfriend!

Forget about him bringing you the camera back, just get it yourself, as other mentioned it gives a string signal that you can remind them of later.

By law here this would probably not be seen as theft, but as embezzlement, not as severe a crime as theft. Anyway if you want the police to do something you have to pay them too.

Take him to the pawn shop and see how much it will cost to get it back (if it is available, or if the cost is such that you should just get a new better one).

Tell the shop it was a stolen item.

Don't get the police involved, it will come between you and your wife, and the family.

Write it off.

Never ever ever let him darken your door again......... ensure the wife grasps that!

Sensible advice. It's not worth the aggravation it would cause between you and the Misses.

any usual family contributions will be deducted until u have enough brass to buy a new camera

Welcome to Thailand

About a decade ago, when my wife was only my gf of 10 months or so, her brother stole a few thousand baht from my pants pocket in the room I was staying in at the house. He was 16 and a trouble maker. I went straight to the mother and said I thought someone had taken my $. She did some sniffing around and he denied it, although I was pretty sure. He managed to hold onto it, but the parents were mortified and apologized. I told them that I was fine, but that that was my money for our visit, so, we couldn't do all the stuff we had planned with the family.

A few days after I left, the brother ended up confessing to the mother. She really laid into him and then told my wife that she was extremely sorry and that the kid cried about it. After that, we never spoke about it, but the kid grew up and knows better now and we get along well.

I probably wouldn't involve the police, but try to teach the guy a lesson some way (I guess if he is older, he is already set in his ways). Enlist the gf's help in this. Have her get him and march him down to the place he pawned it at. Price will vary depend on the type of camera. I know I bought myself a new laptop out that someone in the family had pawned and decided not to recover for 2,500. So, if it is a point and click thing, he probably just got 1000 or so for it. See if he can pay something (probably can't) and then get it back yourself. Use shaming techniques as you do all this. And, like everyone said, he is out of the DeNiro circle of trust. One positive thing is that you probably don't have to worry about him ever asking you for anything in the future.

Get the reciept off him from the pawn shop so he cannot retrieve it again , then call the police with the evidence that it has been stolen, then the guy sold your personel property.

Go to the pawn shop and buy it back for the amount he recieved which should be below market price.

Tell the guy that you want the money you have had to pay out and he is now banned from your house for ever. .

Nice family...should be smooth sailing if/when you marry the girl.

They will take it seriously but not worth the trouble and you shouldn't want to be the agent of his misfortune. Have his sister make sure that the camera is in safe hands then wait for him to redeem it for you.

Personally I might prefer him to default because that would be one family member for whom you would have no responsibility, but he might not be all bad. Redeeming the camera yourself would be small price to pay for getting rid of him as a potential dependant.

Anybody who thinks he has any responsibility, financially or otherwise, for anyone but his wife and kids is off his head. In saying that, if the wifes mum and dad are old and you are OK financially, it is nice to give them something now and again.

I think you should make it the girlfriends responsibility to negotiate with him. Make it clear to her that if the camera is not returned all extra payments such as for makeup and family stop until the amount has been made up.

I don't agree, you can choose your friends, but you can't choose your family. What you want to do would be very unfair on the wife.

OP, just go to the pawn shop and buy it back (if it is there) and chalk the whole thing up to experience.

After that, think long and hard about whether or not you want to stay with the gf, or in Thailand for that matter. Get used to this type of behavior because you will be dealing with it as long as you are here, no matter what gf you have. Thais are Thais.

OP, just go to the pawn shop and buy it back (if it is there) and chalk the whole thing up to experience.

After that, think long and hard about whether or not you want to stay with the gf, or in Thailand for that matter. Get used to this type of behavior because you will be dealing with it as long as you are here, no matter what gf you have. Thais are Thais.

Hello, They are not all bad, they are not all thieves, they are not all poor. There sure are good ones to find.

In pawn shop already?

Camera bye bye.

Sorry, but the best you can get out of this very unfortunate situation is some punishment for the thief.

Starting with a dam good old A@# whipping,,