$1,000 Euros stolen, thief confesses......then this.

[eyecatcher]

Sadly and the reality is, we have all been there.....and as we get older that famous saying comes into play.....you learn by your mistakes.

we cannot interpret every eventuality or problem arising but from my point of view I certainly now to prefer to learn from someone elses mistakes.

Here,here to TV for highlighting the stupidity, the scams, the corruption and the other dangers we are faced with.

Sent via tin can and string after pigeon shot

[ezzra]

What does their clothing, their age, their loudness or the fact that they smoke have to do with the theft?

I think he has just finished reading a mickey Spillane crime novel and he's just trying

to paint us the scenes....

[jackinbkk]

My first port of call is always to deposit the holiday spending money in my wife's Thai bank account. When needing to pay for 2 to 3 weeks of hotel stay it's a fair chunk of change. I often move about and don't know where I'll be staying day to day so I don't pay in advance.

I still kept a few hundred with me, well hidden. Out of sight, out of mind.

[Dimpys Dad]

Being ripped off is never a good feeling and being upset when it happens is a normal reaction. But nearly all hotel accommodations have a notice somewhere in the room that says not to leave valuables unsecured in the room. One reason for it is liability, the other is just good advice that the wise usually follow.

[tangcoral]

To this day, I dont understand why anyone would leave $1000 in the room other than the safe deposit box.

Few months ago a friend staying at a bangkok hotel had $1200USD in hundreds stored in his luggage, when they checked out there was only $500 left, some of which were in smaller denominations like $10's and $5's

Edited December 16, 2013 by tangcoral

[Africanteacher]

I'd be louder than them all, if you touched my hard-earned 100Baht! Heck, I'd take up smoking, if it meant getting my money back.

[Suradit69]

What does their clothing, their age, their loudness or the fact that they smoke have to do with the theft?

but hearing them yell and curse and smoke

You could hear them smoke?

[Andre0720]

What does their clothing, their age, their loudness or the fact that they smoke have to do with the theft?

Character

[lemoncake]

Moral of the story: Don't stay in cheap guesthouses and don't trust cleaning staff.

They have all sorts of tricks like take cameras/phones , etc. and put them somewhere like the back of the drawer so that if you forget them, they can take them, if you raise the alarm they can point it out.

It makes no difference cheap or expansive hotel, staff are staff and thieves are thieves.

As i said, stealing by staff is on the rise in Thailand and even when caught red handed, police does not take any action.

It just simply sucks and makes all other honest staff look bad, but sadly nothing can be done, even more so inside the room where it is not possible to have CCTV

My entire hotel is covered with CCTV and a pretty good one and yet i still catch staff stealing-right in front of the camera and when police i called, they do absolutely nothing, no matter the amount of theft.

[Sloopydee]

What does their clothing, their age, their loudness or the fact that they smoke have to do with the theft?

Type of clothing, loudness and smoking have everything to do with how one will be percieved by Thais, and thus how they will be treated.

Thai 101.

Just look at the number of guesthouses saying No Israelis here due to the first two I mentioned.

Welcome to Thailand and Thais Sustento.

[PhillyBoy]

The cleaning lady was rehired by the hotel......

[johnnycthedog]

I like to stay in a particular clean guesthouse in Krabi township when I am travelling through that region. Much cheaper than Ao Nang and with a car it's no trouble to go to Ao Nang for the day. I've never had any trouble in several stays there.

I recommended it to a friend travelling through that way. Thought I'd check up on current prices etc on Trip Advisor. Dismayed to see several reports from travellers about money being stolen from rooms there. Most likely by cleaners.

Whether Chang Mai or Krabi or anywhere else it seems to be a common problem.

Only way to avoid this is by not putting temptation before these lowly paid and hard working cleaners, some of whom are thieves when given a chance for easy money or goods. I'd guess that for every person who has had money stolen from their room there are probably a lot, lot more who have had someone go through their suitcase etc and found nothing worth stealing.

The vast majority of tourists cannot open a Thai Bank Account and some cannot deposit funds into an account available for overseas use with ATM access. Having said that it doesn't pay to travel with large sums of money on your person in any country. Where you can use a bank account(s) with overseas ATM access links you shouldn't need a large amount of cash.

There will always be tourists who get into trouble. Sometimes of their own making and sometimes just damn bad luck.

[tingtongteesood]

When the only punishment is a 500 baht fine and done, why wouldn't anyone try and steal whatever they can get their dirty little hands on ? ( Apart from morals, ethics and scruples ) You have very little to lose and maybe a lot to gain.

[stuartd1]

Google "portable safe for travel" for a way to avoid this

[FolkGuitar]

The "PacSafe" company makes a very handy steel mesh drawstring bag (covered with nylon cloth and the drawstring is a steel cable) that comes in three different sizes; about the size A-6, size A-4, and size B-4. I find the A-4 size is perfect for holding travel money, mobile phone, tablet, small pocket cameras, etc., passport, just about anything I don't want to be carrying all the time, but need to feel safe about leaving it behind. This bag locks, of course, and you can either lock it inside a room lock box, lock it to a steel pipe in the room, or as I often do in cheaper guest houses that don't have lock boxes in the room (which I don't trust on their own anyway,) give the bag to the front desk to lock in their safe. I feel somewhat secure knowing that even if the front desk people are dishonest, they will not be able to get at the contents of this bag without leaving some trace. Good lightweight travel insurance...

[stoli]

If money is not left in the room the temptation is not there.

I was waiting for someone to blame the victim. This sounds like knowledge picked up in a jail cell.

[DeeMockMark]

To this day, I dont understand why anyone would leave $1000 in the room other than the safe deposit box.

Few months ago a friend staying at a bangkok hotel had $1200USD in hundreds stored in his luggage, when they checked out there was only $500 left, some of which were in smaller denominations like $10's and $5's

That was considerate of the thieves.

[DeeMockMark]

If money is not left in the room the temptation is not there.

I was waiting for someone to blame the victim. This sounds like knowledge picked up in a jail cell.

Or a world that is not fair. Just being pragmatic. Not blaming anyone. You do what you need to do to to take care of yourself. I trust my housekeeper. But I don't tempt my housekeeper. Now if I leave money around and she steals it. She is at fault and I am inconvenienced. Not only am I out of money but I have to find a new housekeeper. Wake up Stoli. The one time I have been in jail is for jaywalking and talking back to a cop. Now who fault was that? Luckily I have grown wiser. Have you? Edited December 16, 2013 by DeeMockMark

[sustento]

What does their clothing, their age, their loudness or the fact that they smoke have to do with the theft?

but hearing them yell and curse and smoke

You could hear them smoke?

They don't call cigarettes 'gaspers' for nothing.

[Chicog]

A friend of mine had his wallet nicked from the bar when his back was turned. His wife pointed out that he had his bleep attached to it, so he phoned it from reception and it went off in a bag nearby.

Turned out an expat on his way home from Saudi had nicked it.

So you can't just have a go at poverty stricken cleaning staff.

[puukao]

Of course it matters what they looked like. one, it adds color to the story. two, wake up and realize how the world works. druggies, fatties, old people, etc... are of course going to be treated differently. same with race. next time a guy shows up to your room with 100 face tattoos, i'm sure you will think the same as if it was jesus himself. whatever. go hug a smoker who disrespects the dress code of thailand!! haha.

the cleaning lady moved the camera, used her key, and got some cash.......and these smoking tourists were likely not very nice to the staff before it happened. yes, this makes them more likely to be a victim. blah, blah, nobody deserves to get robbed, but it happened and these tourists should have done more. 1. been more nice. 2. took their money with them. i don't trust any place in thailand. or most other countries. so, use common sense.

[lemoncake]

Of course it matters what they looked like. one, it adds color to the story. two, wake up and realize how the world works. druggies, fatties, old people, etc... are of course going to be treated differently. same with race. next time a guy shows up to your room with 100 face tattoos, i'm sure you will think the same as if it was jesus himself. whatever. go hug a smoker who disrespects the dress code of thailand!! haha.

the cleaning lady moved the camera, used her key, and got some cash.......and these smoking tourists were likely not very nice to the staff before it happened. yes, this makes them more likely to be a victim. blah, blah, nobody deserves to get robbed, but it happened and these tourists should have done more. 1. been more nice. 2. took their money with them. i don't trust any place in thailand. or most other countries. so, use common sense.

Sorry mate, but totally disagree with you.

It is irrelevant how rude, nasty, druggie, ugly or whatever else they were. It is no reason to steal from them

There is absolutely no excuse on this planet why they were robbed, it is solely the fault of the thief, ie the maid.

There are a number of other ways to treat "bad" guests to make their life hell, however stealing from them is NOT one of the ways

[CobraSnakeNecktie]

People who are loud, colorful, rude etc are probably not great to steal from anyway.

Would kind of figure they would make quite a stink.

So the crime was poorly planned and executed.

FAIL

[shaurene]

If I could bloody understand what you were saying I might be able to give answer, sorry, talk English.

[claffey]

Aziz Javaid a Brit - whatever next ?

don't look like no brit to me!

Correct....He seems to be missing the tats & tank top shirt

bunch oak MP MN b

V

Sent from my Vodafone Smart II using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[Skint]

Of course it matters what they looked like. one, it adds color to the story. two, wake up and realize how the world works. druggies, fatties, old people, etc... are of course going to be treated differently. same with race. next time a guy shows up to your room with 100 face tattoos, i'm sure you will think the same as if it was jesus himself. whatever. go hug a smoker who disrespects the dress code of thailand!! haha.

the cleaning lady moved the camera, used her key, and got some cash.......and these smoking tourists were likely not very nice to the staff before it happened. yes, this makes them more likely to be a victim. blah, blah, nobody deserves to get robbed, but it happened and these tourists should have done more. 1. been more nice. 2. took their money with them. i don't trust any place in thailand. or most other countries. so, use common sense.

A bit of an anal post, bear in mind these people are paying customers they deserve a bit of respect the owner would do well to remember that right he now he sounds a bit of a w4nker.

[NeverSure]

The only way to be certain that you won't be robbed is to refrain from wearing a wife beater and shorts, and smoking and being loud. That's known the world over.

When I check into a hotel guest house I always leave an empty wallet on the bed. Without fail someone feels sorry for me and stuffs it full of cash.

[mmh8]

if you bring 1000 euro on a trip and it is stolen it is your bloody problem. No hotel 5 star down to the lowest straw hut will take responsibility for your money.

I've travelled with money in socks, in pockets in the bank etc. I've never lost 1000 euro . If you are responsible enough to take that money with you, you are responsible for holding onto it.

no worries op, I guess if you own a hotel or guest house that is part and parcel of your life

Edited December 16, 2013 by mmh8

[jacko45k]

Does your friend have the usual sign...?

The Hotel is not responsible for valuables left in your room.

Use the safes provided.

Stupid tourists leaving money around (although they might just be naive tourists coming from a country where stealing doesn't happen).

Cleaning lady couldn't resist it.

The police frequently take a cut of any compensation or refunds.......

Why do I wonder if it really was 1000 Euros?

[aveabeeror2]

What in gods name are you on about? "Did this happen,did that happen,I don't know,will ask TV".