Home Invasion and Robbery of Brit-owned Apartment in Central Pattaya

[MMarlow]

"stole a bag containing 2,000 pounds sterling, their passports and other personal documents."

Having the passports I understand but why do people travel with foreign currency? You'll get a better exchange rate transferring it from the UK bank to your Thai bank than you will for exchanging cash. Am I missing something here?

Perhaps because he wanted to? You don't have to be "missing anything here", it's just none of your business.

[MMarlow]

Another sad story of a fellow foreigner meeting with misfortune, followed by posts making jokey comments about it. It could happen to you, smart as you are.

Getting robbed can happen to anyone. But events like this (7th floor apartment?) make it sound like there's much more to the story.

Only in your small, conspiratorial mind.

[marstons]

The chances of the robber encountering somebody with £2000 in cash were slim, and taking the risk of following them all the way to the 7th floor on anticipation of striking it lucky odds very slim, unless of course he knew chances were good.

[MMarlow]

So the robber walks in, around the bed, to the table, grabs the bag (they are pointing at the table

so assume the bag was on it), walks back and out and runs down the stairs, from 7th floor, outside to his motorbike (no mention of another person

already waiting on the bike) and drives off. From the CCTV frame, the robber was not particularly big. No mention he was carrying any weapons.

What were the couple doing during all this?

You mean during the, perhaps, 5 seconds it would take to grab the bag? Doubt very much that he was strolling around as you suggest.

[briboy]

my earlier post was deleted, I don't for 1 second believe the story.

[freebyrd]

Nice diggs...liven large in Pattaya.

SIR

They dont live in Pattaya

Correct, that's their posh seaside second home. A shame really, as I imagine the stolen funds were to finance a remodeling job and new furniture.

You sound like you're staright out of a Christmas Carol. Nothing better to do on Xmas Day than slag off others?

[sirchai]

"stole a bag containing 2,000 pounds sterling, their passports and other personal documents."

Having the passports I understand but why do people travel with foreign currency? You'll get a better exchange rate transferring it from the UK bank to your Thai bank than you will for exchanging cash. Am I missing something here?

you are missing that it's none of your or my business to understand why people travel with currency of any kind.

Am I missing something here? The farlong looks like he's got at least a pink belt in Teak wood do.-

[williamta20012]

What is it with all the tourist that want to take loads of cash money to Thailand. Haven't they ever heard of banks and ATM cards/machines?

Unless the money is not legal of course (tax free), well then I also don't feel sorry for them.

Merry X-mas

cyprus

U.S.

poland

russia

among many others these countries have directly had account confiscation of funds, or their banks have gone bust over the last six year, let alone the negitive real interest rates

avoiding tax? you can make volunteer contributions if 50% of your wage is not a high enough tax for you

and a warning, do not make me school you about the real tax rate, this place is tiring me out and its Christmas day, just think about it your selves or just google it

[Bikkii]

Ahhh, good ole Pattaya. It really is the dregs of the earth.

[sniffdog]

They probably asked the intruder to watch the room while they were talking to the Manager. Anyway, good to see nothing has changed in Pattaya.

[amse]

Pattaya will never fail you, it's a thieves den.

[movsrus]

I cannot understand people travelling with large amounts of cash . You risk losing it all along the way .

If they want to send money to Thai relatives , the can arrange it through their British bank .

Otherwise , far better to draw a little money at a time from an ATM .

I can understand people traveling with cash as it reduces the hassle of getting money but it also carries the danger of losing it. A suitable alternative is to buy travelers checks then go to the bank and exchange them for cash. It costs a bit to buy them- some companies in the US still offer them for free if you have the right account with them (i.e. AAA) and the banks take a bit in transaction fees but they are essentially risk free. Lose them and just call for replacements and that is the end of your worries.

I used to travel with a lot of cash and was lucky it never caused me trouble but anymore I would tell people if they feel the need to carry a large amount of money then do it with travelers checks and eliminate some of the problems that these people have had.

[kennypowers]

Strange story. They literally just arrived. Someone knew they were coming and travelling with that cash. More to the point, why the hell would you move to the UK and take your short holidays in Pattaya? Take the wife somewhere nice for your family holiday.

[hotrod4098]

thais dont go any where unless there is some thing in it for them...

1..how would they no there would be money to be stolen..

2..who told them the arrival of the people and the address...

so this is a inside job..

[JSixpack]

Strange story. They literally just arrived. Someone knew they were coming and travelling with that cash. More to the point, why the hell would you move to the UK and take your short holidays in Pattaya? Take the wife somewhere nice for your family holiday.

Pattaya has everything.

[penwithcris]

This story does sound a little strange. To keep all one's valuables in a single bag seems to be asking for trouble, and £2000 is a crazy amount of money to be carrying around Pattaya

The victim is clearly not fresh to the city having,it appears, purchased an apartment there. I could sympathise with a holidaymaker who just wanted to bring enough cash to enjoy a two or three week stay, but this gentleman and his Thai wife must have been aware of all the dangers.

I am reminded of the Thai girl who convinced her partner that she had been hypnotised by a stranger in Tops Supermarket and thousands of pounds worth of gold stolen from her person. Bonanza time for the family.

Would I be totally cynical if I believed this to be an 'inside' job? The thief seemed to be very aware of the riches on offer in the apartment? And I would have laid down my life for a £100 rather than £2000 and my passport!

[A1Str8]

The police arrived at the scene and horror gave way when they found the two victims pointing at a bag.

[Ghostnigel]

Another sad story of a fellow foreigner meeting with misfortune, followed by posts making jokey comments about it. It could happen to you, smart as you are.

You are right, but that bog-roll looks guilty to me....maybe it was an inside job!!

[Ghostnigel]

She is thinking "that was my money", he is thinking "should have lost the socks"

Haha..no mate, she's pointing at the socks, ( why didnt they nick them)

[KittenKong]

Having the passports I understand but why do people travel with foreign currency? You'll get a better exchange rate transferring it from the UK bank to your Thai bank than you will for exchanging cash. Am I missing something here?

you are missing that it's none of your or my business to understand why people travel with currency of any kind.

Nor is it any of your business that some other posters dont understand why some people carry cash, but this doesn't stop you from adding your comments and rightly so as this is a public forum.

What the victims did is indeed no-one's business but that doesn't make carrying large amounts of cash any the less stupid or inexplicable.

Had the victims had the wit to use a credit/debit card (and it is possible to do this without paying any commission or exchange-weighting fees) rather than carry cash they would be GBP2000 better off today. They may reflect on this but they probably wont, and of course that is no-one else's business either.

[Benmart]

Sometimes the best comment, is one left unsaid or not posted.

Be nice. It's contagious.

[mesquite]

Nice diggs...liven large in Pattaya.

The small, portable fan on the floor says it all.

[Ulic]

Who knows, maybe someone from the condo front office made mention of an owners arrival from out of country. Maybe the

thief just saw them arriving with baggage. My mother is 79 and is not comfortable with bank machines. She is a world traveller

and usually uses her credit card, and brings cash. For her trip here next month she will bring travellers checks. These are not

in use nearly as much as in the past but they can be ordered from her bank. 2k sterling is a lot but I have travelled with

more hundreds of times and never had a problem. Just always carried on my person. As they are not newbies and they know

the lay of the land they probably felt comfortable carrying that much cash. A mistake they now regret greatly.

Sorry for them and I hope it does not put too much of a downer on there vacation.

[Beetlejuice]

One would have to assume the man that stole the bag knew the money was in the bag and knew they were coming to that apartment. There is clearly more going on here than has been reported.

My thoughts exactly, including the passports and other valuables that just happen to be conveniently in the bag also, plus how come the couple just let the man intrude into the apartment without even attempting to stop him? As there is no mention that the guy was armed or threatening the couple with a weapon.

The guy surely had to know the said bag contained valuables before hand because I am the sure the couple would not have just stood by while the guy searched the apartment.

Just doesn`t make sense and I bet even Sherlock Holmes would have been mystified on this one.

Edited December 25, 2013 by Beetlejuice

[philliphn]

One would have to assume the man that stole the bag knew the money was in the bag and knew they were coming to that apartment. There is clearly more going on here than has been reported.

My thoughts exactly, including the passports and other valuables that just happen to be conveniently in the bag also, plus how come the couple just let the man intrude into the apartment without even attempting to stop him? As there is no mention that the guy was armed or threatening the couple with a weapon.

The guy surely had to know the said bag contained valuables before hand because I am the sure the couple would not have just stood by while the guy searched the apartment.

Just doesn`t make sense and I bet even Sherlock Holmes would have been mystified on this one.

Not every one has the physical prowess to confront a Robber. The grab can be fast, and then they run.

I think that it is generally foolish to carry such large amounts of currency in Pattaya. Only carry what you anticipate using that day. Leave the rest in the hotel safe. If you carry a lot of cash. Do

n't flash the cash.

[KC 71]

His daughter doesn't look very happy !

[balo]

What is the point of bringing 100.000 baht in cash to Pattaya ? ATM cards must be a strange alien world for this brit ,

[SheungWan]

"stole a bag containing 2,000 pounds sterling, their passports and other personal documents."

Having the passports I understand but why do people travel with foreign currency? You'll get a better exchange rate transferring it from the UK bank to your Thai bank than you will for exchanging cash. Am I missing something here?

Because some of us prefer not give our money to banking cartels to profit off.

Too late - the "banking cartel" (read Rothschild family) made their profit the minute they printed the notes you carry around and issued it as debt, and make more profit every day that you have the notes in your pocket as its value deflates.

Hello! Its the gold bug conspiracy crew popping in to make a visit. Never mind the cash, you could have lost over 25% this year without ever leaving home. Saves time and thwarts the robber at the same time.

[KittenKong]

Sometimes the best comment, is one left unsaid or not posted.

Be nice. It's contagious.

True enough, but it would make for an extremely dull forum.

[KittenKong]

Those suspecting an "inside job" or wondering why this couple were targeted may have missed this part of the original newspaper report:

"Earlier he was also seen to knock on many front doors throughout the complex."

So maybe the thief just got lucky.