Unless there is more information you are leaving out, this was theft, not a robbery. There is a big difference. As a police volunteer you should know that.

Why were they left on the side of the road in Phang Na if they had paid for a trip to Phuket?

What exactly did you expect the tourist police, or any police, to do about a simple theft? Procedure is to report it at the local police station. Did they explain that they were stranded on the side of the road? I don't believe the person at 1155 would have left them stranded on the side of the road had they known that. If they have become unable to support themselves then at a minimum they should have provided the number to the German embassy. Tp are not a free taxi service.

To me theft and robbery are the exact same thing. Care to elaborate on how they are different please ? And regardless of whatever else the police should have at least come to try and find them and make sure they get somewhere safe instead of just leaving them there.

Simon43 I am glad they got to your hotel ok and I agree with your sentiments entirely ! Good on you man !

Unless there is more information you are leaving out, this was theft, not a robbery. There is a big difference. As a police volunteer you should know that.

Why were they left on the side of the road in Phang Na if they had paid for a trip to Phuket?

What exactly did you expect the tourist police, or any police, to do about a simple theft? Procedure is to report it at the local police station. Did they explain that they were stranded on the side of the road? I don't believe the person at 1155 would have left them stranded on the side of the road had they known that. If they have become unable to support themselves then at a minimum they should have provided the number to the German embassy. Tp are not a free taxi service.

To me theft and robbery are the exact same thing. Care to elaborate on how they are different please ? And regardless of whatever else the police should have at least come to try and find them and make sure they get somewhere safe instead of just leaving them there.

Simon43 I am glad they got to your hotel ok and I agree with your sentiments entirely ! Good on you man !

You know the difference when there is somebody threatening you with a gun. That is robbery.

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People reading this thread might become afraid of traveling by bus in Thailand. They should be aware that theft frequently occurs on so called backpacker buses that take only tourists, not on normal buses which are used by Thai people.

Unless there is more information you are leaving out, this was theft, not a robbery. There is a big difference. As a police volunteer you should know that.

Why were they left on the side of the road in Phang Na if they had paid for a trip to Phuket?

What exactly did you expect the tourist police, or any police, to do about a simple theft? Procedure is to report it at the local police station. Did they explain that they were stranded on the side of the road? I don't believe the person at 1155 would have left them stranded on the side of the road had they known that. If they have become unable to support themselves then at a minimum they should have provided the number to the German embassy. Tp are not a free taxi service.

To me theft and robbery are the exact same thing. Care to elaborate on how they are different please ? And regardless of whatever else the police should have at least come to try and find them and make sure they get somewhere safe instead of just leaving them there.

Robbery is the act or an instance of unlawfully taking the property of another by the use of violence or intimidation.

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/robbery

Theft is the unlawful taking of property belonging to another person with the intention of depriving the owner permanently of its possession.

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/theft

How can they have been robbed on a bus on a bus full of people? That's the first time I'm hearing this. Usually they open you bags in the luggage compartment and that would be theft. The only way to prevent this is by using hardshell suitcases that don't have zippers because zippers can be opened up with a pen and they can be closed up again by simply going moving the moving part of the zipper all the way to one end and then to the opposite end, so you won't even know it happened until you open the suitcase when you've reached your destination. I keep all my valuable things in a backpack I take with me on the bus. I also put my smelly socks and worn underwear right on top of my clothes in my suitcase to give them a nice little surprise if they decide to go through it! ;-)

People reading this thread might become afraid of traveling by bus in Thailand. They should be aware that theft frequently occurs on so called backpacker buses that take only tourists, not on normal buses which are used by Thai people.

THIS.

I keep telling tourists to just go to the bus station and buy their ticket. Its the most obvious thing yet tourists keep insisting on using the "Tours/Buses/Tourist Traps" scam shop and have their possessions stolen.

Some said they just didn't want to bother finding the bus station and rather just bought it at the first best tourist shop. Each one to their own I guess.

I told one guy to just behave like he would in his home country. If he wouldn't go to some souvenir shop to buy bus tickets in his home country then don't do it here either. He looked astonished. Some people just leave their brains and street smarts at home when coming to LOS.