Had a pair of clumsy foreigners try to lift my wallet at the soi Bukhao market this afternoon. Fortunately my wallet was in a front pocket and filled it out enough that when the pick tried to slid his fingers in I felt it right away and was able to grab him.

Their MO is the first guy (looked like early/mid 50's maybe, in good shape, mid-length whitish hair) walks past you very quickly like he's in a hurry to get somewhere, then abruptly stops directly in front of you and pretends to be talking to a baht bus driver/vendor/etc.

With you having to come to a sudden stop in a cramped area, his buddy comes up directly behind you and tries to lift your wallet.

When I grabbed the f'krs hand it was 3 inches deep in my pocket. He tried to indicate that he had just been trying to squeeze past me (yeah, in the <1 inch gap between the parked baht bus and me), and when I told him his hand was in my f'ing pocket he started going "sorry, sorry" and bobbing his head.

I couldn't see what his buddy was up to and, of course, not a cop in sight so I let him go. Would have been hard to prove anything as he never managed to get my wallet out.

The pick looked to be early/mid 40's maybe, a little pudgy, close-cropped hair (brownish ?) wearing a wife-beater (sleeveless t-shirt) and carrying in one hand what almost looked like a small red change purse and some keys. When he started going "sorry sorry" I couldn't quite place the accent. Possibly East European or Balkans.

Can never be too careful, especially when wandering around a very crowded area where people are bumping into you all the time to begin with. Next time I go down there, I will be watching out for those 2.

Does a foreign pickpocket need a work permit in Thailand?

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Thanks for the warning. I hate farang scumbags

Thanks for the warning. I hate farang scumbags

I dislike Thai scumbags too - don't you?

I am more fearful of the eurotrash here on Phuket than I am of the locals...

Is there a problem with your keyboard...it seems to be dropping the "R's"?

I've always maintained it's the farengs to be wary of; not the friendly locals.

Same as last Friday-reported on another Pattaya forum unfortunately the farang victim got picked,and if it was the same two they were seen acting suspiciously later in the afternoon in Friendship

Does a foreign pickpocket need a work permit in Thailand?

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He can't get a work permit.

This profession is reserved for Thai in Thailand.

Pity that you didn't manage to break his fingers..... Anyway, thx for the heads up.

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OP, you should have knocked him to the ground, and then done in front of all and sundry, some ""classic"" finger-pointing.

Good opportunity wasted.

Occasionally Farangs run out of money but want to stay (by all means). They have to generate some income to accomplish this. The few Farang pick-pockets can't do that much harm.

- The other kind of Farang pick-pocket is far more dangerous. Focusing in on "new-farang-arrivals" with the intent to sell them everything, ranging from condo's to health-insurance up to "discounted" gold-jewellery. They can do far more damage than a Soi Buakao pick-pocket.

Generally they are known as white-collar-criminals. Needless to say they do not qualify as "quality-tourists" or "quality-expats" in the eyes of the TAT.

What to do do? Asking for references is always good and above all: "Can I see your work-permit please"? Amen.

Cheers.

Occasionally Farangs run out of money but want to stay (by all means). They have to generate some income to accomplish this. The few Farang pick-pockets can't do that much harm.

- The other kind of Farang pick-pocket is far more dangerous. Focusing in on "new-farang-arrivals" with the intent to sell them everything, ranging from condo's to health-insurance up to "discounted" gold-jewellery. They can do far more damage than a Soi Buakao pick-pocket.

Generally they are known as white-collar-criminals. Needless to say they do not qualify as "quality-tourists" or "quality-expats" in the eyes of the TAT.

What to do do? Asking for references is always good and above all: "Can I see your work-permit please"? Amen.

Cheers.

I have an easier way...I do very little business, and now actually none, with farangs.

OP, you should have knocked him to the ground, and then done in front of all and sundry, some ""classic"" finger-pointing.

Good opportunity wasted.

Opportunity for what? Why bother making a song and dance about it? To what end? For every pick-pocket you apprehend 10 will come along to replace them.

Everyone should hang onto their wallets tightly no matter where they are. It should never be kept anywhere that it can slide out undetected.

I would have just walked away happy that I still had my wallet and made a resolve to be more careful in future. The pick-pocket actually taught the OP a valuable lesson... a free lesson at that.

Edited April 4, 201412 yr by tropo

Occasionally Farangs run out of money but want to stay (by all means). They have to generate some income to accomplish this. The few Farang pick-pockets can't do that much harm.

- The other kind of Farang pick-pocket is far more dangerous. Focusing in on "new-farang-arrivals" with the intent to sell them everything, ranging from condo's to health-insurance up to "discounted" gold-jewellery. They can do far more damage than a Soi Buakao pick-pocket.

Generally they are known as white-collar-criminals. Needless to say they do not qualify as "quality-tourists" or "quality-expats" in the eyes of the TAT.

What to do do? Asking for references is always good and above all: "Can I see your work-permit please"? Amen.

Cheers.

I have an easier way...I do very little business, and now actually none, with farangs.

You seem to love these threads. Whenever a "farang" (whatever you mean by that) does something bad it gives you an excuse to unleash your hatred on the whole of the world (all non-Thais).

There's good and bad everywhere. You always have to be careful no matter where you are.

Edited April 4, 201412 yr by tropo

Anytime I go to a very crowded area, anywhere in the world, I use safety pins to close my pockets shut. Problem solved.

Anytime I go to a very crowded area, anywhere in the world, I use safety pins to close my pockets shut. Problem solved.

Interesting solution but I don't fancy having to always have them on me. I just move my wallet to a front pocket and if it's really a crowded space, like a bus/subway, I'll put my hand in my wallet pocket. An inside coat/jacket does the trick in cooler Western climes.

Interesting to note the increasingly desperate or financially destitute farang tourists and/or residents in Pattaya these days.

OP, you should have knocked him to the ground, and then done in front of all and sundry, some ""classic"" finger-pointing.

Good opportunity wasted.

Opportunity for what? Why bother making a song and dance about it? To what end? For every pick-pocket you apprehend 10 will come along to replace them.

Everyone should hang onto their wallets tightly no matter where they are. It should never be kept anywhere that it can slide out undetected.

I would have just walked away happy that I still had my wallet and made a resolve to be more careful in future. The pick-pocket actually taught the OP a valuable lesson... a free lesson at that.

Indeed, the fact there were two of them has to be considered.

Plus getting stabbed

Getting stabbed isn't an option

Edited April 4, 201412 yr by soihok

Many of you wil laugh at 'Buddha' - the guy is seriously overweight - but watch the vid and ask yourself if something inconspicuous like the Yawara stick *might* give you a little more confidence if confronted by these lowlifes. I'm not suggesting that it will turn anyone into Seagal or Van Damme - far from it - but you dont have to spend 6+ hours a week training with guys half your age either. I'm also a big fan of the walking cane as a self defence tool, but most here wont have any part of the image of 'old man with walking cane' : fair enough. The Yawara could even be shaped to something more akin to sex aid for those who are so inclined, and I've yet to see similar use for a walking cane !

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZGkY703djCc

There are much younger and more proficient Escrima guys on YT, but again you would need to invest considerable time (and pain ..) to achieve that level of mastery.

Interesting to note the increasingly desperate or financially destitute farang tourists and/or residents in Pattaya these days.

Perhaps another crackdown on back-to-back visa exemptions and tourist visas is in order ? These guys are probably well past their last visa expiry date, but how often do you see the BiB checking such things in the fiscal feeding frenzy that tourists bring to Pattaya ?

I hope the ladyboy mafia sort these guys out for working on their turf.

Does a foreign pickpocket need a work permit in Thailand?

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He can't get a work permit.

This profession is reserved for Thai in Thailand.

Topic is "foreign pickpockets" and of course that's one more excuse to Thai bash.

"This profession is reserved for Thai in Thailand. "

So you have to be Thai to be a foreign pickpocket??

Fortunately being an illogical foreign social commentator appears to be open to all comers here at the hub of seeing things with tunnel vision.

If you caught him with his fingers in your pocket, and you grabbed his hand, you had a chance to break one or more of his fingers, rather easily. Why on earth did you not take that wonderful opportunity. I hear it is far more difficult to pick pockets with broken fingers. You would have been doing us all a favor. Please, next time break some fingers. It is very discouraging to criminals.

They are most likely from Eastern Europe. A lot of the ATM skimmers are from Bulgaria. low life scum

Used to be a similar MO in Caracas.

As you come towards an escalator, the guy in-front suddenly stops, and his partner bumps into you from behind and gets your wallet from a back pocket.

He tried it on with a rather gruff American friend who knocked the leading guy to the ground as he 'tied a shoelace'......

OP...you should have broken a wrist or few fingers, that might have saved the next guy.

Does a foreign pickpocket need a work permit in Thailand?

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

He can't get a work permit.

This profession is reserved for Thai in Thailand.

Shows your IQ.....

Thanks for the warning. I hate farang scumbags

The OP let him go??? He should have battered the hell out of him as there was no chance of about six Thais joining in. OK so they were working in pairs, do you think the other one would have hung around. You missed a good chance there OP.

Thanks for the warning. I hate farang scumbags

I dislike Thai scumbags too - don't you?

I dislike any scumbag.

Is there a problem with your keyboard...it seems to be dropping the "R's"?

I've always maintained it's the farengs to be wary of; not the friendly locals.

and the ladyboys.

Seems Pattaya and Phuket have there fair share of scum inhabitants at this time and growing every day.

Good on the OP to catch him in the act ... The UK and europe need to clamp down on thiefs such as these guys.... It's certainly not good for tourism that's for sure.