On Sunday, i went to different famous locations in Bangkok, i noticed that the BTS i went to, were full of policemen, even a small platoon of possibly new reclutes, as they were so young, being marched up outside of the tickets counters....Then, downstairs, litterally hundreds of other cops everywhere and also inside the train a very noticeable group of them joined in. Just after lunch's time, i was walking near the Mandarin Oriental Hotel, on a big road, pleanty of daylight, etc., i took my phone to check the gps and all of a sudden, a young man in his early 20's runned silently from my back, grabbing the phone and runned away, i chased him and managed to grab back the phone, then his mate on a motocy number plate 275, possibly a Fino or something similar, white and light blue, stopped next to us and they speed away. No police in sights anywhere and all the traffic boots deserted, be carefull out there, as with the police only at the BTS, maybe keeping an eye on those dangerous tourists, the rest of the city is just a playground for would be criminals....those 2 just looked as some of those younger soldiers but in civilian clothes and i wouldn't be surpised if that's really the case, with so many youngsters being moved from the remote provinces in a place full up of foreign preys....

A few years back i have personally seen a young monk being nabbed at his temple because he had the brilliant idea to take a motorcycle he had stolen there.....anything goes around these shores

I just don't believe it!

Couldn't possibly happen in Thailand.

School boy error walking with your phone in your hand like that, I have often corrected my bro in doing the same in my country in not so plush areas.

You need to be street-wise in the big Mango!

Well if i wanted to steal a phone that way i would go for a thin skinny thai lady with a Iphone5 and a LV-purse. There are loads of them.

But you were able to grab the phone back, in Thailand nobody would have cared if you also kicked the hell out of the guy.

Too bad you couldn't read the licenseplate, i also can't read thai alphabet but in these cases i regret that.

Similar thing happened to me a few years back. I was out at around 22:00 waiting at the bus stop and changing the track on my iPod when suddenly two young guys on a motorbike tried to grab it. I managed to keep it and they just drove off. That was the first and only incidence with criminality here in Bangkok. Tought me not to use the phone when standing too close to the street and always hold it firmly.

Pal,your just lucky you did not get stabbed when you grabbed the phone back,next time use more caution.

School boy error walking with your phone in your hand like that, I have often corrected my bro in doing the same in my country in not so plush areas.

You need to be street-wise in the big Mango!

Daylight...by the Oriental is not exactly being careless or a schoolboy error.

School boy error walking with your phone in your hand like that, I have often corrected my bro in doing the same in my country in not so plush areas.

You need to be street-wise in the big Mango!

What do you do when you need to make or receive a call. Talk into your pocket ?

I call bullshit on this story. I don't believe all cops were inside the BTS. And I definitely don't believe you managed to catch up with him to get your phone back..

Sent from my HTC One using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

I call bullshit on this story. I don't believe all cops were inside the BTS. And I definitely don't believe you managed to catch up with him to get your phone back..

Sent from my HTC One using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Nobody cares whether you believe it or not.

The OP wrote this to serve as a warning to fellow farangs. Personally I think it was a silly move to try get your phone back, silly but brave.

I call bullshit on this story. I don't believe all cops were inside the BTS. And I definitely don't believe you managed to catch up with him to get your phone back..

I'm not in Bangkok ATM, but I have had a reliable report from a good mate of mine that the BTS sometimes completly bypasses some stations due the current political climate.

So, police, stationed in a BTS Staion (no pun intended) is plausable.

As for using a phone, pulling out a wallet etc ... I always check my back.

Maybe from the days of motorcycle riding ... just being aware of ones surroundings.

School boy error walking with your phone in your hand like that, I have often corrected my bro in doing the same in my country in not so plush areas.

You need to be street-wise in the big Mango!

What do you do when you need to make or receive a call. Talk into your pocket ?

When your walking or standing looking at GPS been lost and you have your phone out in front of you! Its easy to snap and grab. Not so easy when the phone is against your ear while holding in a firm grip while taking a call.

When your buying something do you hold your wallet opened out in front of you for the world to see? No you keep it close. Same as if you hold your phone out for along period of time you will attract attention.

Especially easy when you are not familiar with the area you are in, they will spot you a mile away! You have to be fully aware of your situation and surrounding in a big city like Bangkok. What has daylight got to do with it also. Same opportunity for the theft day or night.

Come on, don't be so narrow minded and stupid people! Laughable really..

Edited June 8, 201412 yr by Display

I call bullshit on this story. I don't believe all cops were inside the BTS. And I definitely don't believe you managed to catch up with him to get your phone back..

Sent from my HTC One using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Do you think he's crying wolf?

I just don't believe it!

Couldn't possibly happen in Thailand.

i agree, this is BS. its just advertising for the hotel mentioned.

I call bullshit on this story. I don't believe all cops were inside the BTS.

Sounds to me like the G4S staff on their shift change.

Pal,your just lucky you did not get stabbed when you grabbed the phone back,next time use more caution.

Jeez! The lack of spine on some here.

Suzuki GSX-R1000 L3 182 hp in-line 4 Superbike

I hope you gave the guy a decent kicking for his troubles.

Getting more like the West everyday.

Pal,your just lucky you did not get stabbed when you grabbed the phone back,next time use more caution.

Jeez! The lack of spine on some here.

Suzuki GSX-R1000 L3 182 hp in-line 4 Superbike

If you want to risk possible death for a phone,up to you.

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

Pal,your just lucky you did not get stabbed when you grabbed the phone back,next time use more caution.

Jeez! The lack of spine on some here.


Suzuki GSX-R1000 L3 182 hp in-line 4 Superbike

If you want to risk possible death for a phone,up to you.

Marko is right. A friend of mines mother was stabbed to death by a katoy she caught robbing her house of their widescreen TV. The Katoy sold the TV to upgrade his mobile.He sold it with the womans blood still al over the TV. Its not a lack of spine its survival of the smartest.

Well if i wanted to steal a phone that way i would go for a thin skinny thai lady with a Iphone5 and a LV-purse. There are loads of them.

But you were able to grab the phone back, in Thailand nobody would have cared if you also kicked the hell out of the guy.

Too bad you couldn't read the licenseplate, i also can't read thai alphabet but in these cases i regret that.

Your second paragraph there, If there were other Thais, maybe not one or two, but about six or more, and the OP was "kicking hell out the guy", do you not know what was likely to happen to the OP?

Apparently a young chappie got the stuffing kicked out of him just outside Samitivej + robbed to boot in broad daylight recently.

I call bullshit on this story. I don't believe all cops were inside the BTS. And I definitely don't believe you managed to catch up with him to get your phone back..

Sent from my HTC One using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Unless the OP is young and fit, and the thief bumped into somebody or tripped.

friend of mine had he phone ripped off while walking home friday. she had it in her pocket when listening to music, suddenly the music stopped and her phone was gone. never even saw who did it.

Edited June 9, 201412 yr by HooHaa

Does anyone here think with the loss of tourist dollars and Thailand entering into a recession and more Thais having money issues and defaulting on loan...that we will start to see more instances of petty theft than we did when money and wages were more available to the average Thai?

I am not suggesting Thais are prone to theft at all, just that those members on the margin of society might turn more to theft?

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

Pal,your just lucky you did not get stabbed when you grabbed the phone back,next time use more caution.

Jeez! The lack of spine on some here.

Suzuki GSX-R1000 L3 182 hp in-line 4 Superbike

If you want to risk possible death for a phone,up to you.

Marko is right. A friend of mines mother was stabbed to death by a katoy she caught robbing her house of their widescreen TV. The Katoy sold the TV to upgrade his mobile.He sold it with the womans blood still al over the TV. Its not a lack of spine its survival of the smartest.

H1w4yr1da ,is obviously one of tv's resident Rambo's,and thankfully they don't last to long here,when attacked by 10 machete and knife wielding Thai's,but hey,he felt good standing up for his phone big hard man,that i am sure he is another-ex special forces guy no doubt.

School boy error walking with your phone in your hand like that, I have often corrected my bro in doing the same in my country in not so plush areas.

You need to be street-wise in the big Mango!

What? Are you one of those guys that only take out something from his pockets when you are locked up in the toilettes or something? I just don't believe it....what is the point of having a phone or gps with you, if you can't look at it when you need it?

I wasn't walking with it on my hands, i just took it out to look at the map to try to locate a small place in a maze of streets, and thats just after i had a good looking around me.

My opinion is that i was in the wrong place at the wrong time, and the fact that i was walking on my own considerably made the chances to be targeted higher, as these cowards seems to be willing to attack only when they have back ups and can outnumber you, but off coarse that's just "culture" and we shouldn't criticize it, etc...

Too bad you couldn't read the licenseplate, i also can't read thai alphabet but in these cases i regret that.

I wrote down the numberplate and a description of the mc, just i didn't bother to go looking for a police station as they are useless and will do nothing to frame down a fellow criminal, as obviously WE foreigners are the problem here!

Pal,your just lucky you did not get stabbed when you grabbed the phone back,next time use more caution.

I am fully aware of the risk, but everyone chose to live his life the way they feel more comfortable with, and at this point, i feel sick and furious against all the crap we have around.

I had people telling me to give up my home because some locals wanted it -free-, and that's their land so i should just do it to avoid being killed, etc..

NO WAY!

and then a western lawyer that, basically, suggested me to write down a letter to express i was sorry to a local junkie that attacked me and i had to go to the hospital for it.....when they say "amazing thailand", these are those moments you start understanding why is that....

You now see signs everywhere in Bangkok warning people to be careful. Times are changing ...