American victim of Pattaya Baht Bus pickpocket gang

[webfact]

American victim of Pattaya Baht Bus pickpocket gang



PATTAYA: -- On Saturday Pattaya Police were able to apprehend 4 members of a pickpocket gang who were known to operate on Baht Buses in the Pattaya area and would target only foreign tourists.

Police Colonel Supatee, the acting Superintendent of Pattaya Police Station, held a press conference to announce the arrest of Khun Bunchar aged 28, Khun Pinpit aged 28, Khun Duenjai aged 30 and Khun Cherry aged 23.

The victim, Mr. John Wells aged 60, lost a total of 5,000 US Dollars from his pocket as he rode on the Baht bus. The main instigator of the theft was Khun Bunchar who was identified as a serial offender with over 100 similar convictions on his criminal record.

He had also just been released from Prison where he served time based on similar offenses.

Full story: http://www.pattayaone.net/pattaya-news/135687/american-victim-of-pattaya-baht-bus-pickpocket-gang/


-- Pattaya One 2014-07-21

[saakura]

Moving around in baht bus with 5000usd in cash is asking for trouble.

[lostsoul49]

28 YO and already 100 convictions??

So obviously crimes against tourists are not seen as serious in Thailand.

After his second or third time this guy should have been locked up for 2 years and the sentenced increased each time he re-offends.

Just bolsters the common opinion that we are just walking ATM machines and good for nothing but the money we carry.

Jeez... what a judicial system..... It's almost tantamount to 'aiding and abetting'.

[kurnell]

28 YO and already 100 convictions??

So obviously crimes against tourists are not seen as serious in Thailand.

After his second or third time this guy should have been locked up for 2 years and the sentenced increased each time he re-offends.

Just bolsters the common opinion that we are just walking ATM machines and good for nothing but the money we carry.

Jeez... what a judicial system..... It's almost tantamount to 'aiding and abetting'.

When the cops are making money off the criminals it doesn't pay to lock them away

[iancnx]

5000 USD. If it was mine no amount of fingers would have got to it unless I was incapacitated. When you are carrying that amount you simply take double care and precautions. Yes you could be subject to a violent robbery, but pick-pocket I think not unless the poor unsuspecting victim is a complete loon!

[chrisinth]

Over 100 similar convictions on his record? That would make for a good CV.

At least he hasn't escalated his career in crime, he could well have been at the stage of selling brand name goods on Beach Road and really been in trouble.

[brimacthai]

With that kind of money in hand (or pocket) why would you be on a Baht bus anyways!

[peterdarby]

28 YO and already 100 convictions??

So obviously crimes against tourists are not seen as serious in Thailand.

After his second or third time this guy should have been locked up for 2 years and the sentenced increased each time he re-offends.

Just bolsters the common opinion that we are just walking ATM machines and good for nothing but the money we carry.

Jeez... what a judicial system..... It's almost tantamount to 'aiding and abetting'.

Perhaps he was convicted once and confessed to having picked pockets 100 times. One trial, but a separate conviction for each offence.

$5,000 cash and traveling via Baht bus? Beggars belief. Did they mean 5K Baht?

[Rimmer]

A most disrespectful post has been removed

[kkup]

With that kind of money in hand (or pocket) why would you be on a Baht bus anyways!

The reason he has 5k is because he takes the bus

[sabaii69]

I simply don't believe this story. $5000 in wallet?

[Hamlet07]

Wow ! approx 200,000 THB and he's travelling on a 10 baht Bus !....Great 'Economies of Scale' there !!

Obv more 'Dollars the sense'......

Edited July 21, 2014 by metisdead
Oversize font reset to normal.

[phantomfiddler]

A most disrespectful post has been removed

It wasn,t me ! Banjo players are the most wonderful people on the planet

[affen02]

Lucky guy who got his money back. But walk around in Pattaya with 5000 US in pocket, either extraordinary rich or extraordinary stupid. And what good info this is to other cons who will think we all walk around with this kind of money in our pockets.

[KhunBENQ]

I simply don't believe this story. $5000 in wallet?

The report says they exchanged it to 150'000 Baht (showing a picture with a big staple of 1000 Baht notes).

So def. they really mean 5000 USD in cash (dollar notes!!!).

Crazy, naive tourist.

[lemel]

Hope its not Jingthing' that would really set him off!!!

[Jingthing]

With that kind of money in hand (or pocket) why would you be on a Baht bus anyways!

He wanted to take a taxi meter but, let me check ... there aren't any!

[Yann55]

Moving around in baht bus with 5000usd in cash is asking for trouble.

Yeah ! Let's blame the victim ! Yours is the first such post but you'll be joined by many others shortly, for sure. The 'blame the victim' brigade on this forum is a big one.

The figure that rocks here is not (in my opinion) the 5000$ it's the fact that the perpetrator had 100 similar convictions before... 100 !!! Imagine the COST to Thai society !! and how much time did he spend in jail for each of these convictions ? a few days ? hours ? This is really mind-boggling.

Edited July 21, 2014 by Yann55

[Pib]

The main instigator of the theft was Khun Bunchar who was identified as a serial offender with over 100 similar convictions on his criminal record.

Goes to show the "tough justice" the Thai justice system hands out...was probably giving him a suspended sentence and small fine for many of the offenses. Sounds like this guy should have been locked up and the key threw away a long time ago.

[bander]

"The main instigator of the theft was Khun Bunchar who was identified as a serial offender with over 100 similar convictions on his criminal record"

Try to lock him up instead of the usual 500 bath fine and slap on the hand

[Yann55]

5000 USD. If it was mine no amount of fingers would have got to it unless I was incapacitated. When you are carrying that amount you simply take double care and precautions. Yes you could be subject to a violent robbery, but pick-pocket I think not unless the poor unsuspecting victim is a complete loon!

Except perhaps for the fingers of those lovely creatures on your avatar. Unless, of course, you were incapacitated.

[impulse]

Wasn't it just this week some argued how stupid it is to leave anything in a hotel safe?

Kind of run out of choices...

[choochoo]

Wasn't it just this week some argued how stupid it is to leave anything in a hotel safe?

Kind of run out of choices...

i use travellers cheques.

[Jingthing]

Wasn't it just this week some argued how stupid it is to leave anything in a hotel safe?

Kind of run out of choices...

i use travellers cheques.

You're the one!

Really, those are totally passe.

[Oziex1]

''Yeah ! Let's blame the victim ! Yours is the first such post but you'll be joined by many others shortly, for sure. The 'blame the victim' brigade on this forum is a big one.''

I think blame is fair in this case, he certainly has to take responsibility for his carelessness. 5K is a lot to lose, I would not carry this much anywhere and if I did nobody would get anywhere near it.

[wiesner]

100 convictions, i'll bet his hand is sore from getting slapped.

[choochoo]

what actually happened.

was man sitting on seat. Cambodians started massaging his leg and pickpocketed the money? Not much room to maneuver in baht truck.

Edited July 21, 2014 by choochoo

[Jingthing]

This is a cash society here. Sometimes you need to carry cash on the way to a purchase. If they had not been caught, would have been a good day for the thieves. I guess there was no suggestion they knew in advance there was such a rich victim. The most I've carried in cash on the way to a purchase was about 75K baht. Yes, it would be normal to be super aware of surroundings when carrying a lot of cash. On the other hand, pro thieves might be able to "smell" the nervousness of people in that mode ...

Happy they got caught (again).

Those thieves LOOK FAMILIAR.

BTW, I got hit by a similar gang and tried to have them arrested but didn't succeed ... (it seemed to me the driver was in on it).

But my loss was laughable ... literally some COINS!

Edited July 21, 2014 by Jingthing

[Zeegator]

I simply don't believe this story. $5000 in wallet?

Why would you "simply not believe" the story. Keep in mind the offenders admitted the crime, confirmed the amount that they changed into baht. and the man got his money back. $5000 worth.

Edited July 21, 2014 by Zeegator

[stephen terry]

Reading between the lines, I suspect that the man with >100 convictions 'owed' money to the other three, as he 'only' took 10,000 baht out of the 150k. Easy to be a scapegoat for the >101th time. Lucky Mr America got his money back, and well done the now better BIB.