My First Thai Robbery

[thaiguy878]

I have never been robbed in my life, and have lived in Thailand with no problems for 5 years, Pattaya, Phuket, and now Hua Hin. When I got to Hua Hin I will admit, I was under a false sense of security, all the police on the Main Street, people telling me how safe it is here, etc.

I moved into a nice house in a foreigner development, the landlord mentioned that some past renters had the key, it went over my head because I figured no one who had the money to rent the house I was staying at, would come back to rob it.

To my Thai girlfriends opposition, I decided not to "double lock" the door using a pad lock on the sliding iron bars when we went out for a few hours, shopping or whatever. I figured locking the sliding door would be ok only being gone for a short period of time.

Just yesterday my girlfriend noticed her bag with money, ID, and all her bank cards was missing from the drawer where her beauty supplies and costume jewellery were kept. She was really confused because she never took this slim purse out anywhere, only took things from it when needed, but always kept it in the same drawer. After searching every inch of the house, sure enough, it was gone.

There was no sign of forced entry, nothing else was missing, and fortunately there was only 1.5k baht in the purse (although it was stacked with 20's and must have looked like a fortune at first glance). After a sleepless night, the next day we cancelled her bank cards and found no money was missing from her bank accounts. That was a big relief.

Feeling a bit freaked out, that someone either picked the lock or somehow had a key from a past rental, I walked around the house and checked the windows. I noticed something very strange, one of the windows was unlocked and marked with a green spongey like thing in between the middle bars. It was on the side of the house that was most remote, and even though we have bars on it, being unlocked it would only take 10 minutes or less to unscrew the small screws that hold the bars in without making any noise. The screen was latched from the inside when I checked it out. So it appears this was not the way the thief got in, at least this first time.

Now this really made me nervous, I was already researching cctv security systems when I found this, and now there is no doubt I will install one. Oh, one more thing to note... About a week ago, some Thai guy scared my girlfriend, he was standing at the doorway when she saw him, and then he looked startled and said he was looking for his sister that lives around here and ran out of gas, then asked her if she could spare any gas money for him. She kindly said she was sorry, and he drove his motorbike away. At the time I thought nothing of it under my false sense of security, but looking back, I think he was clearly scoping out the house for his future robbery. I figured he saw our motorbike parked and knew we were home, so I was not suspicious of him or the event, despite my girlfriend saying he looked like a drug addict....

I feel terribly stupid, and really lucky that only 1.5k baht was lost. The marked unlocked window still creeps me out, and the security system will be installed right away to help give us some peace of mind.

Lesson here is trust no one, always lock up, don't feel a false sense of security because that's when you let your guard down, and listen to your Thai girlfriend when she just wants to keep "safety first"!

[frollywolly]

Not a nice experience having someone come into your house and go through your most personal items, taking valuables. The fear is always they will come back.

Change your locks, put some security in, make it difficult to get back into the place.

Just hope the druggie scum choose an easier target.

[Gumballl]

Other than the missing purse w/ money, you have no evidence that someone was in your home. Is it possible that the purse was taken out of the house (by your girlfriend) and lost elsewhere, or perhaps left someplace else?

You stated that there were no signs of forced entry. You did not mention the state of the home... was it in disarray, as if someone had been there, searching for some 'loot'? It's hard to believe that a burglar, presumably who would need to be in/out in a hurry, would take the time to leave everything in a pristine state.

Anyhow, in as far as thefts, they occur everywhere... and sometimes by people you would least suspect.

Edited August 17, 2014 by Gumballl

[mrtoad]

Yep, not nice. My house got broken into in the UK, never felt the same after.

CCTV setup is fairly cheap, and you should be able to access it remotely as well. Did that with my property in Bangkok after some scum broke in there.

Edited August 17, 2014 by mrtoad

[ATF]

Yep, not nice. My house got broken into in the UK, never felt the same after.

CCTV setup is fairly cheap, and you should be able to access it remotely as well. Did that with my property in Bangkok after some scum broke in there.

Yep CCTV is the way to go with an auto dialing alarm system. The alarm will call you anywhere in the World if you have roaming and the CCTV is accessible from anywhere that has internet. About 40-50k depending on your setup.

[JesseFrank]

I once had my remotes stolen.

Edited August 17, 2014 by JesseFrank

[thaiguy878]

Oh I know it can happen anywhere, I am not trying to call anywhere out saying it is a bad place to be over other places, most of times it is the least likely places that it happens!

Nothing was messed up, it appears the thief went straight for cash and jewellery and anything that could be put in pocket to make a quick exit, even if we caught him coming out, with nothing in his hands could have said he was a pool guy or groundskeeper.

Luckily we had all gold valuables locked in a safe, and at first we thought it was strange nothing else was missing, but wanting to make a clean exit, and unlocking a window and marking it, maybe was planning on the big haul for the next heist. Still not sure about that part or if he even did that, going to ask the landlord about it, maybe is another explantion.

I thought the same thing at first, that my girlfriend took the purse out and lost it somewhere, but she is 100% sure she never takes that purse out, it is only for holding her valuables in the drawer. She saw it there just 2 days ago when she returned her bank card to it, and we confirmed it was not taken out of the house and is not in the house. Super strange.

Oh my girlfriend also noticed the gate was slightly open when we got back the day it went missing, she was sure she closed it all the way as she always does when we leave, so adding everything up, even though no clear evidence, it seems to be the only logical conclusion.

I hope this is only seen as a message to be safe, no matter where you are, I love Thailand and still feel safe here, just needed to take the extra precaution of the padlock and it would have been avoided. I really feel stupid about it. All the signs leading up to it were there, and they went right over my head!

Edited August 17, 2014 by thaiguy878

[teatree]

Apart from getting CCTV my advice would be not to leave valuables in a drawer as that is the 1st place they will look. Get a bolted down safe or consider hiding them. For example, I have heard that burglars won't pay any attention to kids rooms full of toys.

[metisdead]

An off topic post has been removed as well as the replies.

[kurtramsbottom]

Apart from getting CCTV my advice would be not to leave valuables in a drawer as that is the 1st place they will look. Get a bolted down safe or consider hiding them. For example, I have heard that burglars won't pay any attention to kids rooms full of toys.

Thanks for the tip

[seajae]

certainly strange, I have been robbed a couple of times before moving here and they emptied all the draws on the beds looking for valuables. They would not have removed the purse at all if they were setting up for a come back job as it would give it away, especially when it contained money, credit cards etc that would be missed. Sounds more like someone that knew it was there, thieves dont take care when robbing a house they just want money or something they can sell. Sounds very suss to me, just doesnt make any sense.

[mrtoad]

Apart from getting CCTV my advice would be not to leave valuables in a drawer as that is the 1st place they will look. Get a bolted down safe or consider hiding them. For example, I have heard that burglars won't pay any attention to kids rooms full of toys.

Thanks for the tip

Next time you do a burglary check the kids room!

[2fishin2]

CCTV wont stop anyone nor prevent a theft. Lock up plain and simple

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

[konying]

CCTV is useless and provides nothing but a false sense of security.

For starters thieves do not care, because police would not be running crazy looking for private house robber.

If you have not noticed, many happy to rob EVEN leaving their ID cards behinds.

Secondly, CCTV is easily avoidable by wearing a cap or a mask , in case thief is actually worried.

Thirdly, CCTV is easily removed or damaged, a stone or a stick to turn the camera or simply to break it off, unless you put it really high up, in which case face of a thief would not be recognizable.

If anything, motion sensor alarm with sms notification. The downside of that is that if anything moves, even with wind, you get sms and would be running home for nothing.

I had one of those installed and after 2 weeks ripped it out as it was driving me insane.a fly would set off sensor and off i go running. 10-20 times per day.

[benalibina]

Apart from getting CCTV my advice would be not to leave valuables in a drawer as that is the 1st place they will look. Get a bolted down safe or consider hiding them. For example, I have heard that burglars won't pay any attention to kids rooms full of toys.

Thanks for the tip

Yes...i now get the feeling that this could be a careerchanging thread.

[thaiguy878]

certainly strange, I have been robbed a couple of times before moving here and they emptied all the draws on the beds looking for valuables. They would not have removed the purse at all if they were setting up for a come back job as it would give it away, especially when it contained money, credit cards etc that would be missed. Sounds more like someone that knew it was there, thieves dont take care when robbing a house they just want money or something they can sell. Sounds very suss to me, just doesnt make any sense.

Totally agree it is strange. Although I think the vanity drawer in master bedroom is an obvious place to check for valuables. Was only costume jewellery of no value, and then the purse in the drawer had cash in it and was the only thing they could steal without leaving with things in hand. No doubt any gold necklace in vanity stand would be gone too if we did not have it locked in safe.

Also the house is easy to search, only 3 small bedrooms on 1 floor, nothing in spare, and only bulky computer equipment in the other. So thinking about it, if you want to get in fast and leave fast, going to the female vanity station is the best bet for a big score. Remember he knew a female lived here because of the first visit to scope it out. Many Thai girls wear gold out daily and probably don't lock them in safe every night. Seems strange at first and makes more sense as I think about it.

Edited August 17, 2014 by thaiguy878

[thailiketoo]

Safes always make me feel better.

[h90]

Isn't that burglary.

Robbery is when someone holds the gun into your face and takes they money..

Or I am wrong with my english?

[thaiguy878]

Isn't that burglary.

Robbery is when someone holds the gun into your face and takes they money..

Or I am wrong with my english?

You are prolly right, I thought robbery was easier to spell, I would have spelled it Burgerly, and yeah see no replacements found for that spelling... I can't stand proper English and I am from America.

[AnotherOneAmerican]

I'm sure your gf is trustworthy, but seen many Thai girls scam their foreigner bfs, with the purse, money, gold stolen story.

Did you give her more money?

[thaiguy878]

I'm sure your gf is trustworthy, but seen many Thai girls scam their foreigner bfs, with the purse, money, gold stolen story.

Did you give her more money?

Nope, but good call on that potential scam! Clever one... She was just happy the money in her bank was still there, did not request replacement for the 1.5k gone, also getting new ID, bank cards etc...

[Spoonman]

What does a drug addict look like ?

Can you please ask your lady to elaborate.

Thanks.

[ATF]

Isn't that burglary.

Robbery is when someone holds the gun into your face and takes they money..

Or I am wrong with my english?

Burglary is usually stealing from an unoccupied premises or without the knowledge of the occupants . Robbery is stealing from someone or an occupied premises. Using a weapon can be called aggravated robbery or burglary. People cannot be burgled except for a well known saying which I can't quote.

[thaiguy878]

What does a drug addict look like ?

Can you please ask your lady to elaborate.

Thanks.

She said black teeth, black gums, and also, creepy, like was right in front of the screen when she saw him, she had to address him first which is kind of scary if someone is at your screen door they would be knocking or saying hello... Agreed there is no exact look for a drug addict, and I dismissed it as well, I don't like people stereotyping the looks of anyone.

[bonobo]

It is a horrible feeling, even when not much was done. I had my house broken into, and the guy/gal only raided the fridge and made a meal. Nothing valuable was taken, so someone must really have been down on his/her luck. but the feeling of being violated was significant.

Yet I still hesitate to lock everything when I leave, especially for only a short while My wife insists on it, but the lock we have is hard to manage, so I defer. I am thinking about getting one of the keyless entry ones they have at Homeworks, but I am not sure how effective on locking they are.

[AnotherOneAmerican]

She said black teeth, black gums, and also, creepy, like was right in front of the screen when she saw him, she had to address him first which is kind of scary if someone is at your screen door they would be knocking or saying hello... Agreed there is no exact look for a drug addict, and I dismissed it as well, I don't like people stereotyping the looks of anyone.

This sounds more like a cry for attention.

Are you really sure she isn't making it all up?

Maybe what you need is one of those teddy bears with a camera inside, so you can see if your gfs stories match reality.

[96tehtarp]

I'm sure your gf is trustworthy, but seen many Thai girls scam their foreigner bfs, with the purse, money, gold stolen story.

Did you give her more money?

Nope, but good call on that potential scam! Clever one... She was just happy the money in her bank was still there, did not request replacement for the 1.5k gone, also getting new ID, bank cards etc...

This doesn't have the earmarks of a scam as that would have had mobile phones, iPads, and other stuff gone missing as well. It could also have been someone know to the OP really very well other than his GF.

Unfortunately this kind of thing happens about two or three times a year to me. I have an open house that's almost never locked. I just have to put up with it. I do use a safe with a digital keypad instead of a drawer. They are very cheap and they don't need to be always locked. They are handy if I have more than 10k cash at home.

A very low tech and inexpensive solution would be to have the GF's drawer fitted with a key lock. That might be enough deterrent to put off whoever did it from doing it again.

[Seastallion]

I once had my remotes stolen.

And replaced by flat rats.

[evadgib]

What does a drug addict look like ?

Can you please ask your lady to elaborate.

Thanks.

She said black teeth, black gums, and also, creepy, like was right in front of the screen when she saw him, she had to address him first which is kind of scary if someone is at your screen door they would be knocking or saying hello... Agreed there is no exact look for a drug addict, and I dismissed it as well, I don't like people stereotyping the looks of anyone.

HTH

[loppylugs1]

Think they are called rape alarms ,least in the UK,pull the cord and a loud alarm is emitted. I fix one on the door,just enough to get my hand in as I close the door on way out, to connect the loose end to a whatever (screw, nail ),use thin fishing line for the pull cord. Cheap and cheerful and effective.

sell them in tesco Lotus