Anonymous letter to my house

[PHP87]

Go to the shooting range. Buy some silhouette targets. Punch a series of holes in the targets to simulate tight shot groups. Hang the targets in plain view in various places outside of the house.

Problem solved.

I remember when cars in my neighborhood were getting broken into and I had a nice Corvette. I left a paper target with a tight shot grouping on the passenger seat. (14 Center Mass, 1 in the Forehead)

No one ever touched my car.

[2fishin2]

Creepy.

This may not be at all practical, however consider offering a reward for digital photos of the alleged culprits in the act of casing your home. Preferably written in Thai. In a small gated community this should set the gossipers absolutely wild, and you may not ever have to pay the reward. You will get some feedback. Even no feedback is feedback.

Ask some neighbors if there have been any other break-ins in your village recently.

Actually a very simple and legit answer

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

[kbelyeu]

OP,

I would suggest installing a decent CCTV system.. while it will not prevent a breakin or robbery it will provide evidence after the fact.

My CCTV footage provided the evidence that put the theif behind bars for 10 years. It also was provided as evidence of the breakin to my insurance company and from the claim date to the payment was only 5 business days.

One of my cameras is covering my gate but I also have the road as well which allows me to review footage and pull license plate information if needed.

A complete system can be had for about 14,000 baht at tukcom and you can install yourself pretty easily.

Regards,

Kurt

[Greg Nixon]

The more people have, the greater is their fear that someone will take it. But really what is it worth. The only truly valuable items in the house are you and the Ms. Lock up tight , keep a machete close at hand and another hidden ( mostly for your piece of mind ). When you are away have the Ms. bring a girlfriend to stay with her or pay local lady to stay with her. Whats a couple of hundred Baht ?

I had a friend who used to leave his house unlocked at all times when he was away. He put 300 THB in plain site on the kitchen table with a note that read, " I have no drugs or valuables in the house . Please take the money and leave. " Well one could try that today with 3000 THB. Just do not tell anyone. I am sure I could leave a home unlocked where I live and not have anyone enter. I lived in a town near Calgary, Alberta, Canada. I ran a B & B on the side. I often left the front door unlocked for guests and there were no bad consequences.

However someone a few blocks away owned a liquor store and often kept cash and valuables in a safe inside their home. Crooks have a way of finding these things out. The crooks entered the house while the owners were present and removed the whole safe. I believe the whole robbery was bungled and the crooks were apprehended eventually.

Moral of the story, " Do not keep valuables in your home. " I am sure there must be some safe deposit boxes in Bangkok. Otherwise and for lesser valuables figure out where to hide them but not IN your home.

I have never been seriously burgled ( had a couple of inexpensive bikes stolen) but my son likes a lot of high tech gadgets and he has been burgled three times. The last time he caught the thief red handed and wrestled with him on the lawn. The police were there in 10 minutes but the thief had slipped out of his jacket and even the police dogs could not catch him. My sons 2 or 3 year old son was in a buggy. The police said if there are children present you could do pretty much anything to the intruder. I suggested sacking him on the head with a shovel as he was loading items into my sons car. The thief was very brazen. He didn't count on how strong my son is. Next time the thief won't escape.

[robertson468]

An inexpensive method is to have some largeish signs made in Thai and English "This property is protected by a Guard Dog, security cameras and an alarm" and put them round all sides of your house, preferably with a picture of a salivatating Dobberman or the like! You could have four security cameras put up to cover all sides of the house, but you might consider using only dummy cameras - the average punter will be none the wiser. Alternative sign could be, "the dog is fine, but the Wife is very vicious". Good luck.

Edited September 3, 2014 by robertson468

[ukguyinthai]

You are completely over reacting. You live in complete fear all the time so you drive that fear. And spread that fear to your wife. Not allowed to have her friends visit when you are not there. What’s that all about?

You don’t need a bigger dog or more security, you need counseling.

[guzzi850m2]

I was told by an insurance agent some time ago, back in the UK, that one of the most common and easiest methods of break-in was by removal of roof tiles, even if there was wooden or board sarking underneath.

Now, I don't know how much truth there was in that, or how common it might be, but it has occurred to me before that with the typical Thai style of roof construction it might well be an easy route into a house. Ssshhh! Don't spread that around though!

Just a thought!

You are correct.

By using this method they can enter the house without almost no signs of entry.

My wife is convinced that somebody have entered our house this way app 4 years ago. The only access cover to the roof is located in one of the 3 toilets upstairs and we now keep that toilet door very secure locked at night. At that time there was a lot of workers living in the village and 3-4 houses had break-ins during that time. The house owners was complaining to the village builder and he moved all the workers out and since then no problems.

One have to remember that there is a lot of very poor people here and they get tempted sometimes and many will go for it if/when they get the chance.

[ggt]

Aaah...the joys of living in Thailand...or most any SE Asian country...you and your possessions are a quality find for petty thieves...have good insurance...good alarm system...and talk to the local police...they may be alerted and rush to the scene...that is if they are not in on the thief...

[Songlaw]

Anonymous letters from neighbours? Very suspicious. Maybe they just want you to leave your lights on at night?

After a quick look around the hood at night, they all leave their lights on. It was just habit for me to turn everything off before I go to bed.

The "anonymous" part is the tip off. Let's not go off the deep end here. There are places where these somewhat complex and problematic measures might be necessary, but it does not sound like this is one of them. You likely have a passive-aggressive neighbor who simply wants your place lit up, as I believe was alluded to somewhere else in this thread. Some might perceive your property as a haven for demons, ghosts and what have you, (Some Thai do have vivid imaginations) and potentially even bad guys when unlit. They are not going to ask you directly. Fancying himself as clever, a neighbor (almost has to be a man) no doubt concocted this scheme, simply to avoid the messy business of engaging the farang. Leaving the lights on is generally a good idea anyway, in the long run. You could always put up blackout curtains in the bedrooms if the lights become a problem for sleeping.

[sstuff3]

I did another check last night. Everything is locked up tight as can be and I left the lights on at the gate, drive, and back patio. It would take a ton of effort to get into this house. It's not impossible, but very difficult, time consuming, and would make a lot of noise. Most Thai criminals won't risk it for that much work or attention. If the door was left wide open, then sure. I guess I'm rattled more because I do live in a nicer area and got a little complacent.

Unfortunately there is nothing you can do to prevent them from coming in. If they want in, they will find a way regardless of the physical barriers you place in their way and further inconvenience your own lives. My previous house had bars and locks on every door and window (downstairs and upstairs) and was equipped with alarms on every door and window which called me if there was an alarm. I even had a big dog (English Bulldog) inside the house. None of this prevented someone from climbing onto and through the roof of the house. The police mentioned that they were likely in the house for 2-3 hours as they took the time to go through everything in every room of the house and took away everything of value. They even ate and drank from my refrigerator and changed their clothes for some of mine before exiting back through the ceiling with my things. A neighbor behind me said later that he saw someone exiting the rear of my house with a big bag and his shirt covering his face, was promptly picked up by another guy on a motorcycles and made their exit. He said he didn't notify anyone at the time because it wasn't any of his business. You are lucky to have at least one caring neighbor (even though they remain anonymous).

The best advice I can give you is to purchase a large heavy (burglary-rated) safe and make sure all the things that are important to you are kept inside every time you leave your house. I'd also recommend you to install CCTV cameras inside and out that can be monitored remotely from your smartphone. You are right that this won't prevent them from breaking in but hopefully it will act as a deterrent and provide the police with some good evidence to find the burglars if they do break in. Hope this helps. Good luck!

[Pikey]

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

I was told by an insurance agent some time ago, back in the UK, that one of the most common and easiest methods of break-in was by removal of roof tiles, even if there was wooden or board sarking underneath.

Now, I don't know how much truth there was in that, or how common it might be, but it has occurred to me before that with the typical Thai style of roof construction it might well be an easy route into a house. Ssshhh! Don't spread that around though!

Just a thought!

You are correct.

By using this method they can enter the house without almost no signs of entry.

My wife is convinced that somebody have entered our house this way app 4 years ago. The only access cover to the roof is located in one of the 3 toilets upstairs and we now keep that toilet door very secure locked at night. At that time there was a lot of workers living in the village and 3-4 houses had break-ins during that time. The house owners was complaining to the village builder and he moved all the workers out and since then no problems.

One have to remember that there is a lot of very poor people here and they get tempted sometimes and many will go for it if/when they get the chance.

After seeing this exact method used by UBC satellite installers in both the houses we have had, I got the missus a shotgun and licence. The shottie is kept by the bed. We also have a large dog as a family pet (I've always had dogs) who is kept inside at night. Lastly, we have security cams covering areas of concern. We live in a regular quiet village on the outskirts of Chiang Mai with no crime to speak of. Some might say this is overkill but the safety of my family and myself is of utmost importance and it's a case of "better safe than sorry" IMO and we all sleep extremely well at night....

Cheers,

Pikey

[tifino]

they have probably already by now noted your changed habits

What about flooding the area with IR lighting?, instead of the obvious

An IR vision will be more fruitful (if the pests are persistent and venture inside the compound), as they might not be a cautious in the perceived shadows.

How cheap are local Guards to hire? and slap up a pillbox, and get a Doberman...

[ubeturazz]

sounds like you moved to Detroit!

[Minnehaha]

Some very good suggestions made on this thread.

Having lived in LOS a decade this tour, and 4 years in early '90s... I have been burgled a few times, as have many foreigners (and Thais).

I might make the following observations/comments:

- Thai thieves are most often someone you know or who knows you... the guards at the gate are always first on the list (them or their friends etc.), the maid or her ex bf etc., a contractor you had work on your place or a neighbors and who knows you are a farang

- You travel regularly and someone knows this so your place is a mark

- The comment about thieves hating noise is true, but it works both ways. Some thieves work during thunder storms or heavy rain so their noise is not heard

- If a thief wants to get in, they will find a way, particularly if they know there are things of value inside

Please forgive my rudeness, I know nothing about you or your wife... but...

- Is she particularly attractive? This could be someone who was re-buffed by her and he is playing threatening games, which should be taken seriously in my opinion

How many neighbors could have seen "a car casing your place"? I am guessing only 3 or 4 at most. So you can start to guess who might have written it. In my opinion, if I knew these neighbors... most Thai neighbors would sign a note or do it face to face. So at the end of the day, I think there is a 50/50 chance it is a note written by someone who is trying to harass you, not necessarily someone who is trying to do you a favor.

Another odd angle... have you been in any altercations (traffic, etc.) where someone might have gotten angry at you? I had a Thai kid in an Audi TT get pissed off at me cause I was parking too slowly and I waved him past. He mistook the wave gesture for something... I don't know what... and parked his car in the street and jumped out with a 3 inch thick baton and came to scream at me in the window. I diffused the situation and left. I got his plates and with connections was able to find out who he is and where he lives (where the car is registered).

[PHP87]

This is one reason I plan to live in a condo in/near CNX

The Phils are even worse - a friend built a house there, left for a week and they stole everything, even the windows, the lightbulbs and the tiling.

[cooked]

Many seem to be taking this letter at face value. One or two have suggested 'cherchez la femme' but there may well be something else behind this.

[SilverBeast]

...Subscribed for future developments. Getting a picture of said car would be beneficial. Leave a note anonymously with all possible neighbors who could possibly have left the note. Have your security camera system set up.

Now, if it is a neighbor who actually left the note for you then they can get you the picture and anonymously leave the note back at your place again. But if none of the neighbors comes through with a picture and thus none of them know about this casing of your joint then the note was not left by your neighbor....Follow my drift on how that works?

And if it is your neighbor you can get them on the camera system just so you know which one it was.

Edited September 3, 2014 by SilverBeast

[Likener1]

Without proof of an actual danger turning your house, from a home to a fortress, is not something anyone would want to do - guns by the bed and in concealed panels for easy access, safe rooms, where do you stop.

Get some night vision cameras and very discreetly place them in concealed positions that can monitor anyone or thing that comes near your home, obviously leave off all exterior lighting.

Then play back the recordings for a week or two so if anything is really happening you will see.

I say that only for your own peace of mind as the anonymous letter could just be mischief making.

If there is something is be worried about its better to know than not, rather than turn your home into a survivalists bunker on a maybe, check it out first.

[96tehtarp]

Back to the OP. Can you try to find out who wrote the note? The author is probably only unknown to you, everybody else probably knows who wrote it.

[balo]

If I had to leave a house for a longer time unprotected , I would install remote cameras with sensors everywhere, and call the police or a friend over if someone try to break in.

Edited September 3, 2014 by balo

[FireMedic]

Update: 2 construction workers got caught messing around someone's house 500 meters away on the other side of the street. I'm not there so I don't know the whole story yet. The neighbors saw them and took care of it. I'll update again when I know more.

[bkkjames]

Get one of these in Thai...

[96tehtarp]

the typical Thai style of roof construction it might well be an easy route into a house.

You are correct.

By using this method they can enter the house without almost no signs of entry.

Observe the next time you go into one of the typical Thai shop-house businesses, where they have a large quantity and investment in stock. I took a close look inside my motorcycle mechanic's shop-house recently and can see how he's set up his place. He's built a heavy reinforced steel cage inside the house. It's a jailhouse, within his shop-house. Motorcycle bits are very poplar with petty thieves, organized gangs, and teenagers.

This method is not practical for my situation as the house is too large, however I'm considering making a "safe" room where I'll keep the safe and other valuables, just in case. This way thieves entering through the roof find a heavy gauge steel cage. Even then it would only take a few hours of undisturbed sawing to hack through the bars.

I question the usefulness of car alarms and CCTV cameras as the video will show a nice clip of the thieve's tow-truck hauling your car away as the alarm is still ringing.

[slipperylobster]

Could it be some repo men or debt collectors cruising around...

Very good thought. You have heard stories of 2nd Mortgages/loans on homes and vehicles..with banks. How about the Money lenders who hold paper without the husband's knowledge. My wife's sister is a Lotto Queen form purgatory. Every bit of her business money, money from her husband in Canada, loans, property papers, vehicle papers, etc ....go to the Lotto. For her, it is a 24/7 operation. We used to sit with her in her furniture store in Udon and see all sorts of characters demanding money and scoping out her business.

I don't know how she does it, but she gets loan, after loan.... These people see her 6 brand new cars (minimum down payment when the lotto comes in), her 100 Rai (inherited/scammed from family members), and huge furniture stock. Whenever money comes due, she pays off only one, and screams bloody hell. She is up to her neck for six million...and almost half her property, all her jewelry, 2 cars, and more ..have been pawned.

Her husband knows about 10 percent of that.

Yes....strangers at the gate.

[slipperylobster]

Get one of these in Thai...

911 needs a Victory sign in the middle. like 9M (mm)

Edited September 3, 2014 by slipperylobster

[tifino]

decimate with a decimal

7.62 rat a tat a tat

Bzzzzzzzzzzt = if Uzi

Edited September 3, 2014 by tifino

[aussieinphuket]

Hi There ... i was in a similar situation as yours travelling mid weeks and returning weekends and leaving wife at home.. we live in a compound 8 villas but we are the

end villa in a of course a big wall about 3 metres high surrounds our development but any idiot if wanting to climb over could do so. especially the back of our villa as

its just open un-cut land.

so we installed security cameras all around the perimeter from all angles up very high with signs made in thai, burmese and english explaining. for added measure i put

an electric fence around our perimeter wall and it does work believe me i touched it trying to remove a tree branch that was resting on it .. this may sound excessive but

in the development next door there is one villa which has been broken into 4 times now.. expensive jewellery and watches gone missing... surin beach area...

it turned out the correct decision as now there is a workers camp right behind our villa as they are building condos for the next 1.5 years. the first thing we made them aware

of is the fence and a few times a week when we set the alarms we let them sound so they know our place is well armed...

if you want rest and peace and no worries increase security.. the guards in developments are basically useless.. we have tried all security companies here and not one stands

out... some individual guards are just better then others... but not the companies.. but make sure you put the signs up this also deters...

[tifino]

having the warnings, the signs etc means the non-attempt to steal; in turn means some thai crook don't lose face when caught, therefore won't do a pay-back on you or the family lateron...

[malt25]

Stay up all night on amphetamine and when these people patrol past your house, open your gate and knock holy shit out of them with a baseball bat. Then take their motorbike off them so they cant ride past on it ever again. Job done!!!

Wow, what a fantastic attitude. Just like a similar post about showing a condo to prospective buyers. Your answer was to drag them out by the hair or balls & smash them, or something similar..... I couldn't be bothered reading all your crap.

I'll bet you don't get invited to many parties. If a guest so much as farted you'd wanna bash the shit out of them.

Maybe you're the one that needs a good thumping. I bet you use to pull the wings off flies when you were a kid. Or were you born a 20 something moron ?

Just sayin.

[captspectre]

It's nice of your neighbor to warn you.

there is a slight chance that they may be shopping around for a good house to hit.