Last week I was sitting with five friends at a Siam Paragon restaurant. We were sitting at tables outside the restaurant itself in the walkway area.

Two of my friends were sitting with their backs to the walkway and they had placed their bags; a small backpack and a shoulder bag, on the floor between their chairs.

At some point, they realized their bags were gone. It seemed unbelievable that somebody could have stolen them right under our eyes.

The restaurant staff notified security and they asked my two friends to come to the office and view camera footage.

The entire thing was right there on camera. A fellow; maybe Thai or Middle Eastern, paused right next to where we were sitting, ostensibly talking on his mobile. It was a very crowded area with a lot of foot traffic so we took no notice. As he stood there, he hooked the bags with his foot and pushed them down the aisle about 4 meters, then quickly picked them up and headed off towards the exit. We didn't have a clue. I actually remembered noticing the guy picking up the bags but never gave it a thought.

What was amazing to me was how confident this guy was, clipping the bags from a table where six people were sitting. He was clearly a pro.

He must have been pretty disappointed with the contents of the backpack: one can of cat-food and a broken umbrella but he did get a tablet from the other bag.

It's not easy to be vigilant all the time, especially in places like upscale malls that seem very safe. Professional thieves take advantage of that overconfidence, so be careful no matter where you are. Keep your bags where they can't be easily reached and keep them in sight.

Personally I watch my bags anywhere in the world , not just Thailand,

Had the same thing happen in London.. Girl I was with lost a handbag with a month's rent in it. Very common everywhere.

I also once met an Irish guy with a Thai wife who told me a story about how his wife had her bag stolen at some event in Bangkok. A little while later, she received a letter from the thief inviting her to come and get the bag, but that they were keeping the money a they were poor. She went to some rough part of town, received the bag and left with nothing more said.

Good point though..sneaky buggers

My wife had her purse stolen in Europe a few years ago. She hung it on the back of her chair. I was looking right at her. Never noticed a thing. Luckily, absolutely nothing of value was in it. Only a guidebook!!

Good heads up for us to be more vigilant.

Let me start by saying, he wasn't Thai. Thais wouldn't do that. He was probably Burmese.

On a serious note, this happens everywhere. I was in Paris years back and we caught a guy CRAWLING on the floor behind where we were sitting to try to get our bags. It was something like 4am and it turned into a huge mess. I pounced on him and held him while my partner went for security, but he put up a fight and bit me in the arm so it got nasty. We both got arrested and we missed our flight, but the charges against me were dropped eventually and the airline re-booked us.

I've known several people who have had their bags nicked in Bangkok over the years.

This week a teenager tried to steal a handbag from a Chinese (last time same thing, the Chinese woman died). Courageous kiwi mother of six (think she was at school with my kids) intervened and got knocked down, fracturing skull, but now on the mend after hours of surgery.

What's wonderful is that donations to help the family are pouring in.

More people stand by and do nothing...the number of times my husband has dived in to save kids, with dozens half his age just ignoring the situation, but never even getting a thank you is amazing - of course destroyed watches/soaked clothing/day spoilt etc. doesn't enter the mind of those who kid was rescued!

Lol

Man, this case is a regular in EU, USA and South-America.

So?

You have to watch your belongings every-where and every-times, if you don't want to lose them.

And a tablet it is not a bad catch at all.

Man, this case is a regular in EU, USA and South-America.

So?

You have to watch your belongings every-where and every-times, if you don't want to lose them.

And a tablet it is not a bad catch at all.

I think the problem is for many of us, things use to be different here. A snatched bag was a rare event. In SA, it's a daily thing, has been for many years. Times are changing here...unfortunately.

I eat daily at the huge food court at Central World and it's very common to see people leave their bags on the tables unattended while they go to get their food.

Had the same thing happen in London.. Girl I was with lost a handbag with a month's rent in it. Very common everywhere.

I also once met an Irish guy with a Thai wife who told me a story about how his wife had her bag stolen at some event in Bangkok. A little while later, she received a letter from the thief inviting her to come and get the bag, but that they were keeping the money a they were poor. She went to some rough part of town, received the bag and left with nothing more said.

It amazes me that people would carry around a month's rent money with them. Better to pay via internet banking or transfer to landlord's account at the bank. It's stupid to carry that much cash around.

This week a teenager tried to steal a handbag from a Chinese (last time same thing, the Chinese woman died). Courageous kiwi mother of six (think she was at school with my kids) intervened and got knocked down, fracturing skull, but now on the mend after hours of surgery.

What's wonderful is that donations to help the family are pouring in.

More people stand by and do nothing...the number of times my husband has dived in to save kids, with dozens half his age just ignoring the situation, but never even getting a thank you is amazing - of course destroyed watches/soaked clothing/day spoilt etc. doesn't enter the mind of those who kid was rescued!

1 Was the bag worth having a woman's head fractured?

2 Reach, throw, wade, row, swim, tow (note entering the water is not the first option, and you should remove excess clothing first)

Edited September 26, 201411 yr by AnotherOneAmerican

I spent some time in East Africa as an expat.

On my first day, local colleagues advised me to leave "valuables" (credit cards, expensive watch, passport, etc.) at home. Got the message and never had anything stolen!

I still think that Thailand hasn't reached this point, yet...

And again, better to be safe than sorry!

Thanks for the heads up !!!

if you have your phone in it its easy to find, if you down load, find my phone program you can find your bag, not saying there will be anything in it or even if the phone is there, The phone maybe could have been sold on.

To AnotheroneAmerican:

1 Was the bag worth having a woman's head fractured?

NOPE, but courageous people react instantly/instinctively to help another probably. They're the salt of the earth, but it's heartbreaking that several in Auckland who have intervened to prevent rape/bashing etc. have ended up being killed/maimed themselves in recent years. I've been hit in shoulder several times and pushed into gutter once.

2 Reach, throw, wade, row, swim, tow (note entering the water is not the first option, and you should remove excess clothing first)

GREAT ADVICE, now why didn't hubby think of that? Above usually applies without too much thought - twice it was time critical as hubby knew tides/currents and where kids wd be sucked into underlying wharf piling systems where they could be trapped; others were long way offshore with head going barely bobbing up - fabulous long-distance eyesight.