Do you trust the electronic safe in the hotels?

[thairookie]

I am referring to hotels in Bangkok and Pattaya.

Do you trust them enough to put something like baht 200,000 inside ?

[phetphet]

I remember reading an article about some hotels not changing the default override code from 0-0-0-0, or whatever it is for any particular brand.

This meant that anyone entering such code had immediate access.

[surangw]

easy to defeat, ( and some are not bolted down to boot)

usually a fail safe opening system if the battery goes dead ( like contacts to apply power externally)

[konying]

Sorry but only insane person would put 200 000 baht into a 2000 baht hotel safe and think its safe.

Putting aside the over ride code of 0000, it weighs nothing and is usually attached to a ply wood, which means little pull and its yours to take away.

Should you really need to hold 200K, either contact GM and ask to place it in managers safe or put it in the bank

[Chivas]

Out of choice I always prefer to the Double Key Boxes in Reception not foolproof but in my opinion much more Secure

[Mcffee]

Judge for yourself.

[slightlychilled]

Yes I put my valuables in the safe. I don't generally stay in cheap hotels and the safes are always well bolted down.

The safe is always in a wardrobe or cupboard and I appreciate someone in the hotel always has a master key or code so I always lock the cupboard or wardobe with my own lock.

[thrilled]

If I was ever carring that kind of money which I never am.I would put it in 2 or 3 different safes.If Ya get robbed you still have money.

[jacko45k]

A bit of a coincidence but talking with a friend only yesterday who had his condo-room safe accessed and money removed, so I would say not.

Best guess is they either have an over-ride code known to someone, but there is also the possibility the over-ride key was used.

I think better hotels take precautions with the ability to access safes but smaller places not, an ex employee could be a risk.

[gk10002000]

I trust them a little bit. The safes have a key that somebody has that can be used to open the safe in case people forget the combination. I myself had to call the desk once when I couldn't get into the safe. Who keeps the key is the key! The safe can keep your casual guest out of your stuff. As others have said, often the safe is bolted down by a not very big bolt, or that bolt goes through cheap furniture such as particle board that just doesn't have any strength. Safes are routinely carried out of rooms.

[gk10002000]

Out of choice I always prefer to the Double Key Boxes in Reception not foolproof but in my opinion much more Secure

I agree. While the room safes are convenient and can keep the honest honest, such as a casual overnight guest, the double key boxes in reception have a few more safety features. They do need two keys, although I am less than convinced that all the keys are always unique. The reception does have more foot traffic so that alone can deter the thief. Often the cctv stuff is trained on the area. The better hotels, say from Flipper Lodge quality and up monitor their employees actions. Cheaper hotels sometimes have "Camera not working".

[NeilSA1]

wow. An amazing video, Thanks very much Mcffee. I will never trust another hotel room safe again.

[misterme]

Do not trust the in-rom safe.

Do not trust the double key front desk safes.

Hide your dough anywhere else in the room, but not under the mattress,

[tolsti]

whether you do use a safe or don't.... just remember:

Special rules for innkeepers

Section 674 The proprietor of an inn, hotel or other such place is liable for any loss or damage to the property which the traveller or guest lodging with him may have brought.

Section 675 The proprietor is liable for loss or damage to the property of the traveller or guest, even caused by strangers going to and from the inn, hotel or other such place.

His liability is limited to the sum of five thousand baht if the property is specie, currency notes, bills, bonds, shares, debentures, warrants, jewels or other valuables, unless it has been deposited with him and its valie clearly stated.

But he is not liable for loss or damage caused by force majeure or by the nature of the property or by the fault of the traveller or guest or of his attendant or of a person whom he has received.

Thailand Civil and Commercial Code Section 674 - 675

[konying]

whether you do use a safe or don't.... just remember: Special rules for innkeepers

Section 674 The proprietor of an inn, hotel or other such place is liable for any loss or damage to the property which the traveller or guest lodging with him may have brought.

Section 675 The proprietor is liable for loss or damage to the property of the traveller or guest, even caused by strangers going to and from the inn, hotel or other such place.

His liability is limited to the sum of five thousand baht if the property is specie, currency notes, bills, bonds, shares, debentures, warrants, jewels or other valuables, unless it has been deposited with him and its valie clearly stated.

But he is not liable for loss or damage caused by force majeure or by the nature of the property or by the fault of the traveller or guest or of his attendant or of a person whom he has received.

Thailand Civil and Commercial Code Section 674 - 675

Haha, good luck enforcing this or getting anyone to enforce it

[davee58]

No way would I trust a hotel safe.

My "stash" of cash is kept in a locked bag inside my locked suitcase, every day I count my "stash" and the amount in my wallet, and write it down,

The only time my figures were out, I was missing 100 US dollars exactly. That was the only occasion in the past few years that I have used the hotel safe, it was a respectable hotel that lulled me into stupidity.

If my "stash" is stolen there will be a damaged suitcase and broken lock from the money bag as evidence, if items go "missing" from the safe there is no evidence.

I stay in hotels and apartments for about 300 nights per year.

Edited March 27, 2015 by davee58

[pmarlowe]

I live in hotels for my job and also have hotel companies as clients. Hotel safes are notoriously unreliable. If a thief wants to get in, he/she will.

[tolsti]

whether you do use a safe or don't.... just remember: Special rules for innkeepers

Section 674 The proprietor of an inn, hotel or other such place is liable for any loss or damage to the property which the traveller or guest lodging with him may have brought.

Section 675 The proprietor is liable for loss or damage to the property of the traveller or guest, even caused by strangers going to and from the inn, hotel or other such place.

His liability is limited to the sum of five thousand baht if the property is specie, currency notes, bills, bonds, shares, debentures, warrants, jewels or other valuables, unless it has been deposited with him and its valie clearly stated.

But he is not liable for loss or damage caused by force majeure or by the nature of the property or by the fault of the traveller or guest or of his attendant or of a person whom he has received.

Thailand Civil and Commercial Code Section 674 - 675

Haha, good luck enforcing this or getting anyone to enforce it

the reason for my post was that they are only liable for 5000 thb in any case.

[Suradit69]

If I was ever carring that kind of money which I never am.I would put it in 2 or 3 different safes.If Ya get robbed you still have money.

Rent 2 or 3 rooms? Most people travelling don't have access to several safes.

If you have a Thai bank account, park it there until it's needed.

Or you could leave it in a taxi, which many people seem to do, and wait for the driver to return it to you ... that way you might also get your photo in Thai Visa like these safety conscious people did.

Taxi driver returns B1.2m to tourist

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/807619-taxi-driver-returns-b12m-to-tourist/?p=9177911&hl=%2Btaxi+%2Bdriver+%2Breturns+%2Bmoney

Taxi driver returns 4.7 million yen to Japanese tourist

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/807378-thai-taxi-driver-returns-47-million-yen-to-japanese-tourist/?hl=%20taxi%20%20driver%20%20returns%20%20money

Taxi Driver returns 'lost' valuables

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/779405-honest-taxi-driver-returns-lost-valuables-to-british-tourist-in-pattaya/?hl=+taxi%20+driver%20+returns%20+money

Taxi drivers ...safer option than room safe??

[Afook]

I have used them just to keep my laptop/tablet inside, or my passport, on occasion........have to be crazy to keep 200,000B in it , only overnite when asleep...

any hotel employee, can open them with no problem.......never leave any cash inside the room, when not in.........only asking for problems........

[KittenKong]

Money belongs in banks.

[BoganInParasite]

About 8 years ago I had the equivalent of $1,200 Australian dollars in Thai currency taken from my locked in-room safe at a very well known 5 star hotel in Sukhumvit. Reported it and over the course of the next hour reviewed the electronic log of entry and exits into the room with the hotel security manager. All normal and attributable to ourselves, the maid and butler (the hotel offers a butler service for several room type/rates). The security manager was adamant there was no default code and that the only way a safe could be opened without the guset code was via a device under his control. I tended to believe him because I used my code to open the safe when I discovered the loss and could not see that that would work if it had been opened via a default code or device. In the end declined the security managers suggestion to make a report with the local police. Could not see anyone believing a farang. Put it down to one of lifes experiences and continue to be utterly perplexed as to what happened.

[TSF]

Saw on Pattaya 1 news other day a Turkish gentleman brought a street hooker back to his hotel room, she slipped him a mickey and when he came to the room safe was open and all his valuables stolen, so she managed to get it open some way. So I guess these safes are not safe at all if you're bringing dodgy people back.

[Linzz]

whether you do use a safe or don't.... just remember: Special rules for innkeepers

Section 674 The proprietor of an inn, hotel or other such place is liable for any loss or damage to the property which the traveller or guest lodging with him may have brought.

Section 675 The proprietor is liable for loss or damage to the property of the traveller or guest, even caused by strangers going to and from the inn, hotel or other such place.

His liability is limited to the sum of five thousand baht if the property is specie, currency notes, bills, bonds, shares, debentures, warrants, jewels or other valuables, unless it has been deposited with him and its valie clearly stated.

But he is not liable for loss or damage caused by force majeure or by the nature of the property or by the fault of the traveller or guest or of his attendant or of a person whom he has received.

Thailand Civil and Commercial Code Section 674 - 675

Haha, good luck enforcing this or getting anyone to enforce it

Make a noise at reception, no one likes a scene and/or call the police. However you might have to reward the police with some of the money for turning up

[IMA_FARANG]

I have found more times when a departing guest had not zeroed out their own combination when they checked out....ignoring the sign asking guests to please leave the safe open and their code zeroed out when checking out.

Instead the previous guest had simply removed their stuff, then shut and locked the safe, without zeroing their own code out.

That made it impossible for me to open the room safe when I checked in to that room.... usually making it necessary for me to get the hotel staff to open the safe for me to use.

One of the hotel security staff told me that guests regularly let items behind in their safe when they checked out.

He said that one guest left a rather expensive Rolex watch behind. (NOT a copy) in the room safe.

[GOLDBUGGY]

I have lived and stayed in hotels for many years and never had any problems. I wouldn't put 2M Baht in it but for 200K I think you are safe as long as you stay at a decent hotel, it isn't all your money which you don't have access to more, and you don't flash your money or Gold, as they will know you keep it their as well.

A Hotel Safe is a 4 Digit Coded Number, so to open it there are 10,000 possible numbers which will do that. If you start at 0000 and end at 9999, and do only one number every 5 seconds, it would take a maximum of 14 hours for anyone to open it. So on average 7 hours. Not likely someone will sit their 14 hours to do this. But if you are staying a month, and someone spends one half hour a day trying this, and remembering where they left off, they can open it before you leave.

Had to do this with my suitcase once, but lucky for me my number was low and there was only 3 digits.

[how241]

easy to defeat, ( and some are not bolted down to boot)

usually a fail safe opening system if the battery goes dead ( like contacts to apply power externally)

+1...A few years ago I forgot my combo for the safe and the hotel staff came to my room and opened it with a master pin # ....Also it was only screwed down into the soft wood furniture.

[nithisa78]

The safe will only keep out an honest man. A thief will laugh at them and take the money. If you have to think about it, don't do it.

[wileycoyote]

Yes ,but I don't have that muchmoney to put into a hotel safe

[geisha]

There are safe rental companies everywhere these days, as cheap as 400 baht a month, and are in special vault rooms. For someone staying a month or more a great option. Otherwise, on short trips keep to credit cards and small amounts of cash. As one can see from the video, anyone can open a hotel safe, or walk off with it.