Oh come on. So Thailand has theives like everywhere else. While I understand Thailand has certain problems, thefts happen the world wide. Even in California a pick pocket Gang was just arrested. A petty crime like this would not even be news worthy here in the states.

True. Italy and France are famous for its skilled pickpockets. I was a victim of them inside the French Metro in 2003. In Rome...I just saw them at job..also inside the Metro during rush hours.. Only pockets with zippers may be safe enough....Those guys are truly professionals!

I prefer the Mexican robbers..They just walk at you asking for a $10 "donation"...if you do not respond quickly with a note, they just say " Sr, I am just asking now, or will be easier if I show you my knife?".....

Moral?... Just carry many $10 notes and avoid wrong places and wrong hours to walk around...in any country!

"Police Call for Tougher Immigration Measures in Aftermath of Rape"

"Police should keep their eyes closely on millions of migrant workers in Thailand because, a deputy commander of the Royal Thai Police told reporters Monday, they are responsible for most crimes committed against foreign tourists."

Not the best place to leave a bag, presumably containing valuables, in this day and age.

Thats the daftest comment I've ever heard.

But if you know a better place, please inform us so this hideous crime can never happen again. Please take into consideration the aussie lady holidaying on Phuket who was carrying a bag, had it cut off her and died.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/564207-australian-stabbed-in-heart-in-thai-bag-snatch-tragedy/

and others

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/885776-finnish-tourist-slashed-while-fighting-off-bag-thieves-in-phuket/

Not daft at all, and I do not condone the robbery.

If I carry valuables, I carry them on my person. That way, you have some chance of defence should someone try to steal them.

Leaving them loose in a bicycle basket is not on your person, and any opportunist theif would see it as an easy target. Had they gone, say, into a shop, would they have left them in the basket ? No, they would have carried the valuables with them, on their person.

This goes not just for over here, but pretty much any country in this day and age.

There you go ladies and gentlemen, just carry your valuables on yourself at all times and you are guaranteed not to ever get robbed.

But you still didn't answer my question, where would you keep the bag bearing in mind the references to victims of similar crimes who were carrying their bags ending up dead and injured?

The article has no mention of any valuables in the bag, maybe they were in their pockets? Could just have been an umbrella, plastic poncho, water bottle, maps etc in there but no, TV hero's have to read bs into it (presuming as you stated) and post <deleted> about a subject they know nothing about. Certainly no more than anyone else who read the article.

Hence, daft.

If I wanted a bag to carry my personal things, I would buy one suitable to my needs.

I see many people walking round with man bags, bum bags, bags with shoulder straps, bags with wrist straps, all of which are attached to their person.

I also stressed the word 'presumably', the reason being, there was no mention of valuables in the article.

I hope they added 'driving without a helmet' and probably 'driving without a license' to the charges!

The courts in Thailand see theft as a very serious offence, and give harsher sentences for theft than some things people might consider are worse.

If found guilty, I imagine they will have a lengthy spell behind bars.

There you go ladies and gentlemen, just carry your valuables on yourself at all times and you are guaranteed not to ever get robbed

But you still didn't answer my question, where would you keep the bag bearing in mind the references to victims of similar crimes who were carrying their bags ending up dead and injured?

The article has no mention of any valuables in the bag, maybe they were in their pockets? Could just have been an umbrella, plastic poncho, water bottle, maps etc in there but no, TV hero's have to read bs into it (presuming as you stated) and post <deleted> about a subject they know nothing about. Certainly no more than anyone else who read the article.

Hence, daft.

If you ever choose to come and live here, maybe you will learn from their mistake ?

This is like a battle of wits with the unarmed. But carry on......