Chinese passenger arrested for stealing 60,000 Baht on Bangkok bound flight

[malcoml]

This happened to a friend and they took his passport.

He was stuck at the Bangkok airport for a while.

[masuk]

so...a warning. keep the stuff on the rack above you locked up!!!

[tomyumchai]

They must have left out some information on this story, it's not so simple to follow someone onto a plane if you don't have a ticket for the same flight. .

sounds like it starts from the casino.

[CoreanoOzzie]

Chinese remaining classy as per usual....

[CoreanoOzzie]

Darn !!! What poor timing. Just when Thai authorities are trying

to soothe the general population that inside the Chinese really

are good people, and their tourism dollars are needed,

along comes a story like this one to ruin everything........ The

news story is not stating who the victim is, I suspect that this

is a Chinese on Chinese crime..

Actually, Thailand is waking up to the Chinese and the majority of Thais I know don't have a good opinion of Chinese tourists.

Regulating the entry of their vehicles, stopping Chinese tour guides and wedding photographers working illegally and stealing work from Thais are just the beginning.

Chinese campervans driving into Thailand and not spending a Baht here, parking for free at Wats, petrol stations (which begs the question, how do they shower? Or do they do the same thing as back home when there's no hot water for a week and not have a shower at all?) and boiling their own noodles instead of buying something at the local store. That is now being clamped down upon.

I read a blog comment on a Facebook post of a Thai social media user who commented on a picture of a Chinese campervan driving inside Thailand near Phitsanulok. The caption read in Thai and I quote: "new way to run drugs around the country. Chinese tourist vehicles."

Anyway, Chinese on Chinese crime doesn't make it any less serious. Especially considering the international element of it here you have someone stealing money on a flight to a foreign country [Thailand].

Actually, Thailand is waking up to the Chinese and the majority of Thais I know don't have a good opinion of Chinese tourists.

__

As you know many Thai are of Chinese blood, definitely the merchant class. Apparently they simply cannot tolerate each other. As for the drug running tour busses...good observation. I understand that scenario to be quite accurate.

Most Thais despise the Chinese and rightly so.

[Nobb]

Great news the Chinese are coming to Thailand with trained gangs to steal all of are money. Good country to have as a partner Khun PM.

[attento]

60k. Not too clever to leave it in an overhead locker. Surely the passenger had pockets in his trousers and shirt.

His pockets were full of the other 100k winnings, Only the small change went in the locker . .

[fey]

What is the real moral to this story? If you are carrying cash, always leave it locked up, on a flight, or in a hotel room. Just a small 200 baht luggage lock would have saved this guy from getting robbed. Would I carry 60,000 baht in my carry on, without it being locked up during flight? Absolutely not. I use a luggage lock on a suitcase, whenever I am in a hotel room too. I hear all kinds of stories about hotel safes being "broken" into. I have never had my luggage broken into, while holding my passport, laptop, cash, credit cards, etc. I always keep it locked up, while out of the room. The same rule applies for a guy who takes a stranger back to his room. Lock everything in the suitcase or the safe, prior to getting busy. Why take a chance?

its staff who steals from hotel rooms, not random strangers breaking the door down

hiding articles is the way to go. staff has safe master codes and a luggage lock wont deter anyone with half a brain

[Kiwisailor]

What is the real moral to this story? If you are carrying cash, always leave it locked up, on a flight, or in a hotel room. Just a small 200 baht luggage lock would have saved this guy from getting robbed. Would I carry 60,000 baht in my carry on, without it being locked up during flight? Absolutely not. I use a luggage lock on a suitcase, whenever I am in a hotel room too. I hear all kinds of stories about hotel safes being "broken" into. I have never had my luggage broken into, while holding my passport, laptop, cash, credit cards, etc. I always keep it locked up, while out of the room. The same rule applies for a guy who takes a stranger back to his room. Lock everything in the suitcase or the safe, prior to getting busy. Why take a chance?

its staff who steals from hotel rooms, not random strangers breaking the door down

hiding articles is the way to go. staff has safe master codes and a luggage lock wont deter anyone with half a brain

Don't forget that most luggage locks now are TSA approved - meaning that with the right tool they pop open in seconds!

[gk10002000]

What is the real moral to this story? If you are carrying cash, always leave it locked up, on a flight, or in a hotel room. Just a small 200 baht luggage lock would have saved this guy from getting robbed. Would I carry 60,000 baht in my carry on, without it being locked up during flight? Absolutely not. I use a luggage lock on a suitcase, whenever I am in a hotel room too. I hear all kinds of stories about hotel safes being "broken" into. I have never had my luggage broken into, while holding my passport, laptop, cash, credit cards, etc. I always keep it locked up, while out of the room. The same rule applies for a guy who takes a stranger back to his room. Lock everything in the suitcase or the safe, prior to getting busy. Why take a chance?

its staff who steals from hotel rooms, not random strangers breaking the door down

hiding articles is the way to go. staff has safe master codes and a luggage lock wont deter anyone with half a brain

Those in room safes also have a Master key that somebody has and is used to open the safe if the user forgot the lock code, or the safe battery died, or of course somebody is stealing stuff.

[halloween]

Hmm, some what surprised Air Asia didnt charge a 7% Return of monies or Customer Protection surcharge on the 60K...

Why the bashing?

The girl who saw the theft acted very professionally.

I think the poster is on about Air Asia, not the stewardess, due to their charging for every thing!

AA charges for everything you elect as a want/need, rather than charging as part of the ticket those things you don't want/ need. For example, this morning I have bought, during the current sale, a ticket entitling me to a seat and 7kg of carry-on, KL - Gold Coast for less than Oz$120. I AM NOT paying for a meal, or alcohol, or hold luggage, or in-flight entertainment, that I don't want on a red-eye overnight flight. I MAY decide to have a coffee in the morning, knowing the price will be quite reasonable.

Similarly, the flight from Surat - KL cost less than Oz$20. You might like to check out prices for alternative means of transport, BKK Air from Samui - BKK would be a good start.

BTW 93% of my 60K would be far preferable than losing the lot.

Edited March 5, 2016 by halloween

[spidermike007]

What is the real moral to this story? If you are carrying cash, always leave it locked up, on a flight, or in a hotel room. Just a small 200 baht luggage lock would have saved this guy from getting robbed. Would I carry 60,000 baht in my carry on, without it being locked up during flight? Absolutely not. I use a luggage lock on a suitcase, whenever I am in a hotel room too. I hear all kinds of stories about hotel safes being "broken" into. I have never had my luggage broken into, while holding my passport, laptop, cash, credit cards, etc. I always keep it locked up, while out of the room. The same rule applies for a guy who takes a stranger back to his room. Lock everything in the suitcase or the safe, prior to getting busy. Why take a chance?

its staff who steals from hotel rooms, not random strangers breaking the door down

hiding articles is the way to go. staff has safe master codes and a luggage lock wont deter anyone with half a brain

Absolutely incorrect information. I have used good quality luggage locks all over the world, for the past 20 plus years. Never once, have I had an incident. I have had significant amounts of cash and valuables locked up in my luggage, either in my room, or in luggage storage at a hotel and never once have I had an issue. I realize it would be fairly easy to cut the lock. But, that is not the point. It is a deterrent. That is usually all you need. Nobody wants to make it look obvious that they stole from you in a hotel. A luggage lock is far safer than using a safe, in my opinion.

[spidermike007]

What is the real moral to this story? If you are carrying cash, always leave it locked up, on a flight, or in a hotel room. Just a small 200 baht luggage lock would have saved this guy from getting robbed. Would I carry 60,000 baht in my carry on, without it being locked up during flight? Absolutely not. I use a luggage lock on a suitcase, whenever I am in a hotel room too. I hear all kinds of stories about hotel safes being "broken" into. I have never had my luggage broken into, while holding my passport, laptop, cash, credit cards, etc. I always keep it locked up, while out of the room. The same rule applies for a guy who takes a stranger back to his room. Lock everything in the suitcase or the safe, prior to getting busy. Why take a chance?

its staff who steals from hotel rooms, not random strangers breaking the door down

hiding articles is the way to go. staff has safe master codes and a luggage lock wont deter anyone with half a brain

Don't forget that most luggage locks now are TSA approved - meaning that with the right tool they pop open in seconds!

I am not saying they are foolproof. I am not saying they cannot be opened. Any small lock can be easily opened. But, how many petty thieves carry around a TSA tool with them? What is the percentage? Think about it, please. And is a piece of luggage safer with a small lock, than without one?Does hotel employee want to leave a trace? Just common sense, street smart travel advice, is all it is.

[HenryB]

I can not believe that people who can afford a plane ticket and have money will leave it in the luggage

These people are so stupid they do not dissevered the money they have

[HenryB]

I can not believe that people who can afford a plane ticket and have money will leave it in the luggage

These people are so stupid they do not dissevered the money they have

[fey]

What is the real moral to this story? If you are carrying cash, always leave it locked up, on a flight, or in a hotel room. Just a small 200 baht luggage lock would have saved this guy from getting robbed. Would I carry 60,000 baht in my carry on, without it being locked up during flight? Absolutely not. I use a luggage lock on a suitcase, whenever I am in a hotel room too. I hear all kinds of stories about hotel safes being "broken" into. I have never had my luggage broken into, while holding my passport, laptop, cash, credit cards, etc. I always keep it locked up, while out of the room. The same rule applies for a guy who takes a stranger back to his room. Lock everything in the suitcase or the safe, prior to getting busy. Why take a chance?

its staff who steals from hotel rooms, not random strangers breaking the door down

hiding articles is the way to go. staff has safe master codes and a luggage lock wont deter anyone with half a brain

Don't forget that most luggage locks now are TSA approved - meaning that with the right tool they pop open in seconds!

I am not saying they are foolproof. I am not saying they cannot be opened. Any small lock can be easily opened. But, how many petty thieves carry around a TSA tool with them? What is the percentage? Think about it, please. And is a piece of luggage safer with a small lock, than without one?Does hotel employee want to leave a trace? Just common sense, street smart travel advice, is all it is.

its safer with the lock, but not as safe as hiding stuff. even safer is using your luggage with a lock snd also hiding stuff.

interesting subject, but thats as much as ill say on a public forum. if just a deterrant is all you need then fine. but if you have valuables where loss is not an acceptable risk like lots of cash or laptops you risking it just leaving them around obvious under a small lock.

[scavenger]

Two observations from my flight back from Macau with Air Asia on the same day but on the evening flight:

1 - The flight attendant warned us to keep our valuables on us;

2 - After 4 days with the Chinese in Macau, boarding the plane and being greeted with a smile by beautiful flight attendants felt like heaven.

Edited March 6, 2016 by scavenger