Has anyone noticed an increase in theft in their area?

[Shiver]

May 2015 I had my phone stolen from my person whilst walking home down a dark link road. Just prior to that 3 teenagers/young 20's on a bike, stopped and asked the time. I don't have a watch, so got out my phone and showed them the time. He wanted to hold the phone but I declined. He ran his finger over the screen (I didn't know why at the time). Just around the corner on a short dark link road to home, the same group pretended to have no fuel for their bike (3 up on a Honda wave), one asked to borrow my phone. I wasn't comfortable with that, but felt a little uneasy. Weighing it up I did eventually loan the phone, and he started talking on the phone (or so I thought) to presumably some imaginary person. He claimed the signal was poor and climbed a wall (it's not, it's very close to city centre Udon). Meantime I chatted with the two remaining kids.

Looking back the first swiping of the phone was to see if I had it 'locked', the second, climbing a wall for signal was an escape route (I think he thought better of it when he saw the brambles and debris on the other side), and it was only then that the penny had dropped. He started running away with my phone as the bike magically started, and before I could blink it was around the corner and gone. I had played a scenario like this in my head before, where I would offer the phone but want to keep my SIM since it was no use to them, and full of contacts for me, and also get their vehicle number. Reality didn't play out like that. It was all over in seconds. FWIW I had an app called WheresMyDroid for tracking it, so ran home and got on the computer to find out where the phone was, but it was already too late as it had been decommissioned already in moments.

I'd been fairly easy going and didn't really think about this kind of thing on a daily basis, though Thais would forever be cautioning me to be careful on my way home at night. I thought their level of paranoia was tuned to be more sensitive than needed.

Fast forward 11 months and I have my 2nd incident. I had (unusually for me) my laptop downstairs under the television. The front door was closed but not locked, and I was sitting right in front of it watching the television in the early hours of the morning. It was time to lock up and go to bed, but I momentarily nodded off, and I came around to the noise of the door slowly closing, as it makes a small noise as it springs back to position - looking at the clock this was all within a couple of minutes, as if they were waiting. Straight away I heard a motorbike rev off into the distance. I leapt up to look outside, wondering why the missus was in such a rush to go somewhere, only to see my scooter still there, and my gf asleep still upstairs.

One week later, a laptop was stolen from next door (a group of student aged guys stay there). Then there was another theft in a soi about 2 mins walk from here the week later. This was getting to be a habit. So far my rough count is 6 laptops and 3 phones in the last couple of months, and that's only the ones I've heard about. Then, three nights ago a young working guy was sat on his bike chatting with some neighbours with a laptop bag around his neck/shoulders, and a drive by snatched it. As it happened it didn't have a laptop in it, just papers relevant to his job (this was well before midnight this time). All of these have been reported to the police btw.

The last robbery was 2 nights ago where they changed strategy and climbed across the balconies (I'm unsure of the entry building). Next door had learnt to lock the upstairs restraining metal door, but it has gaps between the bars for daylight and a mosquito screen so they could still get their hand in, and remove the key that the guys had left in the lock (don't ask me the logic of that as I have no answers). There are foot prints, and hand marks on the walls, and the guys next door lost another laptop and phone, this time from upstairs, and some other students in a unit a few doors to the other side of me lost 2 phones the same night, and another laptop in a nearby soi. This one was different though - the thief had put down both his own phone, and his house key on the desk to unplug the laptop that was being stolen, and forgotten to take with him his own phone/key. This time there were several police came out to investigate and take statements, and a couple of camera guys with SLR's, and the usual phone camera pics also. There was quite a crowd of locals outside, and I did wonder with so many of them that the police felt a little pressure to do something before the locals made their own justice to whoever is doing this (a 2 person team it would seem). The thief's phone may well have lots of contacts on there, the house key is a bit hard to deny if they know their house, the phone network must have some kind of useful data. If they can't solve this one then I have little faith remaining.

Anyhow, the reason I brought this up (aside from a heads up for those living in cities, and it would seem also student areas where laptops and phones in low security buildings are probably rich pickings), but I'd also heard of similar spates of incidents up in Nong Khai, and wonder if those in other cities were having the same issues?

I can't help but to think of this as a source of funding for YaaBaa tablets (700baht a pop, or so I'm told, with Crystal Meth being a fair bit more). I'm thinking of getting CCTV, but am overwhelmed by the choice and specs. I'd like several cameras to cover not only my place, but also the soi in both directions for the neighbours houses.

Anyhow, does anyone have any similar stories, tips etc (btw, this unit has access to the roof space which is common along the entire row, as a still current point of failure).

[villagefarang]

You might try moving to a better neighborhood. I have never had anything stolen in Thailand.

[Shot]

I'm good.

[Berkshire]

Nope.

[1FinickyOne]

No, i do not see any increase in theft here in the countryside, though i think it is not surprising that there would be here as it appears a worldwide issue and maybe things like expensive phones and tablets, easily re-saleable make for an easy target...

Sorry for your loss, it is awful when people steal other people's things...

[joeyg]

There are good and bad neighborhoods everywhere. Choose a good one. And don't give your phone to thieves unless they've got a gun in your face. Just sayin'...

[OscarTheTurtle]

It seems to me that a lot of people are stressed under this regime. So many have lost their traditional business locations due tot he junta forcing them out. And of course there are all those who are involved in crime who need new work. A lot of the pirated shops are closed. Business is down overall. Due to the constant arrest of yaba sellers, drug prices must be rising so the addicts will either have to get more money for their addictions so commiting small thefts to pay for drugs might be on the increase. Another thing is parents are being pressured to pay out school fees since the beginning of the Thai term has started. There was a story about a larger number of Thais using pawn shops this year for the school term.

The pressure from this regime has affected a lot of people. The crackdown on small business people and criminals must have some effect on petty crime as people find new ways to feed themselves.

Edited May 26, 2016 by OscarTheTurtle

[theguyfromanotherforum]

Someone thank this guy for a well written post.

[anotheruser]

I noticed theft increase 10 or so years ago when I lived in Phuket. I never had any problems before that. I attribute it to yaba.

[JingerBen]

It seems to me that a lot of people are stressed under this regime. So many have lost their traditional business locations due tot he junta forcing them out. And of course there are all those who are involved in crime who need new work. A lot of the pirated shops are closed. Business is down overall. Due to the constant arrest of yaba sellers, drug prices must be rising so the addicts will either have to get more money for their addictions so commiting small thefts to pay for drugs might be on the increase. Another thing is parents are being pressured to pay out school fees since the beginning of the Thai term has started. There was a story about a larger number of Thais using pawn shops this year for the school term.

The pressure from this regime has affected a lot of people. The crackdown on small business people and criminals must have some effect on petty crime as people find new ways to feed themselves.

And what have you been feeding yourself on lately? Horse manure?

[Shiver]

I would say it's a good neighbourhood overall. Neighbours are chatty, and it's not unusual for them to knock on the door bringing gifts of food they just made, which is of course reciprocated. The bad element is from elsewhere, but likely within the same city.

Unrelated to the above incidents, a couple of well established foreign guys here were on their way home later one night, and decided that a Tuk Tuk would be a smarter option than to try and drive. One guy put his phone down by his side, which was in a wallet type holder with his ATM/credit cards etc. When he went to pick it up 'there it was - gone'. He felt down the back of the seat only to find that the bench in the tuk tuk led to fresh air, so he asked the tuk tuk driver to U-turn and they walked the path they'd just travelled, and it was nowhere to be seen, unsurprisingly). The tuk tuk driver said to get in, as he had a good idea of which guys are the 'usual suspects' around here, and they went on a journey from one person to the next, always with a story of "I had it but I passed it to...' someone else. They ended up at an internet cafe and demanded the phone back (he didn't know if he had the phone or not), and a nervous person on the other side of the counter reached down and pulled out the wallet, complete with phone and cards intact. A lucky outcome, and I don't think hardcore thieves so much as opportunists. That was about 10Km away from where I am.

When wallets were just wallets, it used to be customary to hand it into the police (minus any baht of course, as a finders fee). Times they are a changin though. It's a shame the current electronic devices are so small and compact that there is no room to fit even a button sized tracker inside for realtime GPS data upload to cloud (still useful for fitting to your kids school bag or something though).

[JingerBen]

You might try moving to a better neighborhood. I have never had anything stolen in Thailand.

Neither have I.

Luck has no doubt played a part, but I've always taken the obvious precautions and I live among people who are - for the most part - decent and honest. Typical working class Thais in Chiang Mai, and out in the country at my daughter's farm, chao soo-un.

Good to hear the experiences of someone who has been here for forty years - you have me beat by three.

[DavisH]

We got burgled about a year ago in our gated village. 3 other houses were broken into but nothing taken. At the time we were getting renovations done - maybe someone say it and figured we had cash in the house. It's scary to think someone spent a long time in your house going through stuff when you are asleep (even right outside my bedroom door! Never heard a thing. Now we got a security system fitted and some bars on some of the vulnerable windows. I haven't noticed a sharp increase in break-ins. It is, however, more common than we think. We just don't hear about it in the press. Construction workers are often involved (one caught and linked to break-ins in my village). They know how houses are built and can scale tall walls easily. Be wary of them.

[kannot]

no nothing happens round by me and that hasnt changed in 3 years.......not to say it wont though?

[Lamkyong]

Someone thank this guy for a well written post.

albeit of biblical proportion

[Shiver]

One more this brings to mind (maybe 8-9 years ago) was a friend several doors away got his place robbed while we were out at a restaurant. There was a desktop, laptop, and a fair amount of cash in the top drawer (unlocked).

What was stolen? One 6pack of toilet paper and a pair of flip flops.

Those were the days, take only what you need. If we knew who it was then we could have left a gift pack of essentials.

[Cook my sock]

Pretty sure some of the taxi bike guys are doing over drunk tourists around sukhumvit late at night. I got done last year and others have too,

[Mosha]

OP no

Sent from my SMART_4G_Speedy_5inch using Tapatalk

[B1TcoinLife]

no nothing happens round by me and that hasnt changed in 3 years.......not to say it wont though?

Except the neighbors stealing your fish.....

[malt25]

No, i do not see any increase in theft here in the countryside, though i think it is not surprising that there would be here as it appears a worldwide issue and maybe things like expensive phones and tablets, easily re-saleable make for an easy target...

Sorry for your loss, it is awful when people steal other people's things...

" it is awful when people steal other people's things " Just wondering ... can you steal something from yourself ?

[robertthebruce]

The other day in ''Central'' i saw a ''Thai Man'' steal a cake , he was bold as brass, just picked it up and walked out...

First time i have seen that here...

[kannot]

The other day in ''Central'' i saw a ''Thai Man'' steal a cake , he was bold as brass, just picked it up and walked out...

First time i have seen that here...

Was it a "fruitcake"?

[malt25]

The other day in ''Central'' i saw a ''Thai Man'' steal a cake , he was bold as brass, just picked it up and walked out...

First time i have seen that here...

Was it a "fruitcake"?

I think maybe just a cakewalk !!!

[kannot]

no nothing happens round by me and that hasnt changed in 3 years.......not to say it wont though?

Except the neighbors stealing your fish.....

That was way back but good call, ok well lets say serious, in fact they did that in broad daylight with about 8 people standing there digging out the lake with makros, initially we thought they were with the workers but when we asked them we found out it was a neighbour in the village...not exactly what youd call a serious crime when theres no wall on the land and no house which is how it was at the time ie just an empty plot.

It seems many think if theres no wall or fence then its fair game, funny as at the time the water had been drained and they were wading in just mud.

Bought it in 2011......hey thats more than 3 years

Also had the builders trying to take them once....they didnt last long

Edited May 28, 2016 by kannot

[chrisinth]

Pretty sure some of the taxi bike guys are doing over drunk tourists around sukhumvit late at night. I got done last year and others have too,

I was pretty sure i was mugged most nights when i was living in Pattaya.

Waking up the next day only to find a little money left and a splitting headache.................

Almost certain it was the same gang, cause i think they s h * t in my mouth as well when they left.