My ultra reliable maid of 6 years, now stealing cash.

[ChoakMyDee]

3 hours ago, GOLDBUGGY said:

You obviously don't know the difference between knowing someone, an giving that person a key to clean your house one day a week and while you are at work, and perhaps see this person once a month to pay them.  

 

This post is about "Betrayal of Trust"? He is not talking about his wife cheating on him. He is talking about a poor maid he set a trap for and she fell for that. 

 

Leave an extra 1,000 Baht on the bar table when you go for a leak and see if it is still their when you get back. Give a Taxi Driver 2 x 100 Baht, plus 1 x 1,000 Baht for a 300 Baht Taxi Ride and say thank you. and see if he tells you that you gave him too much.. There are all kinds of Mind Games people can play to test something foolish.

 

All I see here is that he lost a good maid, who job is to clean his house and not be a Bank Teller, and she lost a good job. No Win Win here at all for anyone. 

 

You never go full retard.

[rogeroc]

Of course it is entrapment, even the OP states that he was testing her honesty. The point is whether or not the 'entrapment' or 'test' call it what you like was reasonable, and obviously people will have different opinions.   If for example the OP left 1000 baht in a trouser pocket in a wardrobe that she had no reason to access that would have been, in my opinion, fair.  To leave an amount of cash in full view in an empty house, hotel room etc will lead to a degree of temptation to a poorly paid person who is strugglng.

[scorecard]

20 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

I leave my wallet lying around, laptops, iPads, iPhones... our Live in Maid / Nanny is wonderful and has never even given the hint of taking anything. 

 

That said, her mother works for my Inlaws... there is a generation of underlying trust.

 

She is getting married in a few months and will be leaving us...  I'll then have to start being careful again. 

 

But, if I can't trust someone with a few thousand baht... I can't trust them with my Son, we'll have to be on our toes once more. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For maybe 10 years we had the same maid, twice a week, always reliable, most times everybody was at work or school, if she found something in a pocket or saw money not put way etc., she would always call later the same day and say 'I found 50Baht' and explain where she had put it to be out of sight. 

 

Then she was not well and her younger sister came from upcountry to help her. On the first day she stayed at the house, with her sister, until my wife came home. Then the maid explained she had caught her sister pocketing some jewelery (worth perhaps 2,000Baht, it was well out of sight, in a box in a drawer).

 

 

Maid asked my wife to please check everything to see if anything more had been taken. Result, nothing more taken that could be quickly noticed. Maid then took her sister direct to the bus station to send her home.

 

Maid was terribly upset and pleaded to not be fired. We didn't fire her, in fact we gave her a 20% pay rise. 

[DSJPC]

You did the right thing by firing her.  Any Thai who makes 1000 baht for just 2 hours' work should be extremely grateful and not bite the hand that feeds them!  But TIT...

[Capt Rob]

21 hours ago, NancyL said:

If this has happened to you in other countries, why do you leave money laying around?  

 

I had no idea my husband left loose change in his pockets until we bought a clothes washer and I started to do our laundry vs. dropping it off at the "laundry lady.  Sure it was just "lose change", but often I find 60 -100 baht with each load of laundry in his many pockets.  Has any laundry lady here in Thailand ever returned the loose change?  Nope.  She had returned the occasional USB stick or other item that looked like it might be valuable or missed, but loose change.  Never.

Nancy, hope you gave "loose change " back . . . . . . . . . maybe . . . . . . .

[Jeffkp]

21 hours ago, NancyL said:

If this has happened to you in other countries, why do you leave money laying around?  

 

I had no idea my husband left loose change in his pockets until we bought a clothes washer and I started to do our laundry vs. dropping it off at the "laundry lady.  Sure it was just "lose change", but often I find 60 -100 baht with each load of laundry in his many pockets.  Has any laundry lady here in Thailand ever returned the loose change?  Nope.  She had returned the occasional USB stick or other item that looked like it might be valuable or missed, but loose change.  Never.

 

My laundry lady returns loose change and occasional bills.

[rogeroc]

5 hours ago, LannaGuy said:

she abused your trust it's that simple and Thais have a predilection for dishonesty  

 

I really have not seen that, i think that is an unfair comment and without a hint of any substance.

[JHolmesJr]

2 hours ago, tropo said:

1000 baht for 2 hours work? That's way over generous.

 

That is at par with what a hardworking honey from Insomnia makes from me….for about 3 hours of back breaking work…free drinks included. 

 

The maid is making a lot considering she is just vacuuming, dusting, using a washing machine and mopping for  2 hours.

[DerringDo]

It is encumbent on the maid not to steal. Small or large amounts is irrelevant.

 

Word of mouth for the next one from people you trust.

[tropo]

53 minutes ago, DerringDo said:

It is encumbent on the maid not to steal. Small or large amounts is irrelevant.

 

Word of mouth for the next one from people you trust.

Exactly right. I'll bet the OP is very happy she only stole pocket change. He could have lost a lot more. People are making a huge deal about 570 baht left out... which he actually got back. Who doesn't leave that amount of money laying around?

 

I'd say the OP is going to have a hard job finding a more honest replacement. After 6 years and only 570 baht she may be worth a second chance after all she did admit it and return it - that's got to count for something.

 

I'll make a side bet the OP forgives and she's back again soon...

 

What's the most important consideration for a maid - she's good at what she does. That's also not easy to find.

Edited August 27, 2016 by tropo

[pkspeaker]

are you joking? that's how i tip the hotel maids (dont keep one for the house) i just leave 100 bavht on the bed or on table.. she thinks its a tip, when you ask her about it shes like <deleted>? dont blame her

[bamukloy]

3 hours ago, tropo said:

Best off leaving some money around the house when you first employ them, to test them... and then retest them at least once a month. Take a photo of the money being left. If they take the money, show them the photo, deduct it from their salary and kiss them goodbye.

 

I suspect you'll be going through a lot of maids to find an honest one.

 

Don't become too personal with them ever. Make sure they always feel they are employees and not friends.

 

 

What your saying is a good tactic i guess, but not nice if your the one being tested. Its kind of like having someone presuming your a thief from the start and pretty demeaning.

I had this happen once (i suspected) although i was not really the hired help, it felt pretty demoralising.

When i saw the guy again i gave him the money back, and said to him its no wonder people steal from you, leaving $100 notes around like that

[Mansell]

3 hours ago, rogeroc said:

 

 

Jersey is not in the UK !  They have their own Police force. 

 

Surely you should be better informed before telling people they are talking rubbish. 

Jersey is the UK. Pray tell what country it belongs to.....and the mainland will do the same thing in a hotel with theft going on. So once again.....Rubbish.

[retoohs]

pay them salary then also on top of that tip them with loose change. Always worked for me. Never had a problem.

[retoohs]

Jersey is not part of the United Kingdom and has an international identity separate from that of the UK but the United Kingdom is constitutionally responsible for the defence of Jersey.

[Deepinthailand]

Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man are part of the British Isles. England, Scotland and Wales make up GreatBritain, while the United Kingdomincludes Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Jersey is a British Crown Dependency.

[Rod Gold]

She was bored and wanted to give herself a raise without having to ask.  She took the money because, like a kid with a candy bar on the table, it was just too irresistible.  In the future do not test your low income help with leaving money around the house.  This test will fail most often in any country in the world.

 

You should be ashamed.  Hire her back, give her a raise, and keep your money secured.

[bamukloy]

Well she did give it back and didnt try to lie her way out of it..and that is one thing ive NEVER seen here.

Just on that id hire her back.

Many Thais look at money being left around like this as either a tip or "lucky" as no-one would be silly enough to leave it around.

 

An ex used to put her money in a little cloth bag and put it under her pillow when sleeping..and this was when she visited upcountry in the family house!

 

[BruceMangosteen]

3 hours ago, DSJPC said:

You did the right thing by firing her.  Any Thai who makes 1000 baht for just 2 hours' work should be extremely grateful and not bite the hand that feeds them!  But TIT...

 

 

FYI, the "Gogo" and "Escort" girls are making much more than 1000Baht for two hours work. And, they are in fact grateful but at the same time, ask for more which is biting the hand that feeds them. It's a tough world out there, only a few fools on stools. 

 

[DSJPC]

BruceM...FYI I am very much aware of that fact...but we are talking apples and oranges here...Thai maids and hookers are not in the same category, jerko!...

[theguyfromanotherforum]

Indeed. What is it comparing maids with hookers. Only on Thai Visa. 

 

 

[OMGImInPattaya]

Well she probably figures anybody that pays a maid 500 baht an hour can afford the money she steals...farangs 

[GOLDBUGGY]

2 hours ago, Mansell said:

Jersey is the UK. Pray tell what country it belongs to.....and the mainland will do the same thing in a hotel with theft going on. So once again.....Rubbish.

Quite frankly your whole story sounds like rubbish! In my country Police don't have the time of day to come to some hotel theft for someone who left money on the counter for all to see while he was out. You are expected as an adult to take steps to prevent theft to. 

 

This is also why the hotels put up big signs in there elevator, and on the inside of your hotel room door, that clearly states that hotel guests should lock up there valuables in the room safe or hotel safe as they will not take responsibility for lost or stolen items. 

[adhd]

is this in the same same as... I live money around and my girlfriend never took it, she is trustworthy...

 

several years later, the guys has been taken to the cleaners, house in her name, car in her name,  joint bank account cleaned out and a loan on the house without your knowledge ?

[CaptHaddock]

The OP was right to fire her.  However, the reason not to leave loose money lying around is so that you don't have to fire a good employee when she steals it.  Being a good worker is enough.  They shouldn't have to demonstrate high standards of personal morality beyond that.  He made a mistake in deciding to trust her beyond what was called for in that job.  The result is he is out a good worker.

[tomyumchai]

On Friday, August 26, 2016 at 0:13 PM, xvend said:

 

Hi Nancy, it's my house. I am very careful with money. Ill pick 1 baht off the street if I see it.

 

I empty my pockets for the exact reason you describe. So it doesn't end up in the laundry.

 

I guess my point is there was a certain matter of trust buit over the years where it was comfortable for me to leave a few hundred baht on a counter/desk.

 

Just ranting and disappointed.

I stopped at " i pick 1 baht off the street if i see it" another tightwad living in thailand. Do you also pad a small chang out to 3 hours by topping up the glass with ice till its just water...... and not leave a tip?

[CharlieH]

crude remark removed.

[bazza40]

1000 baht is a lot for two hours work, she probably figured the OP could afford loose cash lying around. And she did return the cash both times.

The second time with the 170 baht was actually entrapment. So he's fired her, and when the word gets around find he may find it hard to get a reliable maid. He would have been better off explaining to her the first time around she would be fired if she picked up loose cash again. Although the most sensible solution, which seems to have escaped the OP, is to avoid the situation entirely by securing the cash.

[Bender]

i got exactly the same experience than the OP.

A long term maid that i paid generously. Once i was away... at the hospital. Few days later when i was back, i found my maid competely stressed. Later

i found "some money" was gone...

 

I really didnt care about the money, but what hurt me was the betrayal. I know her for years. I really did trusted her.

[rogeroc]

Nice to 100 per cent agree with you for once Bazza. Hopefully at some stage the Op will clarify but i reckon the 1000 baht was for 1 month (8 hours) not 1 week.