Five foreign tourists say they were robbed and left stranded in northern Thailand

[webfact]

Five foreign tourists say they were robbed and left stranded in northern Thailand

 

Image: PPTV

 

CHIANG MAI: -- Five foreign tourists who were dumped at a petrol station in northern Thailand by their bus driver have said they also had a large amount of cash stolen from their bags

 

The five tourists, four Brazilians and one Israeli, told police that after they were left stranded they realised that 80,000 baht in foreign currency was missing from their luggage, reported PPTV.

 

The group said they booked to travel from Bangkok to Chiang Mai from a tour operator on Khaosan Road on Sunday evening, reported Channel 8.

 

The group said they were on the bus with about 20 other people when all passengers were instructed to get off the bus as it pulled into a petrol station in Saraphi district.

 

The group said that once they had got off the bus the driver drove off without any explanation.

 

As other passengers were calling taxis to take them to Chiang Mai, the group realised that the money was missing.

 

The tour operator, which has not been named, said they have reimbursed the tourists for the package they bought.

 

The firm said there was confusion as a mini van which should have collected the tourists from the petrol station to take them to their destination never arrived.

 

Tourist police in Chiang Mai have said they are investigating the missing money.

 

Source: PPTV

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2017-02-07

[AGareth2]

reckon the missing money is a scam

[Briggsy]

80,000 Baht in foreign currency sounds reasonable. The Khaosan road buses have at least 3 decades' experience of robbing valuables out of newbie tourists' bags.

[clockman]

Another nail in the tourist coffin!

[Mitkof Island]

More Khao San Road dumb asses . They never learn and zero common sense.

[Enoon]

2 hours ago, AGareth2 said:

reckon the missing money is a scam

 

Reckon your post is a "Pre-Programmed Response". 

 

The standard advice regarding buses operating from/in the vicinity of KR can be paraphrased as:

 

"Best to avoid them, if any bus staff are going to steal from them it will be these guys.  Take a bus from one of the 3 large bus stations".

[docshock13]

3 hours ago, AGareth2 said:

reckon the missing money is a scam

Only avg 16k thb/person. Reasonable for 5  ppl on holidays. Not a 150k gold chain/person. 

[Rhys]

3 hours ago, clockman said:

Another nail in the tourist coffin!

Tourism and Culture ministers.. we are going to tell on you.... for shame...

 

[snoop1130]

Police seize a tour bus for inspection after the driver dumped passengers

 

 

Police seized a tour bus in Saraphi district of Chiang Mai on Monday after five foreign tourists lodged a complaint that they were dumped at a gas station in Saraphi district instead of their destination in Chiang Mai township and that foreign currencies cash kept in their baggage stored in the baggage room of the bus were stolen.

 

The four Brazilian and Israeli tourists boarded the bus No 30 in Banglamphu bound for Chiang Mai. But when the bus stopped at a gas station in Saraphi district to allow the five passengers a break and then left, leaving behind the five.

 

After receiving the complaint, the police conducted a search and eventually found the bus parked at a garage. The driver and the bus attendants were then taken to the police station for questioning in front of the five complainants who correctly identified the driver.

 

Full Story: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/police-seize-tour-bus-inspection-driver-dumped-passengers/

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2017-2-7

[lemonjelly]

It's happened again..... basically their is a trapdoor linking the drivers compartment to the luggage hold, drivers mate (usually a ragged looking drugged up scumbag) has the job of going through the passengers' luggage, proceeds are shared between driver and drivers mate. 

[lemonjelly]

4 hours ago, AGareth2 said:

reckon the missing money is a scam

On the contrary, this is an old trick used by khaosaan - Chiangmai cheap tour buses.

[sweatalot]

17 minutes ago, lemonjelly said:

It's happened again..... basically their is a trapdoor linking the drivers compartment to the luggage hold, drivers mate (usually a ragged looking drugged up scumbag) has the job of going through the passengers' luggage, proceeds are shared between driver and drivers mate. 

heard about that before, same route, same station

[roo860]

If they've had money nicked why on earth put it in a bag and
stored away from you!!!!!

Sent from my SM-G920F using Thaivisa Connect mobile app

[Chicog]

1 hour ago, roo860 said:

If they've had money nicked why on earth put it in a bag and
stored away from you!!!!!

Sent from my SM-G920F using Thaivisa Connect mobile app
 

 

 

It's known as "Common sense" and it still amazes me how many people lack it.

[Jeremy50]

A common type of theft which has been going on for as long as the lowing herds of backpackers have been getting on those big buses from KSR up to Chiang Mai, which is like decades. Same old backpacker trails as prescribed by the LP 'bible' [yawn] which never varies over the decades.  Lambs to slaughter. They either just get robbed directly by the nimble fingered luggage hold rats, or indirectly by guides and tour operators.

[F4UCorsair]

16 hours ago, clockman said:

Another nail in the tourist coffin!

Heard that before,   but still they come.

 

Money In baggage Is asking for trouble.  Have people never heard of money belts (under clothing), or neck pouches?

Edited February 8, 2017 by F4UCorsair

[jacko45k]

If you want 'quality tourists' then you better become a 'quality destination'.

[smedly]

it is always a good idea to keep valuables on your person when travelling, when I got taxi from airport and had a small bag with me (hand luggage) it went with me even in a gas station if the driver wanted to fill up.

 

This driver of the bus is guilty of theft regardless whether it can be proven he stole money or not, he made off with the passengers bags/belongings when he left them at the gas station, suppose the headline had been "bus driver makes off with passengers bags"

 

it is theft no matter what and there should be criminal charges 

[toofarnorth]

I thought this was a story about northern Thailand but no , it is about Changers half way north.

[FitnessHealthTravel]

How funny...always a back up story from the Tourist Company...scams happening everywhere.

[TheFishman1]

The tour company scam tourist say if not so Joe TIT

[elgordo38]

20 hours ago, clockman said:

Another nail in the tourist coffin!

Why do you think they want to bring the social media under their strict control. 

[smotherb]

21 hours ago, Briggsy said:

80,000 Baht in foreign currency sounds reasonable. The Khaosan road buses have at least 3 decades' experience of robbing valuables out of newbie tourists' bags.

But leaving the cash in your bags? B80k is less than $500 each.

[taotoo]

4 hours ago, smedly said:

This driver of the bus is guilty of theft regardless whether it can be proven he stole money or not, he made off with the passengers bags/belongings when he left them at the gas station, suppose the headline had been "bus driver makes off with passengers bags"

 

it is theft no matter what and there should be criminal charges 

I think the passengers took their bags before the bus drove off.

[F4UCorsair]

23 minutes ago, taotoo said:

I think the passengers took their bags before the bus drove off.

Which would be as It happened If they were waiting for another bus to pick them up.

[louse1953]

4 hours ago, smedly said:

it is always a good idea to keep valuables on your person when travelling, when I got taxi from airport and had a small bag with me (hand luggage) it went with me even in a gas station if the driver wanted to fill up.

 

This driver of the bus is guilty of theft regardless whether it can be proven he stole money or not, he made off with the passengers bags/belongings when he left them at the gas station, suppose the headline had been "bus driver makes off with passengers bags"

 

it is theft no matter what and there should be criminal charges 

Not even hand luggage is safe from forgetful people.Small bag around the neck is the way to go.

[roo860]

Years ago when I was travelling around India, Israelis were a savvy bunch, when the bill came it was straight to the moneybelt ( after about 10min argueing about the bill), never saw one pull a wallet out. South Americans just the same, they said because of the amount of robberies in their country. Now they seem to be a different breed. Now they even have suitcases, ............with wheels on!!!!!!!

Sent from my SM-G920F using Thaivisa Connect mobile app

[dunroaming]

Thai culture at it's best.  Happened to me years ago at Chiang Mai airport when the baggage handlers broke into my case and took various high-ish value items.  Internal flight and it was a lesson I learnt then.  It has happened to friends in 4* hotels, on trains and even once by a hotel airport pick-up bus.  Happens in many third world countries where there are serious poverty issues but in Thailand it is just a career opportunity.

[impulse]

Very common in China, too.  The bus pulls in for a pit stop, announces it will be leaving in 15 minutes and takes off in 5, leaving a bunch of passengers behind.  When (if) they finally do catch up with their bags, there's little or nothing of value remaining.  The bus crew, of course, is exonerated because they had no idea they had left passengers behind and it was the passengers' fault for lollygagging.

 

I never spent more than a quick pee away from any bus, and only if my teeth hurt.  And my valuables were never in the packed bags.  Though they didn't have the trap doors I've seen on Thai buses, they had small guys who rode hidden in the baggage compartments.

 

[madusa]

On 2017/2/7 at 4:03 AM, lemonjelly said:

It's happened again..... basically their is a trapdoor linking the drivers compartment to the luggage hold, drivers mate (usually a ragged looking drugged up scumbag) has the job of going through the passengers' luggage, proceeds are shared between driver and drivers mate. 

In Malaysia the post office x-ray my letter to England and took out the us dollars that I sent to my friend for buying my guitar strings. My friend didn't tell me there was no money in the letter when it arrived. I later found out. Also in Malaysia the  security who x-ray your bags inform the baggage boys by talkie walkie which one likely has valuable stuffs. The boys use pen knives to prise open the luggage sometimes damage the locks badly.

My tourists had their luggage locks damaged and some cash stolen.

Not only in Thailand , everywhere theft is going on.

 

On the funny side, my friend cannot spell thieves, so he wrote, " some tealeaves stole my bag at the station". It took me quite a while to figure out what tealeaves is all about.