Tag: crime

Safety & Travel Tips In Thailand

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thailand tips


Everybody learns better from their own experiences… trial and error. But, to those who don’t have the same ‘it will never happen to me’ attitude as I do, and for a smoother and more enjoyable trip to Thailand, here is a guide for some lessons I learned the hard way, take heed…

 

Avoid getting mugged and ripped off in Thailand:

  • If it is your first time to Thailand and you’re feeling a little clueless as to how much to pay when shopping, check out our Buying Guide before heading out. Most stalls will expect you to haggle in Thailand and this is not easy when you have no idea how much something is worth in the first place.
  • Check your change. This applies especially for 500 notes, which look very similar to 50s. I bought 70 bahts worth of doughnuts at Mister Doughnuts, thinking it was a large chain I figured it might be a good idea to break up my 1000 note in my pocket. The cashier handed me my change, I glanced at it quickly to make sure it was right but then the next day when I checked my pocket, it turned out to be a 50, not a 500. D’oh!
  • Avoid pushy tuk tuk drivers. When a tuk tuk driver approaches you in Bangkok, and mentions it being some kind of special day – Holy day, Happy buddha day, National tourism day, whatever – or insists wherever you happen to be going is closed… don’t buy it. He will most likely just take you to a suit shop or gem shop as he get’s paid commission for taking you there. Unless you actually want to buy a suit, it’s not the most pleasant experience as you will more often than not be chased out by the offended shop owners.
  • It is a common occurrence, particularly in Chatuchak Market, to have your bag slashed with a knife and the contents stolen. If possible, keep your bag in front of you and be very aware of the people around you in busy places like this.
  • Bag snatchers generally tend to work on motorbikes and in Thailand it is perfectly acceptable for motorcyclists to drive on the sidewalk. Although most motorcyclists are perfectly honest citizens, be aware when you hear them approaching and always have your bag on the opposite side to the roadside of wherever they will be driving in order to deter them. Avoiding short strapped ladies handbags and wearing your bag across your shoulder will help enormously.
  • Bag snatchers have been known to drive by and steal bags which female tourists place beside them when they get on Tuk Tuks. Wherever you are, always keep a hold of your belongings – wrap the strap around your leg… whatever you can.

Crime In Thailand

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thailand crime

 

Bag Snatching In Bangkok

We were walking back home through the Sois to our Bangkok apartment today, just after dark. There is a very thin lane with corrugated panelled walls – quite dilapidated looking. I could hear a motorbike approaching behind me, as they very frequently do around this area of Bangkok, so I sped up to try and move out of the way for him… Well the guy on the motorbike snatched my bag. Yep, just like in the movies – they actually do drive past you on a motorbike, bag snatching in Bangkok. And a smoothly done crime it was.

I thought I’d been hit at first, what with it being such a narrow path, so it took a few seconds to register that I’d had my bag snatched. Then my boyfriend just flung his bag to the floor and chased the bag snatching thief up the lane for about half a mile, Terminator 2 style. Alas, despite this lane having heavy single lane traffic coming from the other direction every night that we have lived in Bangkok for 3 weeks, tonight there was not a soul on the road and so the thief escaped with my stolen bag after a valiant attempt to retrieve it.

Sadly, my boyfriend’s laptop suffered a crack from being chucked on the floor during the pursuit of the thief. I had my bag, my wallet, my camera, my mobile phone, my freshly topped up BTS carrot card, my school books and notes, and about 800 baht stolen 🙁 To be honest, there were plenty of warning signs. Literally. ‘Beware: bag snatching’ signs everwhere around this part of Bangkok. Fortunately, I only have a crappy mobile phone, it was my lesser camera, and I had no credit cards in my wallet. So, in a positive light, I still have my sexy camera, my credit cards and my passport… At least I can learn from this small crime in Thailand so that I may protect my more important possessions in the future.

Also, after so much budgeting and depriving myself of tasty treats and drinks during our days in Thailand so far, well the cash alone in my bag was about 800 baht. Ironically before my bag snatching, I had been being particularly stingy with my money and so I bitterly realised that my petty attempts to save money in Thailand were in vain.

And so I conclude.. Screw it. Screw you money! I’m gonna eat all the tasty Thai snacks and bubble teas to my heart’s content until I either explode… or run out of money after 4 months living in Thailand rather than the planned year :/

Because money – it just comes and goes, it is impermanent… and you never know when some jackass thief on a motorbike is gonna just steal it all away from you.

 

Avoid having your bag snatched in Thailand! Check my Thailand safety guide here.