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I came from Koh Phanyan to Bangkok via ferry, mini bus and big bus, and during my journey I managed to have a large sum of money stolen from my locked dive bag that was stored away under the bus along with everyone else's luggage. The money was hidden in this bag... but I guess thieves have a good sense and knack for Break and Enters. Long story short. I went to the tourist police to assist me with making a report the Police on Koh San road would understand. So first I wrote up my statement in English. Then a Thai "tourist police" "summarized" my statement which was 3 pages into less than half a page, excluding important and accurate facts. He stated the money was in a small day pack which was with me at my bus seat when in fact it was in my dive bag below.
My point is... they were of no assistance to me. For a team with the goal of assisting tourists, I was pretty disappointed. The pretty girls in short skirts and white blouses barely spoke English and got away with little smiles and told me to just try and forgot my very major problem of now having no money and the men who also spoke little English, more or less thought I was wasting their time and just another falang. Is this a scam to give tourists the impression people want to help?
I understand there is a chance I will never see this money again. In the last 2 days I have been in Bangkok and shared my stories with fellow travelers, I have met 4 people from the same bus that had their luggage pulled apart and a mess when they opened it up. Two other travels who not less than 2 weeks ago on a similar trip from Surrat Thani to Bangkok, had 1500USD and 2000Aus dollars stolen. Reported the problem and got no help. I know us as travelers are somewhat responsible. Who carries this much money? For me personally it was a time when I had just been paid for work, no bank account as the banks would not allow me to considering I lived here for such a short time. But aside from the mistake that we made, this is an ongoing problem and the way I look at it, Tourism Authority of Thailand as I’ve read is doing well to promote travel in Thailand. Which travelers like I look for all the time. There are private companies disguising themselves as TAT licensed companies when in fact they are not. How are we to know the difference? So stuff like this happens all the time. Travellers come in on a daily basis to report stuff stolen not only from the baggage compartment under the bus, but right from their laps, their feet, and on the seat next to them. When will this problem be resolved? When will the tourist police actually assist travelers and fight with them to have the police to their job and catch these thieves.
If I drove my motorbike without a helmet, I would be fined. If I broke a shop window and stole a pack of smokes, I would be caught and punished. Regardless of location, if I broke the rules of Thailand, there would not be hesitation by any police force to find me, investigate and punish me if that was the case. From what I have been told, because this is an event that started either in Koh Phan ngan, or Surratt Thani, on the way to Bangkok, Bangkok Police won’t do it, but by phone am I expected to speak to Thai Police in these other provinces?
Anyways I'm not impressed. I've lived in Thailand for the last 7 months working very hard to make the money I lost, have paid a lot to be here... and just sad that at the end of my stay in Thailand... well while I'd forgotten the last 7 months the stereotypes of Thai people, and other cruel things people say. Well how can you not believe some of things people say. 7 Months of enjoying Thailand, learning to speaking Thai, working to promote the dive industry in Phuket, just overall happy to be there, and in 48 hours, I would not recommend the travel of Thailand. It’s too risky. Little ways to travel safe, don’t know who you can trust, and when a problem arises, you feel very alone. And well it’s just Thailand, “how can you really not expect to be here this long and not get ripped off” What a motto!
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