While i sympathise with the couple why on earth were they walking around Patong with so many valuables. Surely if they can afford to buy expensive items like that surely they could afford a taxi, tuk tuk or even a motor cycle taxi

Posted by mick on September 15, 2012 21:55

Walked along Patong beach front a few weeks ago and spent most of our time dodging motorbikes riding along the footpaths. The main thing on our mind apart from not getting run over was possible bag snatching. After recent events it's time that no bikes were allowed to ride up and down pedestrian areas.
I hope this lady gets her belongings back.

Posted by G Horne on September 15, 2012 22:36

Mick, maybe it was in the bag because they did not want to show it, a taxi or tuk tuk, maybe they were going for a pleasant walk don't you ever walk! I hope they get there possessions back, they are not the law breakers for gods sake!

Posted by coxo on September 16, 2012 09:55

Thanks so much for the comment. Actually we just check out from the hotel we stayed. So from that time we only wants to grab something to eat from other restaurant and while while walking that incident happened.

Posted by Victim on September 16, 2012 11:57

@mick, you will not know what is going to happen, obviously they were both walking to have lunch only, and think of this, even if you are inside the taxi this may happen also, to cut it shortly, Thailand is a very dangerous place. I will never ever go there.

Posted by Sister of Victim on September 16, 2012 13:56

@ mick

What a silly comment. You think people walk only because they can't afford to use other means of transport ?

You sure live in a very peculiar world.

I hope this time the CCTV footage will actually be used to catch a Thai suspect of a lesser crime where the victim is a foreigner.

Police have been very efficient in using CCTV in similar cases to catch dishonest foreigners, let's see if the same level of efficiency applies when the roles are reversed.

Posted by Andrew on September 16, 2012 14:13

Its so sad coz that day was our last day in phuket and we suppose to go back to bangkok but unfortunately we have to extend our stay here for this culprit to be in jail.

Posted by victim on September 16, 2012 14:52

While I am horribly sorry that a bag was snatched and for your loss it's a mammoth leap to "Thailand is a dangerous place". Millions visit Thailand every year without incident. Crime anywhere is troubling but purse snatching happens everywhere in the world this incident does not make Thailand any more or less dangerous than anywhere else. I have been mugged three different times in the Philippines (all in broad daylight and once outside my hotel in Makati) over a course of 15 years, does that make it a dangerous place no one should visit? I understand your being upset but please don't slander a people and a country with a generality. In my case, I looked at it as they got my wallet but I have my life, all things considered not a bad outcome. I do hope you get your stuff back and the culprits are caught.

Regarding another of the comments. More wild unfounded speculation belittling the victims. I am surprised mick didn't mention that he is also superior because he never goes out carrying his purse ... oh wait, maybe he does.

Posted by Martin on September 16, 2012 16:25

This is not about what you can afford. the reason why they were walking that time because they want to see the beautiful place in Thailand.. but this is the reality where ever you go still there is a Bad People who's waiting for their next victims.. Thank God they are safe.. Thank You Lord......

Posted by Anonymous on September 17, 2012 03:17

@Sister of Victim
As opposed to Philippines?

Posted by J on September 17, 2012 08:24

Its really amazing that they are people who does not care in this world.@ Mick, no one knows what will gonna happen next...@ Martin you are right but u should also know the percentage of crime happenned inside Phuket Thailand.

Thanks God they are really safe...

Posted by Anonymous 2 on September 17, 2012 11:51

@martin,instead of sharing your experienced in Philippines, you should have suggested what we can do in order to avoid and to stop this crazyness of this country. First of all, everyone knows that millions of people visit this place and my suggestion is that, the thailand authority should assign a lot of security guards everywhere in thailand because it is a tourist place they should secure the same.

Posted by Anonymous on September 17, 2012 13:05

In response to all Anonomi. Sorry, I don't know the percentage of crime in Phuket, do you? I would suspect it is lower than you might imagine. If you think about the number of transients, visitors, unrecorded workers the effective population is high and the number of crimes (unacceptable even if only 1) is relatively low. If you add in the fact that on every night you have a large number of very drunk people, prostitutes, scammers and underpaid understaffed police it is amazing it is not worse. All of these are factors that typically can be tied to high crime numbers. The fact that these drunks are not constantly getting rolled and killing each other (and there are some really drunk people most nights) is remarkable. But again, I am only trying to think it out, I don't know.

I have made comments and suggestions in other posts. Crime is typically economic in nature and only psychological in rarer cases. As has been shown in numerous sociological studies the key to lower crime rates is not increased police but lower frustration and higher economic hope. With better education, employment opportunities and economic support drug use, victim oriented crime decreases. Perhaps most famous is the Baltimore studies of the 90's decade where free abortion, increased magnet schools, free job training, investment in re-education and raised child support payments were linked to that city going from the worst in the US to the upper third in low crime. Also understand crime here is not a Phuket problem but a Thailand problem. If you pay attention to the reports the criminals are rarely from Phuket. So as a nation it will take work and commitment. Sorry for the length of this. It is not a problem that can be tweeted and fixed and there is more depth to this little bit that time does not allow. I doubt most will read this much.

In summary, it is definitely not a problem that poorly trained/paid security guards and police will fix. I remain convinced it can be fixed as I remain convinced that crime on Phuket is probably far lower than anywhere else I can think of facing the same social problems and social structure.

Posted by Martin on September 17, 2012 15:24

Do u think people that the police can do something about this?

Posted by Sara on March 18, 2013 19:18