Phuket Thailand

Crustasian · #1 13-05-2008, 17:20

Thieves Operate in New Airport Baggage area.

A friend of mine flew from London to the new airport.When he got his luggage he checked it and discovered it had been opened and several items stolen.He reported this to the Tourist Police in the Airport.They got all aggressive and wanted to take his passport from him and move him to a down town police station.He refused and got a lot of abuse from he policeman.

He then produced his Trump Card - He is a Thai Elite Card Holder and alerted them.Within minutes the police were kow towing and snivelling up to the Thai Elite Manager.

My friend has made a strong complaint with Thai Elite and today there will be some Thai Police at the airport being shafted big time.The Thai Elite Manager told my friend that there is a ring of baggage thieves operating and the police are suspected as being a part of it as they do nothing to stop it.

My friends bags were locked and he had put a discreet sellotape seal on them so he could check them on arrival.

Lightemup · #2 13-05-2008, 17:32

Phew !.....Good thing I normally fly into Suvarnabhumi Airport then...

Crustasian · #3 13-05-2008, 17:37

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lightemup

Phew !.....Good thing I normally fly into Suvarnabhumi Airport then...

I could not be bothered looking up the proper spelling - the Barmy Airport will do.

Lightemup · #4 13-05-2008, 17:39

"Army Barmy", thought you used to be a Marine?

Crustasian · #5 13-05-2008, 17:47

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lightemup

"Army Barmy", thought you used to be a Marine?

Once a Marine Always a Marine

Denpar was in the "Barmy Army"

ChoakMyDee · #6 13-05-2008, 18:49

Kill em all!

The Loop · #7 13-05-2008, 19:00

Quote:

Originally Posted by Crustasian

Denpar was in the "Barmy Army"

The Barmy Army invaded Australia 2 summer ago for the Ashes defence and screamed their t1ts off for the English cricket team,who lost 5-0.

.

Didn`t know Denver was into cricket.

mjwx · #8 13-05-2008, 19:52

I also found a pocket on my bag unzipped on at BKK on Sunday night. I lock my luggage so they only were able to get into the pocket where I was storing my dirty clothes, so if all they were after a pair of dirty underdaks they would have struck gold.

dbaron · #9 13-05-2008, 21:18

Quote:

Originally Posted by Crustasian

Thieves Operate in New Airport Baggage area.

A friend of mine flew from London to the new airport.When he got his luggage he checked it and discovered it had been opened and several items stolen.He reported this to the Tourist Police in the Airport.They got all aggressive and wanted to take his passport from him and move him to a down town police station.He refused and got a lot of abuse from he policeman.

He then produced his Trump Card - He is a Thai Elite Card Holder and alerted them.Within minutes the police were kow towing and snivelling up to the Thai Elite Manager.

My friend has made a strong complaint with Thai Elite and today there will be some Thai Police at the airport being shafted big time.The Thai Elite Manager told my friend that there is a ring of baggage thieves operating and the police are suspected as being a part of it as they do nothing to stop it.

My friends bags were locked and he had put a discreet sellotape seal on them so he could check them on arrival.

What a very unfortunate situation for the people losing things from their bags from both airports.
I have been through Bangkok 3 times and Phuket once and never had a problem with baggage.
Never been searched or had anything go missing.
Tullamarine in Melbourne maybe 15 - 20 times the same.
New Zealand also the same. No Problems.
Maybe some people are unlucky with the baggage thing.
Maybe I have been lucky but most baggagge handlers are honest. It seems with a few they are making it bad for the other baggage handlers that are honest. They give a bad name to the ones that do the right thing.

LivinLOS · #10 13-05-2008, 21:26

You have to say tho.. Unless obviously sliced, how did they gain access to a locked bag ??

Older man · #11 13-05-2008, 21:42

Always put valuables in handluggage.

bayleaf · #12 13-05-2008, 22:03

Quote:

Originally Posted by Crustasian

Thieves Operate in New Airport Baggage area.

When he got his luggage he checked it and discovered it had been opened and several items stolen.

My friends bags were locked and he had put a discreet sellotape seal on them so he could check them on arrival.

I don't understand how they opened his locked bags, were the locks cut off?

MassMoose · #13 13-05-2008, 23:03

Quote:

Originally Posted by Old man

Always put valuables in handluggage.

Great advice!

MrDK · #14 13-05-2008, 23:03

Quote:

Originally Posted by bayleaf

I don't understand how they opened his locked bags, were the locks cut off?

A lot of these locks are quite universal.
A TSA lock only requires the TSA master key ... no big deal.

Just don't ever put valuable in the luggage ... do as I do carry it on-board.
Many airlines allow one roller board (suit case) plus a brief case

Older man · #15 13-05-2008, 23:27

Quote:

Originally Posted by MassMoose

Great advice!

Yes and some things of value cannot be brought in the cabin, so it is better to leave them home or buy them abroad.

This reminds me of a thing that happened on my flight from Beijing to Bangkok three weeks ago. I pass the immigration in Beijing and move on to the security check and in front of me is a young Thai guy perhaps on his first international trip. They ask him if he has any lighters or knifes with him. Well he did not understand, so they pointed to a lighter in a basket full of disallowed objects. Oh, his face cleared up and he showed him his nice Zippo lighter, and said: "like this?" Without any answer the security guard grabbed it from him and dropped it in a confiscation bin. You should have seen the poor lad's face.

Petter · #16 13-05-2008, 23:58

Quote:

I don't understand how they opened his locked bags, were the locks cut off?

Lost my code on my Samsonite,phoned the store where i did buy it,he did tell me how i could open it in 10 seconds with almost no tools

and no marks afterwards.
Just needed a knife and a torch.

bayleaf · #17 14-05-2008, 03:45

I have wondered whether certain airport staff at sites remote from the passenger get the opportunity to scan hold luggage on it's journey from check in to plane hold and thereby work out the best luggage to steal from?

White Nancy · #18 14-05-2008, 07:06

Quote:

Originally Posted by Old man

Yes and some things of value cannot be brought in the cabin, so it is better to leave them home or buy them abroad.

This reminds me of a thing that happened on my flight from Beijing to Bangkok three weeks ago. I pass the immigration in Beijing and move on to the security check and in front of me is a young Thai guy perhaps on his first international trip. They ask him if he has any lighters or knifes with him. Well he did not understand, so they pointed to a lighter in a basket full of disallowed objects. Oh, his face cleared up and he showed him his nice Zippo lighter, and said: "like this?" Without any answer the security guard grabbed it from him and dropped it in a confiscation bin. You should have seen the poor lad's face.

It's always useful to carry one of the little bags for lighters/liquids etc. I came through HK the other week and they were confiscating things on the grounds they weren't in bags, despite there being no bags provided! I've always got a spare, so the Zippo passed in front of the disgruntled guards.

I've never had a problem with theft in Thailand it's Heathrow and KLIA I'm wary of. But as said, they'd only get clothes and maybe a phone charger anyway. Nothing of value in there.

GMT · #19 21-05-2008, 00:53

Quote:

Originally Posted by MrDK

A lot of these locks are quite universal.
A TSA lock only requires the TSA master key ... no big deal.

Well ... not quite. There are at least 5 TSA Master keys. If you look on the lock there will/may be a code printed which tells the TSA guy which key to use. The codes run from 'TSA 001' to '005' at least; there may be more?

MrDK · #20 21-05-2008, 01:21

Quote:

Originally Posted by GMT

Well ... not quite. There are at least 5 TSA Master keys. If you look on the lock there will/may be a code printed which tells the TSA guy which key to use. The codes run from 'TSA 001' to '005' at least; there may be more?

I wasn't aware that there was more than one, nonetheless a handful of keys (apparently) will gain you access to a lot of "locked" suitcases.

Dodger · #21 21-05-2008, 10:47

They do not need a handful of keys DK, they just go for the unlocked bags and there are absolutely loads of those. They auction off unclaimed bags in the UK after a certain period of time not claimed. There are loads of people that buy others unopened bags at these auctions on a pot luck basis. Tis true, people just like to gamble!!! one woman was listing all the things she had got to date and good labelled clothes, jewellery, money, cameras etc etc

Takes all sorts??

MrDK · #22 21-05-2008, 11:11

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dodger

They do not need a handful of keys DK, they just go for the unlocked bags and there are absolutely loads of those.

Agree .... however, OP stated theft concerning a locked bag.

ChoakMyDee · #23 21-05-2008, 11:14

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dodger

They do not need a handful of keys DK, they just go for the unlocked bags and there are absolutely loads of those. They auction off unclaimed bags in the UK after a certain period of time not claimed. There are loads of people that buy others unopened bags at these auctions on a pot luck basis. Tis true, people just like to gamble!!! one woman was listing all the things she had got to date and good labelled clothes, jewellery, money, cameras etc etc

Takes all sorts??

I believe the OP was talking about a "locked" bag and Mr. DK was referring to how they could possibly open a locked bag, steal from it, and return it to the baggage carousel; not an unlocked bag.