Bag snatched at Starbucks BKK

[BuffHello]

A word of warning

 

Editor;

I would like to tell the story of how my handbag was stolen by some very professional thieves in Bangkok two weeks ago.

I am a British business woman who has traveled and worked in Bangkok regularly for a number of years now and always felt quite comfortable in this city.

I was finished work for the day and decided to go in to the Starbucks coffee shop for a coffee. I went in to the Starbucks in the Amerin shopping center (the first one when you get off the BTS at Chitlom station) and sat down with a large cafe latte. It was relatively quiet in the coffee shop and a young man asked me if I would help him with his English as he needed to write a letter of application to university. I was a little suspicious, I moved my handbag and briefcase away from him and put them next to my leg where he could not possibly reach or grab them. I looked around when he sat down next to me to see if anyone was with him, he seemed to be alone.

He produced a letter of application to do a masters degree at university and asked if I would check his spelling and grammar. His English both written and spoken was very good. During the time I was talking with him I kept checking my handbag was still next to my foot. He talked to me for more than half an hour and I helped to correct his letter, then he got up to go, thanked me for my help and started to move away. Then he turned back and asked me to give him my email address so that he could let me know if his application was successful. This is the first time I move around (with my back to my handbag and moved off my foot) and I believe that his accomplice took my bag at this point. He then left the shop very quickly. I noticed almost immediately that my handbag was gone but of course he was nowhere to be seen.

None of the Starbucks staff saw anything even though the shop was not very busy, but they were helpful when I explained my handbag had been stolen.

I reported it to the police (who were very unhelpful and did not seem the least bit interested in knowing what had happened) and also the British Embassy who again had little sympathy.

The next morning I went back to the Starbucks coffee shop where the incident had happened with a Thai person (after going to the bank and making sure they could not access my bank account) and spoke with them. They were very apologetic and we also went to the information desk in the Amerin center to ask about the security CCTV camera outside the coffee shop entrance. We were shown to the security office where they have the video cameras and tapes but although they were working perfectly when we were there the previous evening at 6pm they were very conveniently broken and they did not have any video tape (a bit too coincidental for my liking) so no luck with pointing out the guy who had sat and talked to me while someone else stole my handbag.

The guy looked quite respectable, between 25 and 30 I would guess, with blue shirt and black trousers, Thai looking, not very tall and very thin with a thin peeked face, small black framed glasses, crooked teeth, black medium length hair with a side parting.

I am telling you this story (even though I feel pretty stupid for falling for it) to warn you all about being helpful to strangers: beware!

Life goes on and these things happen but I will be more careful about people asking for my help in future.

Best regards,

 

An avid Pattaya Mail reader

pattayamail.com

[BelgianBoy]

why is my troll alarm on reading this BS ?

 

BB

[McBif]

BB,

 

I agree the story is pretty thin. And the part about the security cameras/player being "very conveniently broken" is an odd thing to say. What is the writer getting at? And how often do you see a lady put her purse on the floor, especially when she expects to get robbed at any moment?

 

Do farang businesswomen hand out their email address to every Thai guy who asks? Maybe some do!

 

Maybe she just expresses herself poorly?

 

Weird story all around.

[thalenoi]

I would be gratefull if this type of crap would NOT be posted in General Discussion. I hate to use the ignore button, but....BH, you'r e on.

 

Time to add a section "Crap from Buffhello" on NP?

[Bangkoktraveler]

If this happened at the starbucks on Suk by soi 5, I would not be surprised. So much shit has been stolen there even though the coffee shop has signs saying to be aware of your stuff. What gets me is the number of falangs that go to the bathroom only to come out and find there notebook gone! It seems like this happens all the time.

[PhilAnders]

this story could have happened, but...

 

 

 

It was relatively quiet in the coffee shop and a young man asked me if I would help him with his English as he needed to write a letter of application to university.

 

 

 

at this, I'd have said 'No hablo' (unless it was a SHE who was very hot)

 

I was a little suspicious, I moved my handbag and briefcase away from him and put them next to my leg where he could not possibly reach or grab them.

 

 

 

suspicious enough to move her bags away to keep him from touching them...

 

dear, didn't anyone ever teach you to put your purse in your lap? That's where I keep mine!

[Mekong]

thalenoi said:

I would be gratefull if this type of crap would NOT be posted in General Discussion. I hate to use the ignore button, but....BH, you'r e on.

 

Time to add a section "Crap from Buffhello" on NP?

 

Here Here!

 

I feel sorry for sad cunts sitting in some dark dank bedsit in farang land who have nothing better to do than surf the net for Thailand related stories.

 

Buff [Removed -KS], if I want to know about news in Thailand I turn on the TV or go out and grab a copy of the Post or Nation, I dont want to read second hand crap here.

[cardinalblue]

While this story is not going to make the front page, i am not sure why people think this is BS or in a denial mode...

 

While the short answer is to increase one's common sense and awareness in public surroundings, I found nothing unbeleivable in this scenario..

 

It is well-written and articulate so good chance it is from a women. Her details while unimportant to me, leads me to believe what would her motive be in making this up? Nothing to gain...

 

As to her remark about security, i see this as no different than a million other cynical and critical comments we do here every day about thai culture in general and specifics. Her comment falls in line with the typical falang stereotype and reinforces what i already expect...

 

As to giving her e-mail, again i don't think out of the ordinary as it follows her story and part of the alledged scam.

 

What is the difference between a thai girl asking us for ours or we asking thai girls for theirs? In the thai culture, it is common practice (and out of politeness) for both sexes to ask or give e-mail address even if the party knows full well they have no intentions of corresponding.. Very typical thai of indirect communication but equally as effective of saying "sorry charlie"...

 

CB

[gummigut]

Yeah, I don't see this as a "troll" thing either.

 

Very plausible.

 

It's just a little more upscale than the phone grab off of a motorcycle.

 

As for the cameras conveniently not being operational during the time of the bag being taken, I can see that happening. Unfortunately, many Thais are of the mind that if I didn't see it, and no one else can see it (cause there is no tape), then it didn't happen. Bag was never stolen.

 

<<burp>>

[jxxxl]

Not sure why this is so hard to believe. I guess some people still think nothing bad happens in Thailand LOL.

 

A good friend had his backpack, with notebook and other valuables in it, stolen at Starbucks in All Seasons Place. Slightly different circumstances; he went up to get his coffee and his bag got nicked. Same thing happened to me in a pub in Singapore.

 

Thieves see Starbucks as a taget rich place. Be careful.