Phuket, why I never go back

[ScubaSteve]

Regardless of any ill effect the bad publicity may have on tourism figures I feel it only right people should have true factual information available to help them make informed decissions. Not selected information from those with their own financial interests at heart.

Agreed Lord Khram. It is simply about giving people information to make decisions from. The information makes it out whether we like it or not. Welcome to the digital age......so IMO, any attempt to control it just makes one look worse. Offer the information openly, discuss it and explain the good that comes from it. Then let people decide what they want to do. I am actually only in Phuket for one night on my trip, but am glad to have seen this none the less. It is all about having the information.

WATER....DIVING.....now this post cannot be deleted for not being related to Scuba

FYI

Toronto, Ontario has garbage piling up because of a city worker strike.....I would not deny people that information....I share and laugh about it with them (if they choose not to visit because of it......well then that is life). There are also an average I think of 80+ killings each year. Full disclosure .

 

[Bowmouth]

WATER....DIVING.....now this post cannot be deleted...

 

[cdiver2]

I can't agree with your point 2 cdiver. There's not many bigger tourist areas than Pattaya beach road, and in the very recent past there has been reported in the local media several quite nasty incidents involving robbery from tourists, and indeed in the daytime, the latest one involving several katoeys I believe.
Maybe Aquanauts can enlighten us as to the exact circumstances. The location of their shop, they should be well in with the local katoey community.
But joking aside.
Regardless of any ill effect the bad publicity may have on tourism figures I feel it only right people should have true factual information available to help them make informed decissions. Not selected information from those with their own financial interests at heart.
Maybe the authorities could put some effort into tackling this kind of awfull behaviour which emits from a small minority, then surprise surprise, the bad publicity would stop. And all law abiding Thai citizens and tourists will be much happier.

We can agree to disagree on my point but I do agree with you that information should be put on the board. It may come as a surprise to some people that its not JUST about diving, we do talk about things related to diving ie travel where to stay etc

 

[Tigerman]

Thanks for getting back here.

I still find what happened to you very confusing. Would you mind describing it point for point?

Since you seem to be unable to break things down yourself..
1. Hes taking a nap after having 2 drinks because he want to go out to see the night life later in the evening.
2. He comes to in the hospital bruised and battered.
3. When he come back to the hotel theres blood all over and looks like theres been a fight.
4. He checks the safe and finds that 2000 USD is missing. The staff says there was only 300 USD in there and that they was in there to get his passport and used the 300 USD to pay the hospital bill.
5. The staff says the security tape is not working that evening when he ask to see it.
6. Hes told not to call the police and the staff is gonna make sure things are straightened out.
7. The police gives him a report to sign, saying that he slipped in the room and hit his head.

Information added in the OPs 2nd post - The door was set to auto-lock.

Whats confusing about that? The fact that if you bang your head and get knocked unconcious you can have a memory lapse?


Seeing as people are now posting more information about mugging and robberies of tourists in the area is wether or not its tourists moving around alone that generally become the victims? If so my first precaution would be not straying around alone like I often do when Im travelling..

 

[ScubaSteve]

4. He checks the safe and finds that 2000 USD is missing. The staff says there was only 300 USD in there and that they was in there to get his passport and used the 300 USD to pay the hospital bill.

.......check the safe when i did all the money 2000 us dolars , they told me they got in it to get my pasport and there was only around 300 that they used to pay the hospital........

Well, since you asked what was confusing....this has me tied up a bit. Am I reading that the staff at the hotel went into his safe to get his passport and money to pay the hotel and found that there was only $300 left? So somebody beat the OP up, broke into his safe, and stole $1700 instead of $2000? This is one part that I find confusing.

 

[Tigerman]

Thanks for getting back here.

I still find what happened to you very confusing. Would you mind describing it point for point?

Well, since you asked what was confusing....this has me tied up a bit. Am I reading that the staff at the hotel went into his safe to get his passport and money to pay the hotel and found that there was only $300 left? So somebody beat the OP up, broke into his safe, and stole $1700 instead of $2000? This is one part that I find confusing.

Or the staff took 2k and claims only to have taken 300..
Nobody (but the perp) would know that, including the OP if hes not got a memory from going to bed untill waking up in the hospital?
If I knew I put 2k in the safe and wake up and theres 0 and someone claim they took the 300 that was there to pay my hote, what Id think myself was "and then you pocketed 1700 for yourself"..
Especially considering the room was supposed to be locked and I wouldnt be ****faced enough to black out after 2 drinks..

 

[ScubaSteve]

OK so I am reading it the same way as you.....just looked at it differently. I still say there are too many holes for me to much stock in the story....but I accept that something may have happened and the fact that I see holes does not change that.

 

[josh]

Wow Josh...you sure seem to be smart and worldly .

If a particular area has a lot of bad things happening...then I'll steer clear. But a self-proclaimed superior individual like you would end up stuck in the Bangkok airport held hostange because of your

Asute judge of character there steve. Not. 25 years as a working expat in asia do give me some claim to being "worldly". You claim seem to be solely "wordy".

 

[Tassie_Rohan]

several quite nasty incidents involving robbery from tourists, and indeed in the daytime, the latest one involving several katoeys I believe.

Funny you say that - having worked in Asia for the last 15 years I only know of two acquaintances who’ve been robbed in their hotel room. It both case they had made a habit of taking ‘guest relation officers’ back home with them.

 

[stevenl]

Or the staff took 2k and claims only to have taken 300..
Nobody (but the perp) would know that, including the OP if hes not got a memory from going to bed untill waking up in the hospital?
If I knew I put 2k in the safe and wake up and theres 0 and someone claim they took the 300 that was there to pay my hote, what Id think myself was "and then you pocketed 1700 for yourself"..
Especially considering the room was supposed to be locked and I wouldnt be ****faced enough to black out after 2 drinks..

Nice to hear you were there as well.

As you can tell from other replies after your explanation, it would be nice if the OP could explain exactly what happened. Because it looks like I'm not the only one who is confused.