BANGKOK AIRPORT Baggage thieves warning

From the Nation:
Tuesday February 27, 2007

SUVARNABHUMI
Foreign thieves target travellers

Police urge passengers to be careful with baggage after surge in
thefts

Police yesterday warned passengers at Suvarnab-humi Airport not to
leave their baggage unattended as a motley group of thieves comprising
mainly foreigners have been targeting travellers.

There have been Filipinos, Indonesians, Chinese, Laotians and
Peruvians caught stealing at the airport, police said.

The tourist-service unit at the airport received 415 theft reports
from tourists since the airport began full commercial services in late
September.

Reported thefts at Suvarnabhumi had climbed from just nine in
September to 54 in October, 72 in November, 101 in December and 114 in
January.

Of these, 152 concerned items that went missing at the airport, 152
were items lost on board flights and 101 involved possessions going
missing outside the terminal buildings.

"Keep an eye on your belongings and avoid putting cash or credit cards
in your baggage," Lt-Colonel Thammawat Hirunyalekha of the airport's
tourist centre said yesterday.

He said police recently arrested a Laotian who had confessed that he
would spend nights inside the terminal watching out for unattended
bags.

"When we searched his Bangkok apartment, we found many travellers'
bags, digital cameras and notebook computers," Thammawat said.

There were Filipino, Indonesian, Chinese and Peruvian thieves in the
airport too, Thammawat said.

He said Chinese thieves usually pick-pocketed while criminals of other
nationality tended to mingle with crowds waiting to check in and
snatched unguarded bags.

"These thieves usually target Japanese tourists because they often
keep cash and credit cards in their unattended bags," Thammawat said.

He said the Chinese thieves appeared to work as a gang because when
they were caught, they would be bailed fast. "We sometimes arrest
people twice at the airport after they have sneaked back to China and
changed their names before returning," he said.

Lt-Colonel Pakapong Sai-ubon, of the Police Immigration Bureau, said
some criminals flew into the airport purely to steal valuables from
other passengers.

"They usually fly from trading cities like Hong Kong and grab the bags
of their targets," he said.

Pol Lt-Colonel Satit Prom-utai of the Tourism Division hoped the
Immigration Bureau would blacklist foreign thieves caught at the
airport.

"We will ask the Immigration Bureau to blacklist them," he said.

Thammawat said that according to passenger complaints, some items were
also stolen from luggage after it had been checked in. Complaints have
become less frequent, however, since the Airports of Thailand stepped
up safety measures along the baggage-belt zones.

Suvarnabhumi Airport director Serirat Prasutanont said the airport was
working closely with police in a bid to ensure safety.

"We will add more security cameras," he said.

On 27 Feb 2007 09:45:42 -0800 in rec.travel.air,
wrote:

Police yesterday warned passengers at Suvarnab-humi Airport not to
leave their baggage unattended as a motley group of thieves comprising
mainly foreigners have been targeting travellers.

oh, sure. and there are no thai thieves in a thai airport,
they're all foreigners? bull pucky!

the biggest theft of all,

the Chinese race from China has stolen Malay' s territory of
Singapore .



On Feb 28, 12:45 am, wrote:
From the Nation:

Tuesday February 27, 2007

SUVARNABHUMI
Foreign thieves target travellers

Police urge passengers to be careful with baggage after surge in
thefts

Police yesterday warned passengers at Suvarnab-humi Airport not to
leave their baggage unattended as a motley group of thieves comprising
mainly foreigners have been targeting travellers.

There have been Filipinos, Indonesians, Chinese, Laotians and
Peruvians caught stealing at the airport, police said.

The tourist-service unit at the airport received 415 theft reports
from tourists since the airport began full commercial services in late
September.

Reported thefts at Suvarnabhumi had climbed from just nine in
September to 54 in October, 72 in November, 101 in December and 114 in
January.

Of these, 152 concerned items that went missing at the airport, 152
were items lost on board flights and 101 involved possessions going
missing outside the terminal buildings.

"Keep an eye on your belongings and avoid putting cash or credit cards
in your baggage," Lt-Colonel Thammawat Hirunyalekha of the airport's
tourist centre said yesterday.

He said police recently arrested a Laotian who had confessed that he
would spend nights inside the terminal watching out for unattended
bags.

"When we searched his Bangkok apartment, we found many travellers'
bags, digital cameras and notebook computers," Thammawat said.

There were Filipino, Indonesian, Chinese and Peruvian thieves in the
airport too, Thammawat said.

He said Chinese thieves usually pick-pocketed while criminals of other
nationality tended to mingle with crowds waiting to check in and
snatched unguarded bags.

"These thieves usually target Japanese tourists because they often
keep cash and credit cards in their unattended bags," Thammawat said.

He said the Chinese thieves appeared to work as a gang because when
they were caught, they would be bailed fast. "We sometimes arrest
people twice at the airport after they have sneaked back to China and
changed their names before returning," he said.

Lt-Colonel Pakapong Sai-ubon, of the Police Immigration Bureau, said
some criminals flew into the airport purely to steal valuables from
other passengers.

"They usually fly from trading cities like Hong Kong and grab the bags
of their targets," he said.

Pol Lt-Colonel Satit Prom-utai of the Tourism Division hoped the
Immigration Bureau would blacklist foreign thieves caught at the
airport.

"We will ask the Immigration Bureau to blacklist them," he said.

Thammawat said that according to passenger complaints, some items were
also stolen from luggage after it had been checked in. Complaints have
become less frequent, however, since the Airports of Thailand stepped
up safety measures along the baggage-belt zones.

Suvarnabhumi Airport director Serirat Prasutanont said the airport was
working closely with police in a bid to ensure safety.

"We will add more security cameras," he said.