Bangkok Reports

[QUOTE=Member #2041]It doesn't matter if you paid 500 baht or 5000 baht for your night's companion - leaving 30K to 60K baht lying around accessible while you're in the shower and your lady friend is waiting for you in your room is asking for trouble.

And I never suggested that you should leave your electronics out and available for them either. Of course I would safeguard that as well.

As far as I'm concerned, whenever there is a lady in my room, there is no more than what I'll be paying her (plus perhaps a few hundred extra baht), and none of my credit cards, passport, and none of my valuable electronics is accessible to her. This seems like a minimum of common sense.[/QUOTE]

Different strokes for different folks. As long as we enjoy our own ways then no issues.

30 K baht is in my pocket at all times. And I've never in all my years had an issue with thai girls taking items other then raiding the mini bar, borrowing my cell phone chargers, etc... but they usually ask first (except the mini bar :D ). I agree the price of the girl doesn't make the girl but maybe I am just lucky in who I pick or who I take long time or whatever.

Sometimes a nice dinner is more then just street vendor food and sometimes I want to pick up items (where I live there is little shopping available, seriously not even a real gas station). So that amount is really is just pocket money.

Pattaya is much more riskier then BKK IMHO but for the most part I've only had attempted issues in Philippines (and a few other countries) and a few Ladyboy pick pockets at NEP. That is why the reports in Pattaya thread or such about motion sensors / alarms and bike chains and such had me scratching my head.

EDIT: let me clarify one area however... one pocket has 20 / 50 / 100 baht bills etc... for lower amounts, however I do have on me in other pockets, or areas or security hidden pockets larger bills.

[QUOTE=Member #2041]What sort of moron leaves 60K baht accessible in the room when they bring back ANY provider?[/QUOTE]The kind that makes it into stories told in bars, by bellboys and talked about on the internet. Eg the kind that is fantasy.

Nobody would leave that amount just out for all to see whilst they shower or go off to McDonalds or whatever else the story wants them to do.

Normal fantasy "have you heard this, honest, its true" kind of story.

[QUOTE=Kid Icarus]Some ID is in english, some in thai? Or both? The only ID I watched so far was spelled "Miss" and in english.
[/QUOTE]
Older Id Cards may have no English. I believe the newer ones have both making it easy! :)

[QUOTE=Syzygies]I would never be denied entry as its known I'm generous. [...] I have seen dark skinned custromers in there previously though. So could be a combination of skin colour, appearance, how full the bar was, and not being a known customer.[/QUOTE]

I've seen a gogo in Pattaya turn "members only" as an indian guy was approaching. Said indian guy was bleary-eyed, weaving and disheveled, wearing a wrongly-buttoned shirt soaked with sweat.

I've also had baht buses in Pattaya refuse to take me because the driver suddenly decides I'm drunk (which I wasn't!).

There's a lot of short fuses and bad attitude in Pattaya (and Patong, Patpong, NEP, and even Cowboy), so just sidestep it and stay cool. Though it often isn't easy .. you really have to get mentally prepared to have any chance of enjoying yourself in Patpong gogos.

And don't handicap yourself. Take a lot of showers, smile and be polite, don't dress like a slob. Well, works for me ..

Gawd I'm turning into a windbag.

[QUOTE=Tansak KTV]
I'll rarely take CC or official ID's out with me due to having past issues with those being lifted in another country. The passport(s), back up data, CC, and such get locked securely and not in the hotel safe. But for me electronic data is more valuable then 1 K USD. As I'm there for work not for holiday, for about 15 years in SEA now.

1 K is easy to replace, the data and identity items is not (or easily) replaceable and can cause me serious problems.[/QUOTE]
Good advice. I managed to loose my wallet recently when getting out of a taxi. My own fault entirely as didn't put it properly in the tight pocket and must have fell out. I was certain I was not pickpocketed due to very short time span till I noticed it was missing. Luckily I got it back, minus the cash. But temporary loss of the cards was the big problem.

I haven't been using Hotel Safes hardly at all, but might leave Credit Cards and Passport in there in future.

I don't like to keep huge amounts of money in my wallet, especially when mongering. I have been lucky that girls have never robbed me to my knowledge, nor Hotel staff, but you never know. Hotel staff could do it if they had decided to leave Hotel anyway on the same day or desperate for some reason. P.S. My possesions aren't worth that much anyway, with Laptop the only item of any real value I take with me on holidays (aside from passport which is clearly the most important). I don't ever feel its in danger, but probably wise not to leave it in view as a precaution. I don't even lock my suitcase giving the impression that there isn't anything valuable in there, which is mostly true.

Refrain from wearing expensive jewellery is a good idea.

With girls that are not known to you, I would suggest a ST is a safer option, especially with freelancers. I mostly only go long time if I know the girl, but may extend if she is super. If a ST girl leaves alone and has to collect her Id at the desk, a good Hotel will normally call the room to check everything is O.K. before returning the Id Card.

Going off on a tangent, I believe a higher risk than being robbed, is being hassled by the police which happened to me recently. Taxi was stopped and I was searched for no reason. Probably looking for drugs or any other illicit things. I was on way to Soi Cowboy but carried nothing of interest to them. Condoms and Gel are O.K. :D

If guys are carrying Viagra or similar, the generics are possibly illegal, and even the original stuff may be a problem without a prescription with you. I would suggest keeping very low quantities on you, preferably only 1 tablet, and keep it in a place sufficiently strange not to be searched.

[QUOTE=The Pro]The kind that makes it into stories told in bars, by bellboys and talked about on the internet. Eg the kind that is fantasy.

Nobody would leave that amount just out for all to see whilst they shower or go off to McDonalds or whatever else the story wants them to do.

Normal fantasy "have you heard this, honest, its true" kind of story.[/QUOTE]

Hm, Im not following you now. You mean, people leave 60k bath in the room, visible or not visible just to hopfully get a story out of the situation to tell everybody els? Then you are to board and have to much money.

Or do you mean that the story is made up by the hotelowner (mother of a familyhotel and for what reason because that would only be bad publicity even if they now went after the LB and catched him thou)? Or maybe even me?

[QUOTE=Tansak KTV]
30 K baht is in my pocket at all times.

So that amount is really is just pocket money.

[/QUOTE]

This is pretty commonplace in bkk nowdays. 30k baht really isn't that much money. Bkk ain't a cheap city anymore!

[QUOTE=Kid Icarus]Just came back to the hotel (Soi 4) and the staff tells me this story about a poor guy that brought a LB up to the room (yeasterday night) and took all his money, around 60.000 bath. He put it in a condom and then up in the ass.

The staff went out looking for this LB and found him and told him they would call the police if he did not return the money. So he pull or shit (they did not tell me) the condom out.

The poor guy did not even know he was a operated LB. But he got his money back, and a good story to tell (or not) back home..[/QUOTE]
Great! Now mongers who have been wondering where to hide their money when the room does not have a safe finally have an answer to their problem. :D

[QUOTE=Member #2041]What sort of moron leaves 60K baht accessible in the room when they bring back ANY provider?[/QUOTE]

The Kid does stay in some dodgy hotels. I imagine the guests are not less dodgy.

[QUOTE=Tansak KTV]30 K baht is in my pocket at all times.[/QUOTE]

Must be nice. When I go out in Pattaya I always bring at most 2,000 baht, and usually more like 1,000. Of course I don't go out in Bangkok as it is too expensive, but on the rare occasions I am stuck there on business I still only bring 2,000-3,000 baht (plenty for a visit to SOL or just enough for a visit to Tulip, plus a meal). Like most expats, 30,000 baht is more like my monthly budget than a night out.

[QUOTE=Opebo]Like most expats, 30,000 baht is more like my monthly budget than a night out.[/QUOTE]

Ahhh here we go... I just new I'd get a chime in from Opebo on this issue. I respect your posts but it does get tiring to hear how little you make. Obviously you enjoy it or you'd leave.

Of course I have a job even if the economy is making us all bankrupt and my job takes me to Philippines, Thailand, China. However in my home there is not even an ATM machine, no shit. My home is more 4th world country then anything else so carrying cash is a way of life.

As stated before there is no shopping in my home, especially if there is no ATM machine you can imagine the type of stores we have. As such to spend 10,000 USD or more on items per visit is not unheard of but we are not talking about rolex watches or such but basic items for work or for other work areas on island such as projectors, computers, you name it. Due to importation it is difficult for shipping (4,000 USD for a 20 foot container and it takes one month) and almost impossible to get items to my home without hand carrying the items. Some ISG members know me and know my location. Look at the airport sometime when you depart, go to the oversized luggage area and you'll be amazed at what people are shipping home as LUGGAGE.

I do enjoy a good meal and some nicer items and as such carrying 30,000 baht for me is not much, it's under 1,000 USD and for a place where I will never use ATMs and I refuse to carry around my CC's that is not much. Now paying in cash for 5 computers and 1 projector and a shit load of other electronics they do raise eyebrows when the large cash comes out. But this is a way of life for my area. As I said different strokes for different folks. And yes I do enjoy staying at places that are not flea bags, again work picks up the tab, and I do enjoy ladies but rarely do I go FL's. When I do everything is secured. When I'm with my regulars then nope, I'll leave shit laying around but of course not cash on the table.

I do not leave 60 K sitting on the dresser but yes it could be found if you riffle through my clothes and for sure 30 K can be found, I was raised to always have funds available on you but not in one place. If the police try to shake me down they will have to do a complete search to find all the cash. And of course it is secured up before I go to sleep with a girl. As stated in other reports I have large locking cases for my work items and things are usually once shopping is going on 70 lbs x 3 bags.

I really do not care what Toilet Paper thinks. For some folks 30 K is not that much, it is 30 little bills folded up very small and can be hidden easily. And we're not talking about blowing 30 K on bar girls like some drunk idiot like we've all seen (500 USD tips I've personally seen). Then again at times a 10,000 - 15,000 dinner / drink bill is not unheard for me if there is a nice wine and good meal for some folks (more then two). That's 300 to 500 USD which is not much for a good meal in USA or EU for two people let alone for a group.

[QUOTE=Tansak KTV]...I really do not care what Toilet Paper thinks... (huh?)[/QUOTE]
Tansak and Opebo ... I love these stories.

You both are hero's in your own way.

[QUOTE=Daddy07]...I really do not care what Toilet Paper thinks... (huh?).[/QUOTE]

Sorry, maybe my english isn't correct but I thought American's referred to Toilet Paper as TP (IE The Pro). Seems fitting to me

But you are correct, I very much respect Opebo's posts as stated.

[QUOTE=Tansak KTV]Sorry, maybe my english isn't correct but I thought American's referred to Toilet Paper as TP (IE The Pro). Seems fitting to me...
[/QUOTE]
Oh, OK, I get it now ... yeah, that fits. :D

I thought maybe you were sending a big load of toilet paper from Thailand to your fourth world banana republic along with all the computers, printers and shit loads of other electronics. :)

[QUOTE=Tansak KTV]Count me in this class moron. But usually pocket money is around 30 K. Add in the electronics and the figure is significantly higher.[/QUOTE]
As much as a LB is 'capable to receive', having read the story here, it is difficult a LB (or anyone) can store 30k of electronics in any personal hole