Aussie tourist robbed at gunpoint after dumped by Phuket taxi driver

[Media1]

The VIP service

[JimP]

I applaud the young traveller for insisting on the meter.  These types of taxi drivers are a <deleted> menace to all the decent ones out there. I simply refuse to get in a taxi until I see the meter pressed, but hey, that's me.  Of course it took a gaggle of Thais to rob the Aussie.  They do like to fight unfairly, and a gun!  Wow.  Cowards.   

[metisdead]

Another inflammatory post has been removed. 

[bristolgeoff]

he was robbed what did he have at the time of the robbery does not look much to me

[Old Croc]

21 minutes ago, Peterw42 said:

 

Can you find me one of these jet ski operators pulling guns stories ? In fact, any story about a tourist being robbed at gunpoint will do.

I can't quote the link here as it was on Phuketwan, but try googling for the story of British marines in a confrontation with local jetski thugs who were ripping off a sailor. There's even pics of the rifle used.  

[seancbk]

25 minutes ago, Crustyhk said:

So all those stories plastered around the planet about JetSki operators in Phuket and Pattaya pointing very large handguns at customers are all made up?

“robbed at gunpoint” is probable the most real part of the story. 

 

 

Never heard of any tourist being threatened with a gun by the jetski guys.   There was a report in Feb of this year where rival jetski operators had a shootout on the beach, but it was between them not involving any tourists.

I did a bit of digging and found ONE case where a tourist was threatened at gunpoint for damage to a jetski.   Quote from the web "in late 2009 a British documentary called Big Trouble in Tourist Thailand showed footage of JJ, a Patong based jet-ski operator threatening Jack, a British marine, over dubious jet-ski damages at gunpoint. In a short while it got more than a million hits on YouTube.com alone. This episode, as well as increasing complaints from aggrieved riders, changed the entire jet-ski business in Phuket."

 

[shackleton]

story seems a bit far fetched will be interesting when the truth is revealed 

[Media1]

Taxi is like the lucky dip..l.sort him put before entry 

[Peterw42]

Not sure how many times it needs to be pointed out. The guy WAS NOT IN A TAXI, he was in a hire car. Green number plate hire cars DO NOT HAVE METERS, they are hire cars. you cant argue with a hire car to turn on the meter, they dont have a meter to turn on.

 

Mr White did later confirm that the taxi was bearing green licence plates, indicating that the vehicle to be a legally registered “commercial passenger vehicle”.
Read more at https://www.thephuketnews.com/aussie-tourist-robbed-at-gunpoint-after-dumped-by-phuket-taxi-driver-69464.php#ouIfpKJahpp4lYK5.99

 

[brling]

50 minutes ago, Peterw42 said:

 

Can you find me one of these jet ski operators pulling guns stories ? In fact, any story about a tourist being robbed at gunpoint will do.

Yup, NO Thai would do that.

[OneMoreFarang]

It's disgusting to see how many people here think this is somehow funny.

[Pete1980]

1 hour ago, 4MyEgo said:

Yep, sounds to me like Mr White is making an insurance claim, after all, what Ozzie wearing shorts carries 10,000 baht in cash on him, especially at 19 years of age and in the early hours of the morning after a night out.

 

Those of us that have money, know that we don't carry that kind of cash on us at anytime of the day in any country, especially in Thailand.

 

 

Er, i am an Aussie, and currently have 15,000plus in my shorts. i have cash, and always carry cash. I have never been robbed. I dont live in fear.

I normal night out is about 10,000.

It always amuses me that poor or tightarse people think people think everyone is the same as them. 

The kid is in Phuket, hardly a cheap charlie place and I doubt an aussie would bother doing an insurance claim for petty change.

We come from the land of plenty.

 

https://www.news.com.au/finance/money/wealth/new-report-reveals-why-australians-are-the-wealthiest-people-on-earth/news-story/9097dd51631c0ec2064d89d0047e5d59

[Pete1980]

34 minutes ago, JimP said:

I applaud the young traveller for insisting on the meter.  These types of taxi drivers are a <deleted> menace to all the decent ones out there. I simply refuse to get in a taxi until I see the meter pressed, but hey, that's me.  Of course it took a gaggle of Thais to rob the Aussie.  They do like to fight unfairly, and a gun!  Wow.  Cowards.   

Because thieves always want a fair fight? Dream on.

[4MyEgo]

3 minutes ago, Pete1980 said:

Er, i am an Aussie, and currently have 15,000plus in my shorts. i have cash, and always carry cash. I have never been robbed. I dont live in fear.

I normal night out is about 10,000.

It always amuses me that poor or tightarse people think people think everyone is the same as them. 

The kid is in Phuket, hardly a cheap charlie place and I doubt an aussie would bother doing an insurance claim for petty change.

We come from the land of plenty.

 

https://www.news.com.au/finance/money/wealth/new-report-reveals-why-australians-are-the-wealthiest-people-on-earth/news-story/9097dd51631c0ec2064d89d0047e5d59

I am an Ozzie too, I prefer withdrawing funds when I need it, at most will not carry more than 2,000 baht in my wallet, it costs me nothing to withdraw funds from an ATM, so why on earth would I want to risk carrying that amount of money on me, to either lose it, or get robbed, when most things I can buy on my card and not get charged for it.

 

Each to their own, and if you believe the article you posted, you live in a different world to most Ozzies mate: https://www.sbs.com.au/news/australians-struggling-with-living-costs

[Pete1980]

1 minute ago, 4MyEgo said:

I am an Ozzie too, I prefer withdrawing funds when I need it, at most will not carry more than 2,000 baht in my wallet, it costs me nothing to withdraw funds from an ATM, so why on earth would I want to risk carrying that amount of money on me, to either lose it, or get robbed, when most things I can buy on my card and not get charged for it.

 

Each to their own, and if you believe the article you posted, you live in a different world to most Ozzies mate: https://www.sbs.com.au/news/australians-struggling-with-living-costs

Visiting the ATM 5 times a night must be inconvenient.

Aussies like to whinge about living expenses, so what. They complain about electricity costs, smokes etc etc and then stay in 4/5 star resorts in Phuket. Doesnt take away that we are the richest in the world. I embrace it.

[mauGR1]

13 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

It's disgusting to see how many people here think this is somehow funny.

Not funny for the Australian guy, but not something really tragic either.

[dallen52]

Let's see what the security cameras say!!!

 

Taxi man not do. 

Farang give to he.

[cleverman]

5 hours ago, ezzra said:

Look like they robbed him of his clothing as well, or this is how get around in his home country too...

He is on holidays on a tropical island. But I agree, he should dress the same as the English do when they go to the beach back home, long pants,shirt and tie,scarf. I've got pics I took on Redcar beach to prove it. 

[4MyEgo]

1 minute ago, Pete1980 said:

Visiting the ATM 5 times a night must be inconvenient.

Aussies like to whinge about living expenses, so what. They complain about electricity costs, smokes etc etc and then stay in 4/5 star resorts in Phuket. Doesnt take away that we are the richest in the world. I embrace it.

Who needs to visit an ATM 5 times a night, cash is easily left in ones hotel safe to take out when one needs it, suffice to say carrying large amounts of money in ones pockets, tells me that they want people to show how broke they actually are, i.e. Thai's think most farangs are rich because they carry large amounts of money on them, not realising that the money has come straight from their credit card which was recently used at the ATM machine.

 

Australians are not rich, they are one of the highest taxed countries in the world, are cash strapped and mortgaged to the hilt, with a lot of Xpats living here on the pension, just getting through, why, because they didn't plan for their retirement, probably like yourself, just living for the moment, keep it up, your destiny is already cemented in concrete, I would suggest, but please don't talk economics or finances to me, because I can see straight through you, and Phuket is a cheap holiday destination for me, was recently there and 4 star hotels that I stay in, are not what we call 4 star back in Oz, you couldn't afford to stay in one for more than a night. 

[meinphuket]

Its a clear cut case; he robbed himself, and it never hapoened.

[1337markus]

I am sure he will help TAT's campaign on tourism once he talks to the Aussie media when he returns home, Aussie media love negative news it sells. Expect less tourists from Australia, they have found Indonesia a  better alternative.

[bristolgeoff]

I carry only what I need to go out with.not saying he is poor but it seems he carried enough like many in the LOS

Sent from my SM-T580 using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[Sealbash]

I applaud the young traveller for insisting on the meter.  These types of taxi drivers are a menace to all the decent ones out there. I simply refuse to get in a taxi until I see the meter pressed, but hey, that's me.  Of course it took a gaggle of Thais to rob the Aussie.  They do like to fight unfairly, and a gun!  Wow.  Cowards.   

Just to be clear, we are now assuming the robberies, if any, are Thai?


Sent from my iPad using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[chippendale]

Proudly displaying flipflops, shorts, silly hat, no shirt ..... Australia's national costume.

[Pete1980]

12 minutes ago, 4MyEgo said:

Who needs to visit an ATM 5 times a night, cash is easily left in ones hotel safe to take out when one needs it, suffice to say carrying large amounts of money in ones pockets, tells me that they want people to show how broke they actually are, i.e. Thai's think most farangs are rich because they carry large amounts of money on them, not realising that the money has come straight from their credit card which was recently used at the ATM machine.

 

Australians are not rich, they are one of the highest taxed countries in the world, are cash strapped and mortgaged to the hilt, with a lot of Xpats living here on the pension, just getting through, why, because they didn't plan for their retirement, probably like yourself, just living for the moment, keep it up, your destiny is already cemented in concrete, I would suggest, but please don't talk economics or finances to me, because I can see straight through you, and Phuket is a cheap holiday destination for me, was recently there and 4 star hotels that I stay in, are not what we call 4 star back in Oz, you couldn't afford to stay in one for more than a night. 

What are worth?

I will toss you for it.

 

BTW i am in retirement, i did plan for it and am not on welfare/the pension. And I prefer 5, not 4.

[Argus Tuft]

3 hours ago, elgenon said:

HE was carrying 10,000THB?????? Nothing personal but....

..but what?

 

10,000 is the minimum I draw out from the ATM here. Pain in the assh0les to go back more often to draw smaller amounts

And I imagine a young Aussie tourist on holidays and about to have a big night out could easily blow through 10k baht

[Old Croc]

26 minutes ago, 4MyEgo said:

Australians are not rich, they are one of the highest taxed countries in the world, are cash strapped and mortgaged to the hilt, with a lot of Xpats living here on the pension, just getting through, why, because they didn't plan for their retirement, probably like yourself, just living for the moment, keep it up, your destiny is already cemented in concrete, I would suggest, but please don't talk economics or finances to me, because I can see straight through you, and Phuket is a cheap holiday destination for me, was recently there and 4 star hotels that I stay in, are not what we call 4 star back in Oz, you couldn't afford to stay in one for more than a night. 

I don't deny the highly taxed statement, and there are many struggling to survive on the scraps thrown to them by the pollies and their masters, but on several  indicators Australia is one of the richest countries of all time.

 

Australia is the second-wealthiest nation in terms of wealth per adult, after Switzerland,  in 2018 it overtook Switzerland and it became the country with the largest median wealth per adult.

 

More here:  https://evatt.org.au/news/australia-wealthy-country.html

 

Incidentally, I'm another living on my own resources without applying for the OAP.

[webfact]

UPDATE:

Drunken Aussie tourist admits he wasn’t robbed at gun point in Phuket

By Kritsada Mueanhawong

 

 

An Australian tourist, who had claimed he was robbed at gunpoint after being dropped off by a taxi, finally admitted that he was drunk and lost his belongings.

 

On Saturday an Australian male tourist, 19 year old Terrance John White from New South Wales, notified the receptionist at a hotel in Nai Yang where he was staying that he had been robbed at gunpoint by 4-5 suspects after being dropped by taxi near the hotel.

 

He says he gave his wallet with 20,000 baht cash to the alleged robbers brandishing firearms. The receptionist called police. Terrance was taken to the Thalang Police Station.

 

Full story: https://thethaiger.com/news/phuket/drunken-aussie-tourist-admits-he-wasnt-robbed-at-gun-point-in-phuket

 

-- © Copyright The Thaiger 2018-11-26

[Cheops]

2 hours ago, Peterw42 said:

For me, the robbery at gunpoint is the part that rings alarm bells, I cant recall a tourist ever being robbed at gunpoint in the last 20 years, anywhere in Thailand.

My BIL was robbed at gunpoint about 10 years ago in Bangkok (at 5am when he went out for a walk, because he couldn't sleep) on a main road (no dark alley). You don't hear it often in Thailand but it does certainly happen. 

 

In this case he wasn't robbed after all, but gunpoint robbings do happen.

[spidermike007]

Fortunately, for all of us, this type of event is rare here. I just do not hear about alot of violent crimes against foreigners, like in many other countries, such as the PI, and Cambodia. Hopefully, it will stay that way. 

 

Hope they catch the goons who did this. And hope they are able to find a judge willing to lock them up. Not an easy thing to find.