Chapter 21

ATM Incident:

Like everybody I have ever met I am, of course, well above average in my street awareness. I do not walk down lonely streets at night in areas of dubious reputation. I am acutely conscious of anybody who appears to be taking an undue interest in my actions. I have been known to stop and look in a shop window just to observe what the other person does. But of course one does not wish to be paranoid and my general attitude is to trust everybody unless proved otherwise.

So I needed my weekly money fix. I generally use the ATM in Bangtao right by the Best Western Hotel. It was early afternoon and hot. The local taxi drivers were sitting close by hoping for custom and the street was quiet.
I looked behind me to make sure I was not too closely observed when keying in my pin number. There was nobody anywhere near.
I collected my money, counted it and put it in my front left trouser pocket. Collected my card and turned round.

There was very close behind me a local rather scruffy looking man in a predominantly yellow striped jacket.

Being English I said “sorry” for nearly bumping in to him when of course it was he who had nearly bumped in to me.
Behind him was another person of similar mien.
I remember thinking somewhat ungraciously that the man did not look like a typical ATM user.

I walked away and two minutes later realized that my money had gone missing.

I emptied every pocket about three times before I could believe it.

Several years ago whilst in South Africa I visited Cape Point where the main threat to tourists, as proclaimed on many posters, is the baboons. They are amazing animals and have a cunning and dexterity which has to be seen to be believed. As I opened our car door to leave, a baboon crept up from behind me, reached round me and grabbed a bottle of orange juice from the door pocket and was twenty yards away before I had time to react.

It was impressive.

I have to say that the gentleman who relieved me of my money was equally impressive. I did not even realize that he had made contact with me.

With hindsight ,of course, it is easy to concede that I was foolish not to be immediately suspicious because the man was far closer to me than is normal. We all like to have our territorial space especially when using an ATM. But it was a nice day, I was in a good mood, and was looking forward to a good lunch with a nice cold beer or so. In short, my guard was lax.

Of course I spent the next two hours in the police station where they were courteous and helpful. They will get the CCTV footage analysed and tell me the results in a few days. I told them that I realized that it was unlikely that I would get my money back but that it would be good if this helped them prevent further such incidents.

So what has it cost me? Roughly speaking it has cost me twenty massages or two hundred beers or one hundred Thai curries or some permutation of these.

On the bright side, whilst I must admit that though I am happy to give money away I really hate having it stolen, there is some, probably, local guy who judging from his apparel could really use the extra ten thousand baht.

I just hope he uses it sensibly, more sensibly than I guess I was going to.