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Published: April 6th 2010
...both a bit spaced following the massage, we wandered about and found a streetside restaurant for a quick bite to eat. The rest is a bit of a blur.
I remember mid pork-fried rice a figure appearing behind Paula, and then reaching over and quite daintily plucking her bag of the seat next to her. I remember the split second as we both realised what was happening, giving him just long enough to get the head start on his escape.
I remember us both jumping up and tearing after him as he hopped onto the back of a waiting scooter. I remember that for a second it looked like we'd catch up with him - and i distinctly remember the man looking back over his shoulder at that same moment with a slight look of horror on his face as he had the same thought.
I remember us bellowing as loud as we could "stop him" and "help" as we sprinted full pelt down a dark street, the gap between us and them widening with every stride. I remember a few people outside guest houses lining the road looking alarmed as we ran past, not realising what was going on.
I remember the bike turning right at the bottom of the street and disappearing out of sight. I remember Paula crumpled in the middle of the road, shoeless. I remember people crowding round and offering us to help.
We retraced our steps back to the restaurant, picking Paula's shoes up on the way, it slowly dawning on us just how much important stuff was in the bag; P's passport and visas. Both of our bank cards and nearly all of our cash. P's phone, camera and itouch...
Also remember being overwhelmingly relieved that we were both OK and undamaged. Alternate endings flashed through my head, many of them involving the damage that P would have done to the chap if we had caught up with them. I also realised that I still had my flip flops. I'd love to see how I managed an almost full sprint without losing one. Must have been a terrifying spectacle.
The rest of the night and the next day were a bit surreal. Alternate bouts of fury - both with ourselves (that was the only time we'd had all of that stuff together in one place) and the crooks; frustration with banks (HSBC are getting a strongly worded letter from me when I get back: 'Mr Lyons, we have just send you a replacement card that will be available for pick up from our Branch in Victoria, London, in five to eight working days), UK embassies (closed over the weekend for crying out loud - that's civil servants for you) and insurance companies.
Our faith in human nature and Thailand, was quickly restored. Various brilliant family members helped out by wiring us cash, booking hotels, top up phone credit etc. The tourist police turned up early the next morning (3 of them!), and took us back to the scene of the crime in a police car. We went to the station to give a statement - all we could tell them was that it was 2 thai-looking men on the back of a scooter, which didn't narrow it down as much as we hoped. They genuinely seemed like they cared though. In general, most people we came across were shocked and surprised it could happen, and wanted to know if they could help, so we didn't get the impression this sort of thing happened much.
It soon became obvious that we'd have to re-plot our route, and have a bit of a delay in Bangkok whilst we sorted out replacement passport and visas, so we arranged to head back on a night train the following day.
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Brian Copeland
non-member comment
Sh1t guys!
Man that sucks, I'm furious too, f-ing thieving shts! I hope you get things sorted out and that, after initial delays, you get cards, passports and such replaced. Don't let it ruin the adventure, it'll only be a tiny wee bit of it.