Should the bar owners be less honest?

[King R]

The people who travel regularly to LOS know that things are less than perfect, but shouldn't they paint a perfect picture for the tourist, who comes here for his/her two weeks in paradise?
Several years ago I went to a small resort in Majorca, and at the time there was a series of sexual assaults, mainly against travel reps. However, by listening to conversations at the bar i used to hang out at, I put 2 and 2 together, and by chance mentioned this to a rep working there. There was a huge outcry that, I , as a tourist, had discovered this evil underside to Majorca, and I certainly should not have known or even guessed this, as it may harm Majorca's reputation as a tourist destination.
This afternoon, I was told by a British bar owner, quite openly, that there are people in Phuket who are mugging/robbing drunk tourists. OK its not as serious as sexual assaults, but, why would a bar owner, whose livelihood is making tourists believe that Phuket is a wonderful place, tell a tourist something different? And a lot of the conversation in that bar was about the short comings of law and order in Phuket, isn't it unwise to bad mouth your businesses hometown, especially in front of tourists?

 

[Xeriena]

Not really, I would consider forewarned is forearmed , if he's seen you with your camera enjoying a few libations I would think it was friendly advice to a new and potentially returning customer

 

[-[$aVaGe]-]

I think the more attention the more likly the goverment have to do something about this. Sweeping it under the rug is only going to make problems bigger and then it will be bigger news when it gets out.

 

[John Redcorn]

do they not have newspapers in majorca?....are the police in on hiding the situation as well

as bad as Phuketwan is they still do report these sorts of incidents quite well here

totally agree that the only way to deal with the situation is to be open + honest about .....then hopefully people will keep there eyes + ears open and maybe even help apprehend the b'stards

 

[J0J]

Good on him for warning customers. In the long run he is actually helping.

 

[SkepDoc 2.0]

I think he was just telling it as it is or at least how he sees it.

I think many people who come here are a bit naive (or are they?) if they think any holiday destination where thousands of people congregate isn't going to attract nefarous characters who think they can milk money from it in a way they only know how.

By that I mean the criminals, I don't want to go down the path of dual pricing, touts, reps, jetski's etc etc as most of that is scamming IMHO.....I mean the person who is going to pick your pockets, hold a knife to your throat or a violent mugging.

Of course the glossy travel brochures aren't going to have a 'Warning Proviso' that while you are looking at all the beautiful things Thailand has to offer you may well be mugged/robbed/threatened. I personally know that if I am in a very busy P4P area (anywhere in the World) that the potential is going to be there as the places are magnets for these people to make a bit of easy money.

It's not going to put people off IMHO. People still travel to the Costa's, Rio, Eastern Europe even Blackpool which can be a bit rough round the edges at 3 in the morning. People, especially families should do a bit of homework before investing what is normally a large amount of money in their annual holiday. The likeyihood of that family seforum.xxxgering around the side soi's of Bangla at 4 in the morning and being picked off are slim anyway....I hope!

As for the Police, yep, they can make an example now and again, some high profile, well reported arrests etc etc but for each one they throw in the cells there are plenty more looking to prowl the easy targets.

The best bet is to try and not become that easy target in the first place......But folk are on holiday aren't they?

 

[Jack S]

As I was in tourism before, I see the rock and a hard place scenario posed by the OP.
I wanted a good spin on my locale, but I didnt want a guest walking into a 'stiff arm' either.
Thing is , that the guest was already at my place, I wasnt having to market any further on them, so the job was to try to make their stay as pleasant as possible, and steer them away from danger.
Same as the bar manager in that regard.
Maybe its because Thais smile so much, that tourists here seem to leave their brain behind, maybe its because Asians are see as so friendly and obliging ( and small!) by Farangs, maybe its because Asia is so different in their experience compared to what Aus is ...
But they certainly do things they wouldnt at home.
You shouldnt have to tell them some stuff, like, "Dont walk down the road, even 2 foot from the edge!" but twice Ive seen them do so at Karon Beach, when theres a perfectly adequate and wide footpath there, and roadworks have diminished the lane width to dangerous narrowness.
But I have no problem at all warning against TTs and JSkis and talking with LBs late at night in quiet locations, of avoiding police and of never carrying a wallet. A wave of 'heinous' crime, i would be even more explicit about.
Yes, I have no vested interest now, but did so even when I was involved in a guesthouse here.
I never thought I had to tell customers to lock their doors of a night, that to me is a given, but after a burglary through an open door, I had to start telling guests, "Do lock your door when you are out and even asleep, burglary is not unknown in Thailand".
The victim BTW was a Roman who said he'd had his house robbed 9 times!

 

[simon159]

He was likely referring to his place in Rome

 

[dull.doll]

perhaps is because of the guy who has been goign around lately asking people for a lighter then pretending to joke about doing muaythai with them and stealing there wallet.

this happened to a few of my friends in the spce fo a couple of weeks, one got his shit stolen and when he tryd it with the others he got swiftly told to **** off

so watch out for him!

 

[Pompal 09.]

Hmmm..... the Muay Thai Robber happened to BM Mai Chob a couple years back.

 

[Cecil]

well it seems he has made his return then

 

[phillia]

Yep, a short slightly tubby guy mid forties? Or has he an apprentice?
There was also a tubby tg about 35 in the wings.
I wont carry a wallet, so he only got an atm card that was swallowed after 3 attempts at an atm.

 

[LRTownsend]

I think there is a difference between "Sometimes, drunks get mugged on Bangla" and "Drunks are getting mugged on Bangla, especially now, in low season". The first a friendly warning without a definitive threat, but the second, albeit a warning, is a statement that the threat is out there.
Sitting here drinking an iced tea and looking at the palm trees and azure blue sea, do I want this idyllic image spoiled by stories of muggings? Sometimes ignorance is bliss.

 

[Pompal 09.]

Pretty much how everyone drives out here as well, including tourists! Another near miss with some twonk trying to undertake (Tourist) at lights today an my way back from PT.

Getting hit, falling off, screaming, wriggling, bleeding, hospital and pay up is pretty much the same here as at home.......If an ambulance turns up.

 

[hj01]

that sounds like him!