Next Logical Question - WHY?

[Gaybutton]

Most hotels have a safe available for guests. I did not know, until reading this article, that some hotels have restrictions as to the times you can access your belongings if they are kept in the safe. Apparently some hotels do not exactly place customer care and service in their top ten priority list. My question is why have such a rule in the first place? Why can't a staff member access the safe when a customer needs his personal belongings at any hour, especially in a case like the one illustrated in this story?

 

The following appears in the PATTAYA CITY NEWS:

_____

 

Tourist Police

[Guest lvdkeyes]

Most hotels have a safe available for guests. I did not know, until reading this article, that some hotels have restrictions as to the times you can access your belongings if they are kept in the safe. Apparently some hotels do not exactly place customer care and service in their top ten priority list. My question is why have such a rule in the first place? Why can't a staff member access the safe when a customer needs his personal belongings at any hour, especially in a case like the one illustrated in this story?

 

The following appears in the PATTAYA CITY NEWS:

_____

 

Tourist Police

[Smiles]

" ... I don't know for sure, but I suspect the reason behind this ... "

Just a small point, but it might be helpful if you'd quote just that specific part of the post you are refering to (as above) which you are trying to make a point about ( e.g. hard to know what you're getting at with your phrase " ... I suspect the reason behind this ... " ).

 

Quoting the relevent portion of Gaybutton's post would be a hell of a lot easier on all the readers here ... god knows GB is already getting much more than his fair share of the total messages on this Board.

 

IMHO only of course

 

Cheers ...

 

[TotallyOz]

... god knows GB is already getting much more than his fair share of the total messages on this Board.

 

IMHO only of course

 

Cheers ...

 

ROFL Thanks Smiles. You always bring a smile to my face.

 

Perhaps GayButton has more to say than the rest of us? Or, perhaps his posts are just more informational in nature. I told him once that he should consider trying to fit into the Pattaya crowd more and put on a bitchy, nasty, mean spirited persona and only post comments that were nasty and meant to inflame others. He decllined. It took him a 10 min speech to tell me why but after that I understood.

 

[Gaybutton]

It took him a 10 min speech to tell me why but after that I understood.

 

That is a lie! It took me 15 minutes . . . .

 

Smiles, my old friend, anyone who wishes to do so can post just as much as I do, or even more (if that's possible to do).

[Guest A Rose By Any Other Name]

ROFL Thanks Smiles. You always bring a smile to my face.

 

Perhaps GayButton has more to say than the rest of us? Or, perhaps his posts are just more informational in nature. I told him once that he should consider trying to fit into the Pattaya crowd more and put on a bitchy, nasty, mean spirited persona and only post comments that were nasty and meant to inflame others. He decllined. It took him a 10 min speech to tell me why but after that I understood.

 

Oh, God, please...NO! There are enough useless bitchy bastards out there as it is. Gay Button's generous spirit and unending knowledge is a pleasant treat, and we should all appreciate the time he spends.

 

IMO, of course.

 

TR The Rose

[Up2u]

ROFL Thanks Smiles. You always bring a smile to my face.

 

Perhaps GayButton has more to say than the rest of us? Or, perhaps his posts are just more informational in nature. ....

 

I'd rather read GB's posts anytime than that dribble from Cederic, Bad Boy Billy or some of the other all-stars on that other board.

 

[Guest NorthStar]

rather read GB's posts anytime

 

Editing the carried forward quote is simply a matter of highlighting and deleting the unwanted words between the quote tags.

 

Of course it is possible to become incoherent by uderquoting as demonstrated in this post. There may be a happy medium.

 

[Guest PapaDavid]

Most hotels have a safe available for guests. I did not know, until reading this article, that some hotels have restrictions as to the times you can access your belongings if they are kept in the safe. Apparently some hotels do not exactly place customer care and service in their top ten priority list. My question is why have such a rule in the first place? ................

 

I think the main reason is that there have been so many thefts by night desk staff from safe deposit boxes in reception areas which have resulted in bad publicity for the hotels concerned.

 

I would rather have a rule like this than find that someone has been into the box at night and taken cash or valuables from it. However, all the hotels I now frequent on my visits (with the exception of the Tarntawan in BKK) have personal wall safes in guest rooms.

 

As for the unfortunate American in the case you mention - he is partially at fault for not have the foresight to realise that he would need his passport etc "out of hours", particularly as you say that the times of opening the safe/deposit boxes were publicized.

[Gaybutton]

I think the main reason is that there have been so many thefts by night desk staff from safe deposit boxes in reception areas which have resulted in bad publicity for the hotels concerned.

 

I don't see how. The article states, "The receptionist told him that he cannot access the safe which requires two keys, one from the Hotel guest and the other from the Manager . . ."

 

If the safe, at least at that hotel, requires a guest key to open it, then how will staff members open the safe to steal anything? The guest would have to be present, wouldn't he? So, what's not to trust with the night staff? They can't open the guy's box unless he's personally present.

 

I think whatever the reason is, that isn't it.

 

To me, it sounds more like an uncaring hotel manager who considered his own sleep more important than providing good customer service. Ok, the guest made a mistake. Big deal. It wouldn't have killed the manager to help him out. If you want to run a quality hotel, you help guests whenever the need arises. If you're going to mistreat a guest or refuse to help him through an obviously serious situation, then I'd say you're in the wrong business. The manager should have given up a half hour of sleep to help the guy no matter whose fault it was. If he had done so, then the guest would probably be a repeat customer and recommend the hotel. Since he didn't, and this incident was the result, then I don't know about others, but I wouldn't stay in a hotel like that even if the room was free. I doubt that same guest will ever set foot in that hotel again.

[Guest PapaDavid]

I don't see how. The article states, "The receptionist told him that he cannot access the safe which requires two keys, one from the Hotel guest and the other from the Manager . . ."

 

If the safe, at least at that hotel, requires a guest key to open it, then how will staff members open the safe to steal anything? The guest would have to be present, wouldn't he? So, what's not to trust with the night staff? They can't open the guy's box unless he's personally present.

 

I think whatever the reason is, that isn't it.

 

You certainly have point there. However, the fact remains that there are regular reports in the Pattaya Mail and other Thai English language newspapers of hotel night staff stealing from safety deposit boxes/night safes. How they do it? - don't ask me.

The reports are quite regular and I would guess I have read of at least three cases in the last year.

[Guest lvdkeyes]

[Just a small point, but it might be helpful if you'd quote just that specific part of the post you are refering to ...

 

 

 

Thanks for pointing that out.

[Gaybutton]

You certainly have point there. However, the fact remains that there are regular reports in the Pattaya Mail and other Thai English language newspapers of hotel night staff stealing from safety deposit boxes/night safes. How they do it? - don't ask me.

The reports are quite regular and I would guess I have read of at least three cases in the last year.

 

That is true. I don't know how they do it either. Maybe someone takes guest keys when they're not being used and makes copies of them.

 

Personally, I would never keep my valuables in a hotel lobby safe in the first place. Most decent hotels now have room safes, with combinations set by the guest, and a key is not involved at all. If I am staying in a hotel that has no room safe, but I am in possession of something of significant value, one solution might be to buy some sort of a lock-box, with my own lock on it (or better still, a combination lock), and store the whole box in the hotel safe.

[Guest lvdkeyes]

[

Most decent hotels now have room safes, with combinations set by the guest

 

 

There recently was an Australian guy staying in a hotel here in Pattaya who had his money in the hotel room safe. He went away for a few days and when he came back the money was gone. So much for room safes being "safe".

[Gaybutton]

There recently was an Australian guy staying in a hotel here in Pattaya who had his money in the hotel room safe. He went away for a few days and when he came back the money was gone. So much for room safes being "safe".

 

I hadn't heard that story, but it is probably an isolated incident, assuming the guy was telling the truth. I guess nothing is 100% reliable, but I don't see how anything is going to be more secure than a hotel room safe for a traveler. What more can a person do?

 

One of the more common crimes I hear about involves "farang" who lose large amounts of money to thieves. I would think the best thing to do would be to take out only the amount of money you need for a day or two, whether using travel checks or ATMs. Taking out large amounts of cash is asking for trouble. If something happens to it, then it's just gone and there really isn't much one can do about it.

[Guest namjai]

The room safes are a nice addition. Now as far as them being on the floor, just another reason to be on my knees!

[llz]

One of the more common crimes I hear about involves "farang" who lose large amounts of money to thieves. I would think the best thing to do would be to take out only the amount of money you need for a day or two, whether using travel checks or ATMs. Taking out large amounts of cash is asking for trouble. If something happens to it, then it's just gone and there really isn't much one can do about it.

People who carry large sums of cash with them are generally people who have got it from unlawful activities or from business they have illegally not paid taxes on. Do not ask me to pity them if they have to lose this money to thieves.

Like thai say : som nam na ...

[Gaybutton]

People who carry large sums of cash with them are generally people who have got it from unlawful activities or from business they have illegally not paid taxes on. Do not ask me to pity them if they have to lose this money to thieves.

 

What's with you and these kinds of comments? That is a completely unfounded generalization about people who carry large sums of cash. What's your problem?

[Guest YardenUK]

People who carry large sums of cash with them are generally people who have got it from unlawful activities or from business they have illegally not paid taxes on. Do not ask me to pity them if they have to lose this money to thieves.

Like thai say : som nam na ...

 

 

A total generalisation indeed - I am in thailand for 2 months with a very large sum of cash because i work in an Asian country in which it is impossible for a foreigner to buy travellers cheques or send money abroad. Hence, the need to carry a large sum of money in cash. I should also add that my work/salary is entirely legal and I pay all income tax..........

 

PS for those of you thinking of checking into my room safety deposit box, I was nifty enough to put it into a Thai bank account this week ;) what's left of it that is! )

[llz]

A total generalisation indeed - I am in thailand for 2 months with a very large sum of cash because i work in an Asian country in which it is impossible for a foreigner to buy travellers cheques or send money abroad. Hence, the need to carry a large sum of money in cash. I should also add that my work/salary is entirely legal and I pay all income tax..........

Sorry if you felt offended, off course I did not think of people like you when writing my message. Nevertheless there are too many people in Pattaya and elsewhere who have a great life from illegal money when you and me have to work hard, pay a lot without even being rich (far from it AFAIAC)

 

 

[Gaybutton]

there are too many people in Pattaya and elsewhere who have a great life from illegal money when you and me have to work hard, pay a lot without even being rich

 

How do you know that anybody in Pattaya is having "a great life from illegal money?" I am not rich either, but I don't resent other people simply because they have done better financially in life than I have.

[PattayaMale]

A question I would have if staying at a hotel with that policy, is what happens when I arrive late into Pattaya, since many flights arrive after 8 pm. Or if I am in heavy traffic from Bangkok after a day trip and get back later than planned...what would I really expect? A hotel is in the service business. Most hotels do not post these proceedures on there web sites.

 

I agree it is terrible policy. Maybe the hotel will now see it that way too.

[llz]

How do you know that anybody in Pattaya is having "a great life from illegal money?" I am not rich either, but I don't resent other people simply because they have done better financially in life than I have.

Obviously you do not read carefully what I write so I prefer to stop my messages in this thread for now.