That’s the call you never want to make when you are travelling overseas. A friend of mine who has just returned to Bali via Bangkok had exactly that happen to him 48 hours ago.
He was staying in a cheap hotel in downtown Bangkok, sitting outside with some locals enjoying the Thai street food. One of the girls asked to try his soup and then said “Here you can have
some of mine,” tipping some into his bowl. He remembers going to his room and sleeping, then feeling drowsy the next morning. It wasn’t till he got to the airport he realized money, jewelry,
CD’s, electronic goods etc. had been taken. He’s lucky he still has his ticket and passport. You often hear this kind of thing in Bangkok and Manila. One Aussie told me how he accepted a drink of orange juice in Manila and awoke in a hospital bed, after being found with his legs sticking out of a paddy field.
What does this have to do with Bali? Well fortunately we don’t have this problem though Indonesians have told me that on long distance buses people play this kind of game, robbing the sleeping person of their bags. Idul Fitri is the time to watch out as the thieves expect people to be carrying extra cash and goods.
Definitely a wake up call to be careful when travelling. If Thailand puts you off, come to Bali where its safer.
