Burglary yesterday afternoon.

[DawnHRD]

Yesterday afternoon I came back to my house at about 4:30pm to get changed for Dave's funeral ceremony. I had been meeting with an HHDRC volunteer to talk about possible options for the future.
As I came in, one of my dogs was barking ferociously at the back of the house, but thinking it just a cat, I told him to be quiet & called him to me.
As I entered the house (small bungalow with kitchen, bathroom & two bedrooms all arranged around the sitting room), I noticed my bedroom door was open - something I never do, because I don't like the dogs being in my bedroom, but I thought I must have accidentally left the door open. The room was a shambles, but, again I put it down to the dogs being in there & playing. I started to look for my perfume, but there were no bottles on my dresser. Thinking the dogs must have knocked the bottles down, I bent to look on the floor. As I did so, I noticed my jewellery box drawers had all been taken out & were completely empty.

I went to my son's room & found his window had been forced open (glass slats removed, bars somehow bent up & screen cut open). Directly under my son's window is a metal watertank. The thief had come from the adjoining property over the wall, straight onto the tank. His feet had never touched the ground, so despite the dogs barking ferociously at him, they had never been able to reach him. He was too high up.

All in all (at present guess) they've stolen my laptop computer & bag, nearly all of my jewellery, all of my dead BF's jewellery, which I had been saving for my son, my Grandfather's watch which was my only memento of him, my exes mother's engagement ring, some bits & pieces of my Mum's, my son's money box and other things, including all my perfume & some cash. They missed the digital camera which Barry had donated to HHDRC, but took the connection lead for it. They must have thought it necessary for the computer.

What really gets me is that I had virtually nothing of any value - only stuff that was important or sentimental to me. I'd already sold anything valuable that I wasn't too bothered about, to fund my son's school fees or the dog center. What was left was mementoes from those I loved that I can never get back or replace & that these SOB's will only get a couple of hundred baht for per item. My BF's funeral picture & ashes are in the living room. They must have seen it, as they were ransacking drawers & taking the computer. My son's money box was in front of a photo of him, me & his Dad & then another of just him & me. Doesn't take a genius to figure out the little boy has lost his Dad, but they still stole his money box with all of 300 bt in it.
My computer bag was next to an empty collection box with HHDRC's details in English & Thai on it. That & all the dogs, might be a clue as to what I do, but, mai bpen rai - steal from me, anyway.

Anyway, this isn't being posted just to vent. It's threefold.

Firstly, I'm sorry that this caused me to miss Dr Dave's service last night. I will be there this afternoon.

Secondly, no matter how safe you think you are from thieves (30 dogs & bars on the windows), you're not.

Thirdly, my computer had everything from the dog center on it. I'm lost without it. Everything's on there. I know it's a slim chance, but if anyone gets offered a Toshiba laptop with loads of dog stuff on it, it's mine & I'd appreciate its return. I know the drive will probably be wiped or replaced, but just in case.
Also, if anyone's coming through to HH from Northern England in the next few weeks & wouldn't mind carrying through my Mum's laptop for me, please let me know. Thanks.
_________________
"The question is not, can they reason? Nor, can they talk? But, can they suffer?" - Jeremy Bentham, philosopher, 1748-1832

Make a dog's life better, today! Find out how - go to www.headrockdogs.org

[richard]

Dawn

How terrible . Had a similar experience in a tiny village in Hampshire a few years ago where because my wife and family were visiting the IOW and I was in the states, they moved in and unloaded the lot including the loft. Insurance can make up for a lot but the memorabila hurts the most

Even in my quiet little soi off Naebkehard it is not safe. Our locks have been jemmied, dogs have been poisoned but the landlady living next door and one or two police around I guess we are luckier than most . Coincidentally there a number of buildings sites close by!!


Some advice to other members reading the forum, When we are away I take all our valuables with me. I hide my laptop in some most unusual places and bring out a dud one in it's place all linked up. If possible a get a relative or friend to come and live in. I take my back up hard drive with me.

If we are only out for a short spell I tell the landlady and also 2 reliable taxi drivers I've been using for years

Still no guarantee

Even heard of occurances where you are all locked up, bars on the windows and they come through the roof. I always sleep with a 3 iron by the bed

So sorry Dawn and particularly grim at this juncture where we are all mourning the loss of a good friend
_________________
Syd--------Shine on you crazy diamond
Freddie--- Love kills
If you've a problem don't moan. Find a solution!!

Khun Richard of Yorkshire (Halifax) and Hua Hin

[richard]

Another thought about the laptop and maybe I'm being stupid but the Technical guys may have a solution

If your laptop is being used on the net by someone else are there not methods of tracking it

A wild one I know
_________________
Syd--------Shine on you crazy diamond
Freddie--- Love kills
If you've a problem don't moan. Find a solution!!

Khun Richard of Yorkshire (Halifax) and Hua Hin

[sam]

Dawn we leave uk on 22/12 if that is any use to you.

We are about to complete on our house at xmas and will be leaving it unoccupied for six months at a time, is the burglary rate worse than the uk or have you been unlucky Dawn?

[DaveT]

Hi Dawn,

We haven't spoken directly, but I've read so many of your posts with great interest. Your work with the dogs has been fantastic and all credit to you.

I was so sorry to read about the burglary. It's an awful feeling that someone has been in the privacy of your own house. I do know what it's like - it happened to us in Camberley, Surrey about 12 years ago at 11 am on a Friday morning. As you say, it's not any monetary value that's the real issue, it's the sentimental value of all the items taken that can never be replaced. We had all our CD's, VHS recorders, jewellery (including my wedding ring), etc. stolen as you'd expect, but the item that really made me mad was they stole our video camera which had a tape in it of our 5 and 3 year old's at the time. Birthday parties, gymnastic competitions, my son playing for the school football team, etc. etc. Absolutely irreplaceable.

I'm coming to Thailand on Sunday and will be in HH on Nov 21. I'd be more than happy to bring the laptop if somehow it could be brought or sent to me in Norwich. Please PM me if that's of use to you and I'll give you all my details.

I'm a trustworthy sort - I know Johnny Walker well, so please feel free to ask him about me.

Best wishes and I'm happy to help if I can.

Dave Trumpess
_________________
Ipswich Town FC - pride of East Anglia

[yabz]

Dawn,

Sorry to hear about the burglary

Its surprising and disappointing that none of the dogs attacked the burglar...

[The understudy]

Hi There Mrs. Dawn

I'm so sorry for you thst you Laptop with yourImportant Information about the Dog center got stolen. I really hope your Laptop gets found somewhere @ one of the Computer shops here in Hua Hin. (I know the chances are rally slim but my Heart goes with ya.
One thing that really Bugs/Dissing me off is that those thugz never seem to get a Job or just lazy to do it, go around and stealing valueables from others then trying to get rid of it for little Money to get by day in day out. What a Life is that???

To Answer your question Richard there is a way to Track the Internet used by others than the ususal user, but only Hardcore Computer geeks good in cracking/ganing access into Thai ISP's and sllowly filtering out the signal or siganture of that particular PC or Laptop thereby finding out their Locatiom. I had a friend @ my old private Highschool that I went in the states he could do this kind of Hacking Job but haven't been in contact with him in a few Mliienias. Sorry that I con't help you out Dwan!!
!
Your's very saddend by this incident The understudy!!!
_________________
"I Feel Lonely You're the one and only that makes me feel so Blue,
I feel loney you're the one nad only that makes my dreams come true.
I'm having a dry spell (in Love) which til now lasted 7 years snd still ongoing.

[K2OWN]

Hello Dawn
So Sad To Hear Your Bad News and Of All The Days For It To Happen. I am Sure The Great Soul Master Would Have Had A Lot To Say. But I Know That It Is Not Much Comfort But No One Or Any Of The Dogs Got Physically Injured. Please Try To Keep Your Chin Up and In February We Will Have a Large Brandy In That Coffee . Please Take Care .

[DawnHRD]

Thanks, all. The dogs that were likely to have attacked the thief/thieves didn't get near him/them. They managed to keep off the ground at all times outside the house. The dogs inside the house are all timid things, and while they'll have made a hell of a noise, they wouldn't bite. They'd be too scared. Possibly one might have got a nip in, but that would have been all.
_________________
"The question is not, can they reason? Nor, can they talk? But, can they suffer?" - Jeremy Bentham, philosopher, 1748-1832

Make a dog's life better, today! Find out how - go to www.headrockdogs.org

[DawnHRD]

The police have arrested a guy for some of the burglaries that have been going on in HH. It looks like it might be the guy that burgled me. My helper was pretty certain that it was him (from a photo we were shown in the Police Station this morning) and he looked familiar to me, I may have seen him in the area. His MO was watching houses & noting the habits of the owners, when they went out, how long for etc & burgling the houses while the owners were out.

The police have recovered some electrical items. None of them was mine, but they've taken detailed descriptions of some of the things stolen from me and are going to look in pawnshops etc. If they find them, they may have more of a case on this guy, who is denying any wrongdoing.

If you've been burgled recently (in the last few weeks) while you were out, try going down to the police station with your police report. Who knows? The stuff they've recovered might be yours.
_________________
"The question is not, can they reason? Nor, can they talk? But, can they suffer?" - Jeremy Bentham, philosopher, 1748-1832

Make a dog's life better, today! Find out how - go to www.headrockdogs.org

[sargeant]

Glad to hear the MIB are catching somebody . and the best of luck in retrieving your possessions dawn
_________________
A Greatfull Guest of Thailand

[DawnHRD]

Thanks, Sarge.
_________________
"The question is not, can they reason? Nor, can they talk? But, can they suffer?" - Jeremy Bentham, philosopher, 1748-1832

Make a dog's life better, today! Find out how - go to www.headrockdogs.org