I've been hearing many stories of an increase in pick pocketing and general thieving here. Not surprising, it's always tourist season for a start, and there's been an economic downturn which makes the miscreants all the more active.

Here are a few tips to protect your valuables. Pickpockets will be most active in areas where you will be most active: temples, markets, public transport, shopping streets and malls and hotel lobbies. I.e. anywhere where there are lots of people who don't know their way around very well and are thus easily recognizable as visitors.

Pickpockets are clever. Their touch is honed to a delicacy of finger movement clumsy you and I can only dream of. This means you must keep your valuables away from those greedy fingers.

The rules are slightly different for men and women but some are applicable to both sexes. For everybody: If you carry all your valuables in a zip belt bag, be careful. Pickpockets and thieves can slice the belt at the back and make off with the goodies before you know it. Therefore always keep your hand on the bag if you can, or touch it reassuringly as often as possible.

If you use a hand-held bag to carry things in, wrap the strap several times round your fingers. This will foil snatchers and make your hand more sensitive to the activities of the clever thieves who can often razor open your bag without your knowing it.

For women, motorcycle thieves are a pest. They can snatch your jewelry from your neck or your bag from your hand and you will not be able to stop them. Don't wear gold jewelry round your neck or wrists for all to see.

Pickpockets can open your bag and steal things from it without your knowing. Internal zipped pockets are the best place to keep passports and valuable papers. And don't keep all your money in the bag. Always keep most of it in a safer place.

I keep large amounts of money in a plastic slip-bag in my sock, but if you don't wear socks then a bag which fits under your blouse and is connected to your neck by a strap hidden from view by the top of your blouse is the best bet.

For men: the back pocket is the worst place to keep your wallet or billfold. Even I could steal it and I'm the clumsiest man you could ever meet. It's a good idea to keep your wallet in your left-hand pocket, the one the pickpocket will be less likely to go for. And it's a good idea not to keep all your credit and charge cards and cash all in the same billfold.

Why not use my trick - the walk-around wallet with very little cash in it for daily dealings and to hand over to the crook who demands my money or my life, and two plastic slip bags in my socks to keep all the really valuable things in?

You don't wear socks? Okay, then use the zipped bag under your shirt with a strap hidden by your collar.

And a different area of possible villainy. Hotel safes. Not always safe. I have heard of valuables vanishing from the safe of one of the top five hotels here. But cheaper hotels are far more likely to represent a problem.

A system where guests' valuables are put into an envelope and kept all together in a locked drawer is hopelessly unsafe. Better to keep your valuables on your person. A locked individual safety box with an each-time sign-out, sign-in system is best.

There will be other systems depending on hotel grade. For example, a safe for everybody's valuables with a sign-in, sign-out envelope for each guest. Not perfect, but better than the carelessly locked drawer, so obvious to the predatory hotel employee temporarily short of funds.

Very important: passports and traveler’s cheques are valuable items to thieves! There are people here who will charge $750 dollars upwards for a recycled passport from a first-world country and thieves can make good use of stolen TCs. Guard yours very carefully indeed.

Lastly, and I make no apology for this, the least likely place a thief or pickpocket is likely to attack or approach is between your legs. This makes that area an excellent hiding place. Thus a belt which holds a receptacle which descends on a strap to that area is a good idea. If the belt is hidden under your sweater, then you have an even better safeguard.

And one more thing, if you are held up by a mugger, and this is unlikely in Thailand, I'm glad to say, just hand over something - anything - quickly. Then shout KAMOY-KAMOY at the top of your voice once he or she has run off. Thais have a very good quality, they don't like thieves, and they may catch him for you!

Bob Wilde is a freelance writer, teacher, translator, proofreader and report editor who has been living in and associated with Thailand for some 27 years. He welcomes comments on his articles and all aspects of living in the Kingdom.