Pickpockets, Hong Kong

Always keep your eyes and ears open,
there are a lot of people bumping into each other,
anyone can do it, women, children,
the elderly, not just the common guy.
Also some of the back streets in Tsim Tsa Tsua East
and Monkok can be a bit dodgy after 2am
sometimes.
I was once in a club run by the Triads and wandered
to the back of the club looking for a toilet, I went to
enter a room behind a red thick curtain and 2
tatooed mean looking guys grabbed me and
turned me around. I almost walked into a K14 triad

meeting
my off duty border guard friend told me.

The night markets are VERY crowded. Be ware of pickpockets... there are supposed to be quite a few of them. But the usual cautions you'd take on a trip is probably good enough. Otherwise, Hong Kong is VERY safe, as long as you don't get into debt and trouble with the local "authorities", of course.

Hong Kong crime rate is comparatively low to other Asian countries. Violent crime generally stays within local criminal community. However, Travellers should always exercise common sense in every situation. Avoid walking through small alleys and be alert of your valuables in crowed places. Exchange your money in official moneychangers, banks offer better exchange rates.

My friend's handphone was pickpocketed while walking on the way from Sogo to Times Square.

She was carrying a haversack and her handphone was in the side pocket. When found, the zip of the side pocket was open and the handphone missing.

Although we heard much about Hong Kong's pickpockets, it is still quite alarming when it happens to you. Especially the loss of all the contact information.

So it pays to be careful. If you must carry a haversack, do be carefull while walking along busy streets.

Be aware of pick pockets in crowded areas. Such as the MTR and be careful to not display your money or where you keep it when paying for items such as in the street markets of Mong Kok. A money belt is a good suggestion for men and women.

Though Hong Kong is a very safe city, there are still many pickpockets in the city. They would pickpocket in any situation, including quiet streets or even crowded places, so always make sure that your valuables are in a safe place.

i guess the problem of pickpockets is not very serious here. as a local, i have never been pickpocket (touch wood!!)
but if you go to Mongkok or some crowded places, beware of your belongings, especially the backpack.

most travelers will travel the mainland china after/before going to hong kong, they must be very very very careful of the pickpockets and robbery. most chinese go to the other city to find the job or else, so they won't belong to that region. it means that they will do everything possible to get money or protect themselves.

Hong Kong is a crowded city, at times there are professional pickpocketers targetting tourists. So if you bring a lot of cash to HK, do get a safe box at the hotel or you may want to open an account with Hong Kong & Shanghai Bank (pictured here). This is one of the biggest bank in the world & has an excellent reputation & service. You can actually opt for a multi-currency account if you plan to come to HK often. A tour of the state of the art building proves to be very interesting too!

Pictured here is the Hong Kong & Shanghai Bank built from 1979-86. 139 modules for technology & installations are fitted externally to the building, which is supported by 8 masts. The high-tech design is the bank's trademark & also symbolic of the economic power of HK, which is based on the production of electronic parts.