Do M/bike helmets get stolen often?

[Gus]

For my forthcoming trip I am considering hiring a 50cc Honda Wave or similar, do Helmets get stolen very often if you leave the helmet in the front basket, whilst say parking near to the Tourist police box when visiting the beach?
I realise on some bikes the helmet can be stored under the seat.
TIA

[littlebird]

Never heard of one being nicked but I suppose if you have a real fancy expenive one there is always the risk

[leoedgar]

I always leave our two helmets on the bike wherever we are parking. After 6 months, I got one stolen at Market village, not fancy, cost 200 for a new one.

[poosmate]

My Daughter had a 600 Baht helmet stolen at market village recently. Now locks the replacement to the bike.

[PeteC]

Market Village seems to be a hot spot? Perhaps someone with time could sit and watch for an hour or so after putting out a bait helmet. It could be organized with them knowing this is the place many farangs and/or their wife show up daily, and they usually have the better helmets. You actually could find them for sale again in some weekly market. Pete

EDIT: Then you could try and see if the citizen's arrest procedure works.

[Homer]

Had my 900b Japanese helmet stolen at Market Village about 6 months ago. Thief cut the D-ring strap that was on the post under the seat. Now I always put the helmet in the underseat storage.

[dozer]

I only use good quality helmets; after all we have only got one head. If I can’t store them under the seat, then I carry them with me and it really is not a hassle.
If you go for a 200Baht one then it is not really worth worrying about, if it gets stolen it just means you may have to ride without a helmet until you can buy another one..

[Spitfire]

If it's a cheap crappy plastic one then don't worry as they are almost not worth nicking, if a decent one then carry it around with you as lot of thieves around. I too, had the cord connecting to the D ring sliced with a razor to free the helmet from the bike.

[Gus]

Thanks for the input guys, I am afraid that I am going to be a Cheap Charlie if I have a bike, and have a 200 baht one.
I will be staying at Jings and just going to near the Tourist police box for a day at the beach, it will not be used at night.
In the past I have always walked via the Chinese temple but my hip is playing up so not sure that I will be good for walking this year.
As you state, they probably wont bother nicking a 200 one.

[usual suspect]

There's a pattern here..all the helmets seem to go missing at MV..& somehow it is the only place in HH that I lock my UK-bought helmet to the bike..any other time in town it just sits on the mirror-arm..lazy-mans helmet-perch.
Maybe my helmet looks to big for them so they leave it be..? Possibly with being matt-black it's not shiny enuf for them..? maybe it looks to second-hand for them..?

[STEVE G]

Thanks for the input guys, I am afraid that I am going to be a Cheap Charlie if I have a bike, and have a 200 baht one.
I will be staying at Jings and just going to near the Tourist police box for a day at the beach, it will not be used at night.
In the past I have always walked via the Chinese temple but my hip is playing up so not sure that I will be good for walking this year.
As you state, they probably wont bother nicking a 200 one.

Just to point out that generally places that rent out bikes will give you a helmet as well if you ask for it and it'll be a cheap one anyway. When you leave the bike, you hook a ring on the helmet to a spigot under the edge of the seat which then locks. Obviously that ring can be cut as pointed out above, but we've only ever had cheap helmets stolen out of the basket, not cut off the seat.
If it does get stolen, just go and but another cheap one for when you return the bike but it's not very likely.

[charlesh]

Your lucky they don't steal the bike as well!