When 8days.sg reached out to Das via WhatsApp, the content creator told us that he did try tracking his phone when he reached his hotel.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was too far away by the time I got back to the hotel, and the thief had switched [my phone] off,\u201d he told us.<\/p>\n
After deactivating his iPhone, Das said he made a police report for insurance claims.<\/p>\n
But as with most things these days, there isn\u2019t much you can do without a phone, especially on a solo trip. He also didn\u2019t want to buy one in Bali as “the warranty will only apply in Bali if I buy an iPhone over there”, he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
This was a point of contention as some netizens commented that AppleCare is internationally recognised, though Das replied that it was what ChatGPT had told him.<\/p>\n
He also told 8days.sg that he was supposed to fly home via AirAsia on Sunday (Oct 12) at 3am, but after the incident, decided to cut the trip short. He booked a S$400 one-way Jetstar flight to fly home the day before.<\/p>\n
However, the hotel staff told Das that he would not make it as he needed to be at the airport two hours earlier.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd two hours from now is when the flight is going to take off, so I was quite stressed, and I decided to book a Go Bike. Thankfully, I didn\u2019t pack much, and the guy just put my bag in front of him, and I carried my haversack and made it to the airport,\u201d Das said, adding that he was stressed throughout.<\/p>\n
He also realised all his devices like his iPad and Apple Watch were out of battery, as in his panic, he had not charged any of them overnight.<\/p>\n
Thankfully, Das still managed to make it and board the flight.<\/p>\n
He told 8days.sg that despite the feeling of panic, he also felt oddly peaceful.<\/p>\n
\u201cI had no sense of time. I had no contact with anyone, and nobody I knew, even my mum, didn\u2019t know I was flying back because everything happened too quickly,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf I had told her (his mum) in advance that my phone got lost in a snatch theft, she would have been very worried, so I saved her the misery,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen the pilot said [upon landing in Singapore], ‘Ladies and gentlemen, we have now landed in Singapore Changi Airport. For those who are returning home, welcome home’ and that was like, wow. I love Singapore so much,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
As he still didn\u2019t have a phone, Das approached an information counter to call home and inform his mum.<\/p>\n
According to Das, she was very calm and glad that he was back in Singapore.<\/p>\n
\u201cI just told her, I got snatched, I lost my phone, and now I\u2019m in Singapore,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Upon getting back home, Das immediately went to buy an orange iPhone 17 Pro.<\/p>\n
He described the experience as harrowing, and he was filled with anxiety.<\/p>\n
So, will this traumatic experience put Das off from travelling to Bali in the near future? Not quite.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve been there a few times and nothing happened. It was just my bad luck, I guess,\u201d he told us.<\/p>\n
He also took the opportunity to post a separate TikTok, sharing\u00a0how to avoid a similar situation. However, he also added on hindsight, it may be very hard to prevent it.<\/p>\n
Among his tips: Taking a spare phone and SIM card along, and leaving it at the hotel.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you lose your Singapore SIM card, using WhatsApp will be very troublesome,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
He also encouraged his followers to buy travel insurance.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen my phone was snatched, I was only concerned for my safety. I wasn\u2019t too concerned about monetary loss,\u201d he said, reminding his followers to read the finer print as different polices may have differing terms and conditions.<\/p>\n
This story was originally published<\/a> in 8Days.<\/p>\n