Close shave: Jamie Chua claims her Birkin almost got stolen in Paris

While Paris is a beautiful city, it's notorious for its pickpockets and thieves.

In fact, just last year, the home of former actress and TV host Sharon Au was burglarised.  

Unfortunately, Sharon Au's good friend, socialite Jamie Chua, had a close shave herself during a recent holiday to Paris. 

Jamie and her boyfriend Terence Koh visited the city to celebrate Terence's birthday, and they documented the trip in a YouTube video on Saturday (Oct 28). 

They had been dining at a restaurant when they spotted a woman behaving suspiciously. 

"She pretended that she didn't speak English. She was seated next to us and she kept looking at Jamie and she was fidgeting," Terence recounted, adding that the woman asked Jamie what she should order in French. 

Despite wanting food recommendations, Terence shared that the woman didn't order anything for almost an hour. 

She even changed tables so she could sit closer to them — and Jamie's bag. 

Later on, the couple left the restaurant for a moment, which was a move that could have gone very wrong. 

"When we went out for a while to get some fresh air, [Jamie's] bag was almost gone," said Terence. 

He explained that a friend of theirs who was still in the restaurant noticed that when Terence and Jamie had left, the woman had gotten up to pay and there was no one guarding Jamie's bag. 

Thankfully, when the couple came back to the table, the bag was still there. 

"It was definitely very suspicious and she didn't eat, she ordered something, the omelette came, and she just took off," he said. 

"Obviously, because there were just too many people in the restaurant looking at [the woman] and she just couldn't just take the bag and leave. But that was a very close shave." 

Terence also warned everyone to take caution when they travel to Paris. 

"So remember guys, in Paris, be very aware of your surroundings and your belongings, okay? That's a good lesson for you."  

In the comments, a shocked netizen asked Jamie why she had left her bag unattended in the restaurant. 

She also said that it wasn't even safe to leave a cheap Uniqlo bag lying around in Paris or London, let alone, a pricey Hermes. 

Another netizen shared about a similar encounter that they witnessed in Dublin. 

They also said that when travelling to Europe, one must "always be on guard". 

Though the incident was traumatising, Terence and Jamie went on to have a fulfilling trip. 

Apart from admiring art work at the Gardens of the Petit Palais, they also had some memorable meals at Jardin d'Hive and Akabeko Restaurant. 

They also celebrated Terence's birthday dinner at Le Meurice Alain Ducasse. 

So where's a good place to carry your Birkin? 

Despite Jamie's scare in Paris, there are some places she feels comfortable bringing her luxury bags to. 

One of them is Tokyo. 

She and Terence visited the city earlier in August and Jamie shared that she usually doesn't dare fly with her more expensive luxury bags. 

But in Japan, it's different because she feels it's a clean and safe place. 

Even Terence encouraged her to do so. 

"Just use it! If there is anywhere in the world that is safe for you to use your bags, it's Japan," he had told her before their trip. 

ALSO READ: Jamie Chua ends vacation with a Covid-19 scare

melissateo@asiaone.com