Honest Phuket Van Driver Returns Bt120,000

[webfact]

Honest Phuket van driver returns B120,000

Tanyaluk Sakoot

24-year old van driver Sarawut Sompan.

PHUKET: -- A 24-year old van driver Sarawut Sompan is being praised for his honesty after he handed in around B132,000 worth of cash belonging to an Indonesian official.

Mr Sarawut handed in the money to the Mayor of Chalong, Samran Jindapon.

He explained to media this morning (February 1) how he ended up with the bag full of cash.

“I was driving the van, carrying Indonesian tourists from Phuket City to Phuket International Airport last night (January 31). They had lots of baggage,” he said.

newsjs

He explained how he drove back home after he dropped them off, then started to clean the inside of his van.

“I found a bag with “King Power” on it, and there was money inside. Inside, there was Thai baht totalling B120,000, US$400 in cash, and two banking books from the Bankg o Ayudhya and Siam Commercial Bank.”

Not knowing what to do, he called his local mayor, Mr Samran, explaining that he would like the money to be returned to the owner, and could he help.

Today Mr Samran will transfer the money back to the owner, who was found by details included in the banking books. He is an Indonesian official who was on holiday in Phuket when he left his bag behind.

Mr Samran said, “Mr Sarawut is a good man, because he returned the money. The owner would like to thank him by giving him B3,000, but Mr Sarawut accepted only B2,000.

“He said, ‘This is enough for me’.”

Source: http://www.thephuket...0-000-36772.php

-- The Phuket news 2013-02-02

[Locationthailand]

There is hope for Thailand... the simple folk with ethics far outweigh the greed of the politicians.

[webfact]

Phuket van driver rewarded for returning tourist's lost B124k

Phuket Gazette

PHUKET: -- A Phuket tour driver has received high praise from the governor for returning 124,000 baht that an Indonesian tourist left behind in his tour van.

Sarawut Sompan, 24, works for the Sai Lom Club van team in Chalong. On Thursday night, he picked up two tourists, Indonesian and Thai, at the Phuket Merlin Hotel in Phuket Town and took them to Phuket International Airport.

“After sending them off at the airport, I drove back home,” Mr Sarawut said.

“When I arrived home and cleaned the van, I noticed a King Power Duty Free bag on the passenger front seat, so I opened it and found US$433 and two bankbooks inside.

“I called my friend who had the contact number of the two tourists and called them. They were about to board their plane so I couldn’t return the money to them. They asked me to transfer the money to them later,” he said.

The money belonged to the Indonesian tourist, who offered the van driver a reward of 3,000 baht for returning the money.

“I accepted only 2,000 baht,” Mr Sarawut said.

Mr Sarawut has been praised by both Phuket Governor Maitri Inthusut and Chalong Mayor Samran Jindaphol, who awarded him with a certificate.

Gov Maitri, who also plans to give him a certificate, described Mr Sarawut as “a good person who is a good model for Phuket.”

Source: http://www.phuketgaz...124k-20120.html

-- Phuket Gazette 2013-02-02

[cup-O-coffee]

Something good from Phuket? I guess even the Devil has his good days.

[JetsetBkk]

Gov Maitri, who also plans to give him a certificate, described Mr Sarawut as “a good person who is a good model for Phuket.”

Good on yer, Gov! (Desperately trying to publicise something good happening in Phuket to outweigh all the crap.)

[prestburypark]

Fair play mate .

[RigPig]

So how much was it? $400 or 120,000 Baht? 120,000 / 30 = $4000.........

[fire and ice]

Notice how he is a van driver not a tuk-tuk driver.

[tigermonkey]

So how much was it? $400 or 120,000 Baht? 120,000 / 30 = $4000.........

I don't know whether you should try reading the OP thoroughly, or perhaps try reading it before consuming your daily quota of beer. It says " Thai baht totalling B120,000, US$400 in cash, and two banking books" - that means Baht 120,000 plus $400 ( Baht 12,000) plus two banking books, which means Baht 132,000 plus 2 banking books.

In any case, kudos to the young van driver -- I presume he is a new arrival in Phuket.

[XpatMike]

Even when a Thai does something decent someone has to put a ''But''! He did the proper and decent thing - thanks and well done, is all that is required!

[LivinginKata]

Even when a Thai does something decent someone has to put a ''But''! He did the proper and decent thing - thanks and well done, is all that is required!

I agree. Well done.

[COXYATCITY]

So how much was it? $400 or 120,000 Baht? 120,000 / 30 = $4000.........

should be U.S, As at the old airport. it stated on the walls before you check in ,that no more than 50,000 baht is to be taken out in cash, unless you have permission from the Thai something,, ?? some of you will know,,,anyway well done to the lad who came forward you did the right thing.how many taxi mafia shit are talking about this and are gutted

[Card]

"Thai baht totalling B120,000, US$400 in cash, and two banking books from the Bankg o Ayudhya and Siam Commercial Bank.”

I am not doubting this guy at all - he really is genuine in my mind - certainly infinitely more than that taxi driver in BKK a few weeks ago who found an ATM box on the road, took it home and returned it the next day. But I don't understand why he took all these details - he must have counted out all the notes and cash and remembered the bank names etc. Why didn't he just return the whole bag without making a detailed inspection unless he was making sure whoever he handed it to didn't take part of the stash. And why did he hand it directly to the mayor and not the police?

[Ajaan]

"Thai baht totalling B120,000, US$400 in cash, and two banking books from the Bankg o Ayudhya and Siam Commercial Bank.”

I am not doubting this guy at all - he really is genuine in my mind - certainly infinitely more than that taxi driver in BKK a few weeks ago who found an ATM box on the road, took it home and returned it the next day. But I don't understand why he took all these details - he must have counted out all the notes and cash and remembered the bank names etc. Why didn't he just return the whole bag without making a detailed inspection unless he was making sure whoever he handed it to didn't take part of the stash. And why did he hand it directly to the mayor and not the police?

you are answering your own question! he didn't give it to the cops because he didn't want any of it to"disappear"!!

Sent from my spaceship.

[lungmi]

In a Buddhist country you have someone who respects the Teaching of the Buddha and acts following the precepts (not take what is not given to you with consent)

has an award for this?

I admire him.

Refusing the award because he follows his duty as Buddhist, no one can asks him..... but the award people have to answer themselves.

[lungmi]

What must be normal in a Buddhist country to be awarded?

OK. Phuket, Pattaya and some other parts of Thailand are not Thailand. International law of international gangster syndicates, we have everywhere in the world.

But we have the old good Siam. A melting pot of different ethnies, cultures, languages......... and the Teaching of th Buddha.

This van driver is part of this.

[FarangTalk]

The fact that honesty where money is concerned makes the news in Thailand speaks volumes.

[brianP]

Well, well,,,,an act of random kindness and honesty, and no way to critique or bash the Thais. The bashers must be bummed. I had a similar honest Thai incident and i prefer to defend the Thailand and Thai's, as they are my friends and neighbors and i am a permanent guest of theirs and their country. I would rather put my efforts into building and protecting Thailand ,rather then the boring task of trying to tear it down verbally. Ye who came from a perfect and total moral Country, please inform the world of it,oh and why are you away from the Nirvana and over HERE??????

[Kananga]

If only it was a Russian official and not an Indonesian one. That would have had the tuk tuk mob twitching...

[bigdod]

Yeah, hats off to the guy - nice one

Being honest, how many of you would have rubbed your hands and added it to the pension/beer fund..?? Generally speaking, I kind of get the impression that it's a global problem these days where genuine respect & honesty are the exception rather than the rule - not only a Thai one, and given that it was probably the equivalent of at least 6 months of his salary - if not more - says even more about the lad.

Any chance of him getting into politics...???

[Konini]

I think it's rather sad that this has only had 19 comments. There really are more good than bad people in the world.

For the record, I would have handed it back.

[Cuban]

The cynic in me wonders if the driver thought it was Phuket Mafia money and feared a hit if he kept it!

Maybe why it took it to the person he did?