Phuket black taxi driver returns forgotten purse
Eakkapop Thongtub


Taxi driver Somkriet Wonakonoi (white shirt) hands the purse back to Kim Hye Rin.

PHUKET: -- A black taxi driver operating from the Suriyadet Circle area in Phuket Town yesterday (August 26) went some way towards redressing the reputation of his calling, when he returned a purse and contents to a customer who had left it in his cab.

Somkriet Wonkaonoi of Cherngtalay picked up 28-year-old South Korean tourist Kim Hye Rin and her family at about midday and drove them to various places before finally dropping them at Jungceylon in Patong.

Later, he spotted the purse and, at 8pm, turned it in to Kathu Police.

Miss Kim was delighted to get the purse back. “We’re here as tourists,” she explained. “We used Mr Somkriet’s taxi service to travel around Phuket from noon until we got out at Jungceylon.

“Later I realised I had left my purse in the taxi. I thought I would never see it again, so I’m very happy it’s been returned.

“I and my family greatly appreciate the driver’s honesty in returning the purse. This is a fine thing to do; it’s good for his reputation and for that of Phuket.”

Source: http://www.thephuketnews.com/phuket-black-taxi-driver-returns-forgotten-purse-41588.php


-- Phuket News 2013-08-27

Was the driver then fined 2000 baht by police for acting as a "black taxi?"

How dare he attempt to restore our faith in the humanity of Phuket taxi drivers!!!

It's a scandal, an outrage, I demand an inquiry!!!

This is a fine thing to do; it’s good for his reputation and for that of Phuket

Yes Phuket needs that kind of stories to rebuild a terrible reputation.

Good gesture.

But why Thai policemen wants to be photographed always in whatsoever case may be. I have never seen in most of the countries like this. ????

Good gesture.

But why Thai policemen wants to be photographed always in whatsoever case may be. I have never seen in most of the countries like this. ????

.

Bcuz they are hansum man?

It's really absurd.

Nice headline! If he is a "black taxi driver" then what is this guy?

Another shocking example of those criminal black taxi drivers and how they ignore the rules and regulations of the legal taxi mafia!!!! Off with his head!

It's about time they did some PR work! The reputation of the black taxi mafia is at an all time low.

What black taxi mafia? The taxi mafia are the ones that are registered !! e.g. tuk tuk's

It's Guitar Shorty from Chicago!

Nice headline! If he is a "black taxi driver" then what is this guy?

It's about time they did some PR work! The reputation of the black taxi mafia is at an all time low.

I'm more concerned about the white taxi mafia. :)

Another shocking example of those criminal black taxi drivers and how they ignore the rules and regulations of the legal taxi mafia!!!! Off with his head!

I am a bit confused here, when the colour black is mentioned, is it the colour of the Taxi or the colour of the driver?

Another shocking example of those criminal black taxi drivers and how they ignore the rules and regulations of the legal taxi mafia!!!! Off with his head!

I am a bit confused here, when the colour black is mentioned, is it the colour of the Taxi or the colour of the driver?

It's the "colour" of the money that isn't going to certain "influential people" here. :) :)

What black taxi mafia? The taxi mafia are the ones that are registered !! e.g. tuk tuk's

Exactly. The black taxis are the nice guys that undercut the licensed taxis. The latter are the ones with the biggest rip off. Both have good and bad people in their ranks

How dare he attempt to restore our faith in the humanity of Phuket taxi drivers!!!

It's a scandal, an outrage, I demand an inquiry!!!

Also more picture of police officers....what a mess for a purse and a few box inside.

Synicism from others apart, well done the Taxi Driver. Once left my wallet with thousands of baht in it at a market stall. Returned a couple of hours later to be summoned by the Stall Holder who returned said wallet, including contents and refused a reward for being so honest and kind. Contrary to many uncomplimentary remarks one reads on TV, there are many good Thai People - sure there are the rogues and thieves, but hey have a trip round London!

I wonder if this would have happened if the tuk tuk organizations weren't currently under the microscope.

Hopefully his peers will follow his lead.

Synicism from others apart, well done the Taxi Driver. Once left my wallet with thousands of baht in it at a market stall. Returned a couple of hours later to be summoned by the Stall Holder who returned said wallet, including contents and refused a reward for being so honest and kind. Contrary to many uncomplimentary remarks one reads on TV, there are many good Thai People - sure there are the rogues and thieves, but hey have a trip round London!

good reply, i have been comming here for 5 years (retiring here in 2)and yet to encounter the dishonest ones ( but my day in the sun will most likely happen) until then?

I feel like i have stuck my fingers in a plug socket

Synicism from others apart, well done the Taxi Driver. Once left my wallet with thousands of baht in it at a market stall. Returned a couple of hours later to be summoned by the Stall Holder who returned said wallet, including contents and refused a reward for being so honest and kind. Contrary to many uncomplimentary remarks one reads on TV, there are many good Thai People - sure there are the rogues and thieves, but hey have a trip round London!

good reply, i have been comming here for 5 years (retiring here in 2)and yet to encounter the dishonest ones ( but my day in the sun will most likely happen) until then?

Ahhhh, it's the "system" that is dishonest, boardering on criminal - not the individual driver, who is just a pawn of the "influential people" who control transport here and make huge money out of it by running it as a monopoly.

So, whether you believe it, or not, you have been ripped off, that is to say, money has been obtained from you dishonestly, or unethically, when you have used transport here.

Just compare the prices here to elsewhere in Thailand, also, notice there are no proper metered taxis on this "world class tourist destination island."

How dare he attempt to restore our faith in the humanity of Phuket taxi drivers!!!

It's a scandal, an outrage, I demand an inquiry!!!

We need a crackdown on this kind of behaviour.

The statement here by thai authorities is:

Our taxi drivers are just about all crooks, so it is worth it to publish this "exception"....

It's Guitar Shorty from Chicago!

Nice headline! If he is a "black taxi driver" then what is this guy?

A black driving a yellow taxi, obviously

Good gesture.

But why Thai policemen wants to be photographed always in whatsoever case may be. I have never seen in most of the countries like this. ????

Yes. What the heck do the policemen have to do with it? Well, if I were them I wouldn't shrug my shoulders at a positive photo op either.

"Taxi driver Somkriet Wonakonoi (white shirt) hands the purse back to Kim Hye Rin"

Lucky they made that clear. I could have believed that the taxi driver was one of the guys wearing a brown shirt...