Driver returns lost Bt200,000

[Lite Beer]

Driver returns lost Bt200,000
The Sunday Nation

CHIANG MAI: -- A public transport songtao driver in Chiang Mai has returned Bt200,000 to a Chinese tourist left behind in a bag on the vehicle.

In a ceremony organised by railway police at Chiang Mai Train Station yesterday, the 19-year-old tourist, Ms Dhu Xiao, was presented with the cash by the 54-year-old driver, Boonthawee Somdetch.

The money was left behind on Friday.

Xiao had arrived in Chiang Mai on a train and hired the songtao at the train station to take her to a hotel.

When she realised she had lost the bag, she asked railway police to locate the driver.

Boonthawee later contacted police to inform them he had the bag.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Driver-returns-lost-Bt200000-30238370.html

-- The Nation 2014-07-13

[ClutchClark]

How much did she give him for his honesty?

[chooka]

Good story. Why not just a pic with the tourist and driver? Who are all the other bloody people and what were their individual roles in this story?

Edited July 13, 2014 by chooka

[clockman]

Renewed my faith in Thai.

[mrtoad]

200,000 baht carrying around in a bag is truly idiotic really. I would certainly be taking more care of my bag if I had that sort of cash in it.

Good on the taxi driver, it's nice to see. It also proves there are still good people out there.

[Rimmer]

One overtly racist post has been removed, please see the following rule that you agreed to when you signed up to Thai Visa:

11) Do not post slurs, degrading or overly negative comments directed towards Thailand, specific locations, Thai institutions such as the judicial or law enforcement system, Thai culture, Thai people or any other group on the basis of race, nationality, religion, gender or sexual orientation.

[Oziex1]

Are these feel good stories for real, I don't doubt the honesty of the greater percentage of local people. I'm amazed at the bewildering negligence of these tourists and others who leave such amounts of money behind.

[Suradit69]

Are these feel good stories for real, I don't doubt the honesty of the greater percentage of local people. I'm amazed at the bewildering negligence of these tourists and others who leave such amounts of money behind.

"I'm amazed at the bewildering negligence..."

Xiao had arrived in Chiang Mai on a train and hired the songtao at the train station to take her to a hotel.

She's 19, could have had a lot of luggage and, if she's been on the go for a day or two, was probably dead tired.

If I had something very valuable with me I'd probably be especially conscious of where it was too, but on the other hand there have been a few times when I've arrived somewhere after a long sleepless flight and been careless too.

It's nice to see these stories that involve a lot of money and/or expensive belongings, but there are undoubtedly many similar incidents involving smaller amounts and similar acts of honesty & kindness that occur on a daily basis.

A couple of weeks ago I was standing at the check out at Friendship Supermarket and a Thai man behind me smiled and said " Here I give you Baht 4000," held the money out to me and he had an even bigger grin. While I was trying to figure out why he wanted to give me Baht 4000, he chuckled and said that I had dropped it when I took money out of my pocket to pay the cashier. Not worth a write up in a newspaper, but another example of how nice so many people are here ... despite what some people want to believe.

Edited July 13, 2014 by Suradit69

[NeilSA1]

I still don't understand, why was the "Chinese tourist left behind in a bag" Pleased the money was returned though....

[Aforek]

I don't understand how people can forget money somewhere ( 200000 bahts, much money! ) ; it can't hapen to me !

[thrilled]

If It would have been my money I would have given him 10-15% for finding it and getting it back to me

[poweratradio]

200,000 baht carrying around in a bag is truly idiotic really. I would certainly be taking more care of my bag if I had that sort of cash in it.

Good on the taxi driver, it's nice to see. It also proves there are still good people out there.

It is barely $5,000 dollars. Considering the cost of 3 to 5 stars these days in accommodation and restaurants and the fact you are usually allowed departure and arrival with $10,000 or more. Not to much to be carrying at all specially considering lack of chip technology on plastic here.

[SantiSuk]

Good story. Why not just a pic with the tourist and driver? Who are all the other bloody people and what were their individual roles in this story?

How do you think that the Chinese tourist found the driver?

There's usually a whole organisation of call-handlers and radio operators involved in a money recovery.

In my experience you are so pleased that the money actually was not lost to 'greedy taxi drivers' that you don't care if the organisation 'other bloody people' want to get involved in the publicity - which also encourages drivers to do the right thing

[35,000 baht plus camera plus all cards plus all keys returned to me in January this year by an honest Bangkok taxi driver]

[callaway]

poweratradio, where do you change money? love to get a piece of action where i can get 40 baht to the dollar. It equates to about $6600. Maybe you were thinking British pounds.

[socksy01]

Good story. Why not just a pic with the tourist and driver? Who are all the other bloody people and what were their individual roles in this story?

Who's the woman handing over the bag? The driver was a bloke - possibly the one in the red shirt with the ID card on he should have the photo opportunity without the hangers on.