Taxi Driver Returns 145,000 Baht To American Passenger
By Khaosod English


A taxi driver in Bangkok returned jewelry and cash worth more than 145,000 baht to an American man who left the items in his car yesterday. 24 Sept 2014.

BANGKOK — A taxi driver in Bangkok has returned jewelry and cash worth more than 145,000 baht to an American man who left the items in his car yesterday.

Steven Hanson, 47, reported to Lumpini police yesterday that he accidentally left behind bags of jewelry in the taxi he hailed from Charoen Krung Road to JW Marriot Hotel.

Mr. Hanson, who is a jewelry trader, got out of the taxi near Ploenchit Tollway entrance because the driver took a wrong turn, but only realised later that he left his belongings in the car.

Full story: http://www.khaosodenglish.com/detail.php?newsid=1411554616


-- Khaosod English 2014-09-24

I'm stumped. I can't find anything cynical to say.

Mr. Hanson, who is a jewelry trader,...

And a forgetful jewelry trader.

Very nice! Let's put this taxi driver on the cover of Bangkok Post as positive reinforcement for being an outstanding citizen. Bravo!

(a tip would be nice too!)

TAT is getting repetitious with these stories, there's one every few weeks, perhaps give it a rest to gain some sort of credibility. I mean, if only tourists leaving valuables in cabs was a major problem..

hope he was given a huge tip for being honest

I'm stumped. I can't find anything cynical to say.

I am very impressed no Samurai sword this time....

how about that ?

TAT is getting repetitious with these stories, there's one every few weeks, perhaps give it a rest to gain some sort of credibility. I mean, if only tourists leaving valuables in cabs was a major problem..

Don't be so cynical, just yesterday a one legged taxi driver in Chiang Mai returned an entire portion of Phad Thai to a hungry rider who left their food in the taxi. And didn't even accept a tip of 1 baht offered by the passenger.

Man I never read these kind of stories in the USA. There sure seems to be a lot of forgetful tourists in Thailand. Seems like every week this is in the news.

TAT is getting repetitious with these stories, there's one every few weeks, perhaps give it a rest to gain some sort of credibility. I mean, if only tourists leaving valuables in cabs was a major problem..

Sigh even with a good news story like this some TV members still can't help themselves in slagging Thailand off in some way.

I trust you realize that this forum is read by the Thai authorities? It's no wonder they want some of the long term stayers out when they read comments like yours.

TAT is getting repetitious with these stories, there's one every few weeks, perhaps give it a rest to gain some sort of credibility. I mean, if only tourists leaving valuables in cabs was a major problem..

Sigh even with a good news story like this some TV members still can't help themselves in slagging Thailand off in some way.

I trust you realize that this forum is read by the Thai authorities? It's no wonder they want some of the long term stayers out when they read comments like yours.

If you were but to read any of my posts or my profile you would understand that I am one of the very last people to slag off Thailand. That having been said, posters such as FH accuse me repeatedly of being a "Thai Apologist"!

What neither one of you seems to understand is that there are many many posters here who have extended experience of life in Thailand (ten or fifteen years plus) and who can see things slightly more differently and accurately from the dimwits who come here on holiday and make casual observations and understand sweet <deleted> all about the things they see and read here.

Nice positive news article -- surely to be followed by numerous negative comments and spins.

TAT is getting repetitious with these stories, there's one every few weeks, perhaps give it a rest to gain some sort of credibility. I mean, if only tourists leaving valuables in cabs was a major problem..

Sigh even with a good news story like this some TV members still can't help themselves in slagging Thailand off in some way.

I trust you realize that this forum is read by the Thai authorities? It's no wonder they want some of the long term stayers out when they read comments like yours.

If you were but to read any of my posts or my profile you would understand that I am one of the very last people to slag off Thailand. That having been said, posters such as FH accuse me repeatedly of being a "Thai Apologist"!

What neither one of you seems to understand is that there are many many posters here who have extended experience of life in Thailand (ten or fifteen years plus) and who can see things slightly more differently and accurately from the dimwits who come here on holiday and make casual observations and understand sweet <deleted> all about the things they see and read here.

9 years here for me, not sure if this still classes me as a holiday maker or casual observationist or not?

The fact remains that this is a good news story about a honest cabbie, why try and ruin it?

Nice positive news article -- surely to be followed by numerous negative comments and spins.

Well let me reinforce the point, I, like many other long term residents have read at least six of these stories this year mentioning everywhere from Phuket through Pattaya to Bangkok and beyond and it's always the same theme, a little variety wouldn't hurt the marketing efforts.

TAT is getting repetitious with these stories, there's one every few weeks, perhaps give it a rest to gain some sort of credibility. I mean, if only tourists leaving valuables in cabs was a major problem..

Sigh even with a good news story like this some TV members still can't help themselves in slagging Thailand off in some way.

I trust you realize that this forum is read by the Thai authorities? It's no wonder they want some of the long term stayers out when they read comments like yours.

If you were but to read any of my posts or my profile you would understand that I am one of the very last people to slag off Thailand. That having been said, posters such as FH accuse me repeatedly of being a "Thai Apologist"!

What neither one of you seems to understand is that there are many many posters here who have extended experience of life in Thailand (ten or fifteen years plus) and who can see things slightly more differently and accurately from the dimwits who come here on holiday and make casual observations and understand sweet <deleted> all about the things they see and read here.

9 years here for me, not sure if this still classes me as a holiday maker or casual observationist or not?

The fact remains that this is a good news story about a honest cabbie, why try and ruin it?

If that is true Darren that you've been here that long and that your read the various papers on a daily basis, you don't need me to remind you of what the newspapers have written because you will already be aware.

Nice positive news article -- surely to be followed by numerous negative comments and spins.

Well let me reinforce the point, I, like many other long term residents have read at least six of these stories this year mentioning everywhere from Phuket through Pattaya to Bangkok and beyond and it's always the same theme, a little variety wouldn't hurt the marketing efforts.

As I said.

Nice positive news article -- surely to be followed by numerous negative comments and spins.

Well let me reinforce the point, I, like many other long term residents have read at least six of these stories this year mentioning everywhere from Phuket through Pattaya to Bangkok and beyond and it's always the same theme, a little variety wouldn't hurt the marketing efforts.

As I said.

You could do a Google search the same as I could, here, start learning:

https://www.google.co.th/search?q=newspaper+reports+thailand+taxi+driver+returns+money&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&channel=sb&gws_rd=cr&ei=3cIiVNnjHYzhuQSz24AI#rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&channel=sb&q=taxi+driver+returns+baht+thailand

Nice positive news article -- surely to be followed by numerous negative comments and spins.

Well let me reinforce the point, I, like many other long term residents have read at least six of these stories this year mentioning everywhere from Phuket through Pattaya to Bangkok and beyond and it's always the same theme, a little variety wouldn't hurt the marketing efforts.

As I said.

You could do a Google search the same as I could, here, start learning:

https://www.google.co.th/search?q=newspaper+reports+thailand+taxi+driver+returns+money&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&channel=sb&gws_rd=cr&ei=3cIiVNnjHYzhuQSz24AI#rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&channel=sb&q=taxi+driver+returns+baht+thailand

Start learning what? That sometimes people leave valuables in Taxis and sometimes people find and return them??!?!??

Does this make you suspicious or skeptical or is it bored? Regardless, seems to be a reflection of you not this positive news story.

As I said.

You could do a Google search the same as I could, here, start learning:

https://www.google.co.th/search?q=newspaper+reports+thailand+taxi+driver+returns+money&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&channel=sb&gws_rd=cr&ei=3cIiVNnjHYzhuQSz24AI#rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&channel=sb&q=taxi+driver+returns+baht+thailand

Start learning what? That sometimes people leave valuables in Taxis and sometimes people find and return them??!?!??

And every time they get reported in the national press, get real!

Man I never read these kind of stories in the USA. There sure seems to be a lot of forgetful tourists in Thailand. Seems like every week this is in the news.

But i bet you are not bombarded with the "eye candy" in the USA, that we see here in Thailand. And they are'nt all fat either, so its easy to have a forgetful moment here. You should come and see for yourself.

hope he was given a huge tip for being honest

You mean like the Myanmar worker in the restaurant who found a bag customers had left, who he tried to chase down but was too late. He then gve the bag to his boss, who opened it and found 1 Million Baht in cash. Little later 60 something Thai man and wife, business people, show up looking for bag, and out of "gratitude" gave the worker a whopping 1,000 baht tip of thanks! Cheap, tight wad Bas***ds!

TAT is getting repetitious with these stories, there's one every few weeks, perhaps give it a rest to gain some sort of credibility. I mean, if only tourists leaving valuables in cabs was a major problem..

Sigh even with a good news story like this some TV members still can't help themselves in slagging Thailand off in some way.

I trust you realize that this forum is read by the Thai authorities? It's no wonder they want some of the long term stayers out when they read comments like yours.

I agree with you. I've lived and worked here nearly 19 years so I'm not a tourist by any stretch of the imagination. But, by God, I get so bored of the negativity on this forum. It really is tiresome and actually quite sad.

So how does the media find out?

Re: so how do the media find out?

The Bangkok taxi radio/dispatcher service. When you lose something big and contact them to track it down (as anyone in the know or police will direct you so to do) and the taxi driver does the homset thing and reports in, both you and the driver are invited into their office and "put on air" and photographed like in the article as encouragement to other drivers to be honest. I assume that the press are somehow linked into that service for bigger finds.

How do I know? Last year I lost 30k baht cash plus all my cards, camera, phones and keys - about 60k worth (all in my 'man-bag') and would have been loads of hassle to replace cards and keys. Honest guys deserve a decent reward and I was just hugely relieved for the non-cash effects would have been horrible. I gave 25k, but had to almost physically force it on the driver.

So now you know, TAT do not invent these stories in case anyone is wondering.

Lost my wallet twice since I have been here, both times it was returned to me full (and had a fair bit of cash in). Also, I have never had anything stolen from my, house, car or anywhere, a better success rate than I would expect in the UK. However, when things do go wrong here, they seem to go horribly wrong very quickly.

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Very nice! Let's put this taxi driver on the cover of Bangkok Post as positive reinforcement for being an outstanding citizen. Bravo!

(a tip would be nice too!)

Americans tip. Even though it sounds like this cabbie didn't get him to his destination I'm betting the guy provided at least a modest tip. Will further guess he gave him a reward for his good deed.

Really great news. Great man.

I hope this American amigo gave to driver a huge amount.

Too many stories of honest people to mention but the most recent was I went to a restaurant with some friends Monday and when we walked in my wife was almost immediately handed an envelope with about 750 baht in it. We had previously stopped by the restaurant a couple weeks ago for a very quick bite on our way home and when we paid the bill we left before the waitress came back with the change.

Lots of very honest people around and they do things like this because it is the right thing and not because they are looking for a reward. Sadly this is a concept some cannot grasp.

Actually - this past weekend we were in Hui Hin and stopped in another restaurant and after ordering found out they were out of what my wife ordered and we decided to leave and go somewhere else. My wife left her sunglasses on the table which was way in the back from the street because it was over the water. Anyway, a block and a half away after leaving she gets a tap on the shoulder with the waitress semi out of breath waiving her glasses at her. I forget what they cost but they were name brand not cheap.

Which reminds me too of a similar thing happening two weeks ago in Koh Samet and me leaving a compact camera at the table and the waiter chasing us down after we left. Sadly it was an under water camera but needs to have the battery compartment fully closed while underwater and later that day it opened while in the ocean.

While we all do things wrong in life, the idea is to try to act on those instincts to do right. A few months ago I left a 7-11 near our place without paying for some items and when I realized, I went back and paid. The thought occurred to me screw it, they are 7-11 and won't miss my 100 baht or whatever it was. But I did the right thing and went back and paid. Might be a huge corporation but I know the workers there and they treat me good and they laughed I forgot to pay but were not surprised I came back as they have always allowed me to take items when I forget my money or am short and need to run back to the room.

Life just seems to be a better place when we try to treat others as we want to be treated ... and probably better if the wife and I were not so forgetful.

Bottom line is people focus on the negative be it the news or much of the population. So there are tons of stories of bad experiences with Taxi drivers even though the vast majority of rides involve an honest ride at an honest price by a hard working driving trying to support himself and his family. So, it is good to be reminded of that there are some very honest drivers out there who won't take advantage of an easy opportunity to financially better their life over because somebody has made a mistake.