Bangkok taxi driver returns THB2 million to Indonesian tourists

[Cranky]

I'm going to go straight out, hail a cab and leave a few grand on the back seat in a nice shiny bag with a card inside with my phone number and simply wait for it to be returned. Along with the flock of flying buffaloes left on the roof.

[happysanook]

Wait. What the heck are 3 tourists doing walking around with 2 million baht. If the story is legit, which I don't doubt... I know if I had even 10% of that much money walking around with it, I'd have something nefarious planned.

Edited November 6, 2014 by happysanook

[Thaimaishoe]

mmmmm . . . find 2,000,000 THB, returns it to owners and gets 5,000 THB "reward" . . . I wonder if he'll bother next time . . . ?

It's great that he's honest and fair, but honestly, those "tourists" are taking the piss with that reward!

Agree, though the money might not have been theirs.

2,000,000 baht is a lot of spending money.

I don't know about that... bar fines aren't getting any cheaper these days. Then there's all the vitamin V to keep up with the 22 yrold minxes ya just barfined...

[FiestyFarang]

5000Baht out of 2,000,000 is 0.25% even Visa/MasterCard charge 3 or four % so around 15 times what they gave. How insulting and mean of them but then maybe it was not their money. In most countries you could not bring in that amount of money legally. This is Thailand though where you can. I think the Taxi driver deserves much more than that. In might show other taxi drivers what is the point of being honest such a small tip.

[benw10]

a tourist can have that much cash in the country?

[Smurkster]

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a tourist can have that much cash in the country?

i'm surprised by some of these responses what you can and can not do is very different from what you can get away with

[ultimate weapon]

Good for the driver and Thai image, but can't stop thinking of what I could have done with the 2M Baht..........new car, may be......some furniture............or buy Mia Noi a condo......anyway......have to live my pension at the moment...............

what you mean is that you a farang would have taken the money. This kind of contridicts the constant complaints here about how farang are more moralistic compared to thais like they are more honest.

[Smurkster]

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Good for the driver and Thai image, but can't stop thinking of what I could have done with the 2M Baht..........new car, may be......some furniture............or buy Mia Noi a condo......anyway......have to live my pension at the moment...............

what you mean is that you a farang would have taken the money. This kind of contridicts the constant complaints here about how farang are more moralistic compared to thais like they are more honest.

maybe his comment was more tongue in cheek than you deciphered it to be

Edited November 6, 2014 by Smurkster

[ChrisY1]

I find this very hard to believe............

Can anyone really imagine many people, let alone a taxi driver, turn over Thb 2 million to the police?...........c'mon BP.......us elnglish news readers are only 1/2 stupid!

All these "returning money" tales from taxi drivers.....makes me think that TAT is involved??.....the minister is silly enough to go this way!

I have no problem believing the story that a taxi drivers returns money found in his taxi.

Why I have no problem believing it:

- the "tourists" were able to track down the taxi they took, so they can easily find out who the driver was and where he lives (maybe for a small cash bribe)

- "tourists" do not carry around 2mln baht in cash when coming from abroad

- people who carry around that kind of money are probably connected to some underground activities locally

- stealing 2mln baht from people with underground connections who can track you down, and your family, is not very smart.

-> I wouldn't take my chances either and would go for the cash reward.

So he takes another fare....and apparently, they didn't find it.....down the back of the seat.......you can't even find the safety belt catch out of the seat .....Thb 2 million......is not exactly a small package of money.....anyway believe what you want!!

[razer]

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to know tourists don't bring $60,000 cash for holiday. Fear of reprisal may have been incentive. In fact, I do believe there is a limit to the cash anyone can bring into the country.

[uptheos]

mmmmm . . . find 2,000,000 THB, returns it to owners and gets 5,000 THB "reward" . . . I wonder if he'll bother next time . . . ?

It's great that he's honest and fair, but honestly, those "tourists" are taking the piss with that reward!

But now the police and customs are going to be all over this one......with Indonesians arriving through the airport with $60,000 in undeclared cash?

Does the article say that the cash was undeclared?

[ronthai]

They, as all others suffer from this:

[micmichd]

Good for the driver and Thai image, but can't stop thinking of what I could have done with the 2M Baht..........new car, may be......some furniture............or buy Mia Noi a condo......anyway......have to live my pension at the moment...............

[micmichd]

Costas,

are you sure your Mia no. 1 will not read this?

[pchansmorn]

Cheap bastards, they deserved to lose the money, if they have that much money why are they taking a taxi?

[loonodingle]

Firstly I would be investigating what someone is doing with 60,000 usd in a bag. that's not tourism.

Secondly 5,000 baht?? Really??? I would have told them to keep it. 2 million and there u r have 5 grand. There should be a minimum by law that you get like 10% for your honesty.

He could have always stolen it and said he had had other passengers in the car after and maybe they took it.

[4u2mad]

There have been several related stories about honest taxi drivers in the news lately. Although it is good to see there are a couple of honest drivers out there, i think by always quoting if this happens in actuality makes me think they are trying to make the world forget about the hundreds of thousands of drivers that are crooks and would do the opposite of this chap.

Or could it possibly be that its the start of the tourist season? Seems to happen each year around this time

[ravip]

It seems anything good happening in Thailand is impossible to believe.

I guess these 'good dudes' would ever think of living in Thailand.

Strange lot...

[Carl64]

Have to wonder if they were heading to the Deep South to see their fellow freedom fighters ?

This really sus.

[Smurkster]

with the money that I see some foreigners spending in Thailand in one month, it really isn't that far fetched that someone could use 60k on a vacation, hell, come on a multiple entry tourist visa here for several months, drink drink drink, whore whore whore....and there you have it...poof...all the money's gone no where to go....

....I know a guy who gets $6,000 US on workers comp here the first of every month, by the 10th or 11th it is ALLLLLLL GONE

Edited November 6, 2014 by Smurkster

[Neeranam]

I think many taxi driver are scared of the karmic consequences of not paying it back rather than a genuine willingness to help the foreigners.

[Smurkster]

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I think many taxi driver are scared of the karmic consequences of not paying it back rather than a genuine willingness to help the foreigners.

yep, always worried about Karma aren't they

[Mot Dang]

Jeez, this is the 4th incident since the beginning of the year involving really large sums of cash being left in taxis ... I only leave umbrellas and hats in taxis ... I know what it is .. these tourists are just dazzled by their Amazing Thailand experience. ... I am really happy that they are having their money and valuables returned ... but why are people carrying around such large sums then forgetting it ?

[maidee]

PR image clean up act ...

what about bringing in 60.000 US dollars, for what ? cannot buy a condo this way ...

and isn't that over the legal limit ?

[lvr181]

How does one possibly 'forget' they left $60k behind.

But yes, kudos to the driver.

"pin" money for some?

And yes, well done to the driver.

[Smurkster]

what is with all this "but isn't that over the maximum amount you can bring in"...erm......no it's all well in good if you DON"T GET CAUGHT...as I said earlier, don't declare it, hope your bag isn't checked and all is fine, since when do people always follow the rules anyway??

[waterdragon]

I left my pro camera equipment in the back of a taxi one time when I was "tired and emotional". The kit at the time was worth around £10,000. I went up in the lift and was in my room before I realised the "problem". I don't think I've moved as fast since. Got down to the front door of the condo to find the taxi driver, with my bag in hand, talking to the security guy! I have never been so relieved in my life. Gave him 1k as a tip! So there are some good guys out there in BKK.

[Malthus101]

H E R O

[Smurkster]

H E R O

there isn't anything remotely heroic about doing the right thing, you'd be a jackass if you didn't do it

[ukguyinthai]

What a total mug Its one extreme to the other in this country