Bangkok taxi driver returns 154,000 baht to Japanese passenger
A Bangkok taxi driver has returned more than 154,000 baht in cash to a Japanese passenger who had left it in his cab. The woman, who had already flown back to Japan on March 6, never expected to see her valuables again.
The 63 year old taxi driver, Chum Khamwiangsa, handed the black bag full of cash to Phithak Santirat Radio Station FM91 on Sunday, March 2, seeking assistance from the Royal Thai Police (RTP) to return it to the Japanese woman.
Chum stated that the bag contained a large sum of cash and was concerned that she might struggle to pay for her food or accommodation.
The taxi driver explained that he picked up the Japanese woman at Arun Ratchawararam Ratchawaramahawihan Temple, commonly known as Wat Arun, and dropped her off at Soi Pansook, Bangkok.
Chum then picked up another passenger, who discovered the bag on the back seat. He was certain that the bag belonged to the Japanese woman, so he took it to the radio station to help locate her.
Channel 7 reported that the bag contained a red purse, a white purse, credit cards belonging to a Japanese woman named Ayaka, a cheque, and cash in US dollars, Japanese yen, South Korean won, and Vietnamese dong, totalling approximately 154,000 baht.
The radio station coordinated with several government departments and eventually located the hotel where the Japanese tourist was staying. The hotel revealed that the woman had already returned to Japan but could not be contacted.
After communication was established, the Japanese woman requested that a hotel representative retrieve her valuables and belongings on her behalf.
According to the hotel representative, she expressed her gratitude to the taxi driver and revealed that she planned to visit Thailand again next month.
Another act of honesty made headlines last month when two female students returned 27,000 baht to a gold shop in Saraburi province. They exchanged five 1,000-baht notes for smaller denominations, but the shop mistakenly gave them 32,000 baht.
The students had been collecting money from their classmates throughout the semester for various school activities and planned to return the remaining funds to each classmate after graduation. This was why they requested smaller banknotes.
The gold shop owner told the media that the mistake occurred because staff were busy at the time. The owner appreciated the students’ honesty and rewarded them with 1,000 baht.
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