Heartbroken man exposed as thief and drug addict

The tale of the heartbroken Thai man has taken a shocking turn. He was not the heartbroken man he presented, but allegedly a drug addict and a thief wanted by the police.

The misfortune of 44 year old Panuwat Yuebua went viral on Thai social media. Many Thai netizens expressed their sympathy after learning that Panuwat’s employer did not pay his salary, and his wife left him for his friend.

A 55 year old man, Anuthep Jeantoom, told a different side of the story during an interview with Channel 7 today. He stated that Panuwat was not as distressed as he pretended to be. In reality, his true name is Thaworn, and he is an alleged drug addict who had recently managed to evade arrest in the western province of Phetchaburi.

Anuthep revealed that Thaworn’s sidecar motorcycle caught fire while passing by his house in the Isaan province of Nakhon Ratchasima. He and his family members rushed to help Thaworn extinguish the flames and offered him accommodation at their home for two nights.

To ensure the safety of his household, he requested to see Thaworn’s identification card. Thaworn refused to present it causing him to become suspicious.

Finally, Thaworn reluctantly presented his ID card, which bore his real name. Anuthep then conducted an online search on Thaworn’s background and discovered that an arrest warrant was out for his arrest by Cha-am Police Station in Phetchaburi. Moreover, multiple victims had filed theft complaints against him.

After learning the hidden information, Anuthep secretly reported the issue to the police who rushed to his house and arrested Thaworn. According to Authep, Thaworn also tested positive for drugs.

Thaworn insisted that his wife had indeed abandoned him. He admitted that he stole assets from his employer claiming that he had to do because the employer did not pay him. He also confessed that he used drugs, but it was two weeks ago.

Thaworn was taken to the Cha-am Police Station to process the prosecution on the theft case and to meet with his former employer. Thaworn stated that he felt guilty for what he had done and was willing to be prosecuted.

ORIGINAL STORY: Heartbroken man travels 400km home after boss robs salary, wife runs off with friend

A Thai local was hailed for supporting a heartbroken man who travelled 400 kilometres back to his hometown with his two dogs on a motorcycle with a sidecar after he was cheated out of his wages by an employer and cheated by his wife and friend who ran off together.

The 43 year old Thai man, Ekkaphan Buapaijit, revealed on Facebook on Wednesday, May 17 that he gave food and money to the down-on-his-luck man, 44 year old Panuwat Yuebua.

Ekkapan added that Panuwat went to his restaurant to ask for food. After learning about Panuwat’s difficult life, he decided to give Panuwat both food and money to continue the journey.

Panuwat was in a black Suzuki sidecar motorcycle without a registration plate. His sidecar was packed with construction tools, and his two black dogs.

Panuwat later gave an interview with the Thai media saying he was working as a sub-contractor on a housing development project in Pattaya with his wife and a friend. He worked on the project for over a year, but his employer cheated him out of his wages.

Panuwat revealed that his pickup truck was repossessed by a finance company a week ago due to non-payment of instalments. Moreover, his wife had a secret affair with his friend and ran off together leaving him a farewell note a few days ago.

Panuwat disclosed that he and his wife had two daughters together. The youngest is 13 years old and the oldest is 17 years old.

Panuwat found himself without any money in his pocket and decided to pack his belongings and remaining construction tools onto the motorbike to journey back to his hometown in Buriram in the northeastern province of Thailand which is about 400 kilometres away from Pattaya. Panuwat said…

“I was heartbroken and couldn’t bring myself to speak or even think about my wife and her lover. I let the two of them go in peace, hoping they will find happiness together. Then I made up my mind to return to my hometown with my dogs”

Panuwat began his journey from Pattaya on Monday, May 15, and sought shelter in temples along the way, receiving food and kindness from monks and locals. Some people provided him with 100 to 200 baht for fuel. He said that it would take two more days to complete his journey.