Seeking forgiveness: Thai thief sends apology letter, returns stolen amulet
A Thai thief sent an apology letter after stealing 3,000 baht in cash and an amulet from a coffee shop in the northern province of Chiang Mai on Sunday, March 23. He also returned the amulet with sentimental value to the victim.
The owner of MOKA CAFE in Chiang Mai, 38 year old Somchai, asked Chiang Mai News to publicise his theft story because he wanted the amulet, which held sentimental value, returned. According to CCTV footage of the incident shared by the owner, the theft occurred at 4.37am on Sunday.
The thief, believed to be around 30 years old, arrived at the shop on his red motorcycle. He parked his vehicle and took off his helmet before putting it back on. He entered the shop easily through a window and stole cash from the cashier’s counter.
Somchai stated that he opened the shop that morning and did not initially notice anything suspicious until he realised that around 3,000 baht in cash was missing.
The owner explained that what he cared about more than the cash was the amulet, which was made from a cat placenta.
His late mother had left it to him, and he believed it brought him luck and helped his shop make daily sales. The amulet also served as a reminder of his mother.
Somchai said he reported the case to the police but did not expect to recover his money. His main concern was retrieving the amulet. He stated that he would turn a blind eye if the thief returned it.
Somchai provided an update on the case to the media again yesterday, March 25, revealing that he had recovered the amulet and also received a letter of apology from the thief. In the handwritten letter, the thief wrote…
“I’m sorry. I have a child to care for, but I’m unemployed. I didn’t mean to steal the cat placenta, but my eyesight is poor in the dark. I just grabbed what I could from the cashier’s counter. Please delete your post about the theft on social media. Consider it an exchange for returning the amulet. Don’t be mad at me. I will never steal from anyone again if I find a job.”
The thief added at the end of the letter that he had bought drinks at the shop several times a week. He claimed to be one of Somchai’s regular customers and hoped to be forgiven.
Somchai stated that he felt sorry for the thief and believed he was indeed one of his regular customers. He planned to tighten security measures at his shop and take cash home after closing to prevent a similar incident.
Despite forgiving the thief, Somchai did not withdraw the legal complaint and said the case would proceed through the legal process.
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