Udon Thani: Sports shoes blunder leaves seller with 80k baht loss
An incident involving a misunderstanding over second-hand shoes seemingly abandoned in a park in Udon Thani province has left a resident of Ang Thong distraught after a social media post led to the unintended distribution of her merchandise.
A Facebook user shared an image of locals selecting second-hand shoes, mistakenly suggesting they were free for the taking. This post resulted in a large crowd gathering at the public park in Thung Nong Naman, Udon Thani, believing they could help themselves to the footwear.
The shoes, which belonged to 58 year old La-ong, were intended for resale in Wang Saphung, Loei province. She had placed approximately 350 bags of shoes, valued at around 80,000 baht, by the pond since five days ago, intending to move them soon. The shoes were to be sold at 39 baht per pair, with potential earnings reaching 400,000 baht. The investment was significant, as she had borrowed funds to purchase them.
An emotional La-ong, accompanied by a local journalist and Panuwat, the owner of the Facebook page เฮียเปี๊ยกช่วยด้วย visited the site to investigate the situation further. They witnessed several villagers still picking up shoes, unaware of the ownership issue. La-ong expressed her frustration, stating that had the misleading post not been made, the chaos could have been avoided. She plans to take legal action against the person responsible for the post.
“I want the person who posted that message to take responsibility. If they hadn’t posted, the villagers wouldn’t have come to take the shoes.”
La-ong urged those who had taken the shoes to transfer funds to her account as compensation, hoping to recover some of her investment to continue her business.
As La-ong and her companions notified the police about the situation, the local municipal officials confronted her for placing the shoes in the public area without permission, which she acknowledged as an oversight due to time constraints. She explained that she had to attend to other business matters promptly and intended to retrieve the shoes soon.
The police, led by Amarin Yuyen, the superintendent of Kudjab Police Station, have received La-ong’s complaint and are investigating the matter. They plan to contact the individual who made the post to determine whether their actions were unlawful.
Amarin clarified that while La-ong is not holding the villagers accountable, as they were misled by the post, legal proceedings against the person responsible for the distribution of false information will be pursued. This incident serves as a cautionary tale, reminding people that nothing in life is free and urging them to verify the ownership of items before assuming they are available for the taking, reported KhaoSod.
Phan, a 70 year old local who took some shoes, stated, “I genuinely didn’t know the shoes were intended for sale. I saw the post and thought they were free. If I had known, I wouldn’t have taken them. Now that I know they belong to someone, I feel sorry for La-ong and want to return them.”
This sentiment was echoed by other villagers, who expressed remorse upon learning the truth.
ORIGINAL STORY: Sole searching: Locals sprint to grab second-hand shoes left in park
Thousands of second-hand running shoes were left in a public park, leading locals to flock and collect them eagerly. This surprising occurrence took place at the Thung Nong Naman public park in Ban Huakhu, Muang Phia subdistrict, Kut Chap district, Udon Thani province.
The event was initially shared by a Facebook user, Charoon Boonjuang, who posted images of the shoes piled high, encouraging those in need of footwear to come and take their pick. The post humorously suggested that the original owner had grown tired of them. By approximately 8am yesterday, December 19, numerous locals had already gathered at the park, keen to seize the opportunity to acquire free footwear.
By 10.50am on the same day, reporters visiting the park observed an enthusiastic crowd of locals picking through the discarded trainers. The atmosphere was lively, with people of all ages selecting shoes with smiles on their faces.
Many residents carried their chosen pairs home in fertiliser sacks while others made multiple trips on motorbikes and motorcycles with sidecars to transport their finds. The sight was akin to a bustling second-hand shoe market, much to the delight of the community.
Local officials, including members of the Kut Chap Subdistrict Municipality and community leaders, were on hand to ensure the event remained orderly. Their presence helped manage the distribution, allowing residents to select shoes for themselves and their families, just in time for the new year festivities. Once the residents were satisfied, the remaining damaged and unmatched shoes were to be collected by the municipality for disposal.
Sawanee, a resident, shared her excitement upon hearing about the shoe pile from the Facebook post. She quickly arrived on her motorbike, fertiliser sack in hand, to claim some of the second-hand trainers. Despite arriving later than some, she managed to collect a variety of pairs, though many of the more stylish options had already been taken. She expressed her gratitude to the vendors who had left the shoes, noting that it was a welcome gift for the new year, especially as she had not owned trainers for several years.
“I will be wearing these shoes and sharing them with my family. It feels like a new year’s gift. I hope the vendors will notify the community in advance if they plan to do this again next year so that everyone can prepare.”
Preecha Thongjun from the Public Health Department of the Kut Chap Municipality explained that according to local accounts, a merchant had arrived in the morning with a six-wheel truck. It was loaded with large bags of second-hand trainers, estimated to number between 10,000 and 20,000 pairs. These shoes, of various brands, were believed to be unsold stock from the recently concluded Thung Si Muang annual fair, which ended on December 12.
“Next time, it would be great if they could inform us beforehand so we can prepare a designated area and inform the villagers. It’s a positive thing for the community to receive free trainers. Today looked like a bustling market.”
Preecha reported the event to the chief of the Kut Chap Municipality, who encouraged the residents to take as many shoes as they wanted until only the broken and unmatched ones were left. The municipality would then arrange for their disposal. Gratitude was expressed towards the shoe vendors for bringing such joy to the people of Kut Chap, as many left with several sacks of shoes.
“Thanks to the vendors, the residents of Kut Chap have something to smile about today, with branded trainers to wear.”
This unexpected gift of footwear has brought cheer to the community, providing a practical and festive surprise just in time for the new year celebrations, reported Sanook.
