Teenage security guard returns B400,000 to owner

PHUKET: A 19-year-old local returned a bag that contained 400,000 baht to its owner after discovering it in the bathroom of a Tesco Lotus in Phuket on Tuesday.

Nattapong Rithidet, security guard for UBN Phuket Andaman Co Ltd at the Samkong Tesco Lotus, was in the bathroom when another man came in to use the facilities. The man accidentally left the enormous bag of cash when he left.

“I didn’t open it – I just took it to the customer service counter to have them help me locate the man,” Mr Nattapong said.

Two hours later, the man missing nearly half a million baht returned to Tesco Lotus to claim the bag.

“He gave me 3,000 baht as a thank you gift,” Mr Nattapong said. “I gave 500 baht to my mom, deposited 1,500 baht into the bank for my children’s education and used the other 1,000 baht for gasoline expenses.”

Mr Nattapong attributes his honesty to his mother.

“My mom always taught me that even though we are poor, we must never steal or take anything that doesn’t belong to us,” he said.

Mr Nattapong also received the ‘Value Award’ from Tesco Lotus and was invited to meet Phuket Governor Chamroen Tipayapongtada.

— Kritsada Mueanhawong