A 40-year-old taxi driver has been praised for his honesty after he returned 800,000 yen (274,000 baht) in cash and other belongings left in his cab to a Japanese businessman at a Bangkok police station on Thursday.
Thanakrit Hengniran, a native of Nakhon Pathom, returned a green rucksack containing the money, a MacBook computer, 16 new sports T-shirts and other belongings to Keishi Kobayashi, a Japanese national, at Buppha Ram police station on Thursday morning.
Mr Kobayashi, 29, operator of Lagrosse Tokyo sportswear business, had accidently left the rucksack in the taxi’s boot around noon on June 24 after he and his friends took the cab from a condominium on Ratchada Road to Soi Charoen Nakhon 70, said Pol Lt Col Pramot Chanbunruang, deputy superintendent at Buppha Ram police station.
Japanese businessman Keishi Kobayashi, 29, (centre) gives a cash reward of 5,000 baht to taxi driver Thanakrit Hengniran, 40, (third from left) for his honesty in returning his bag with 800,000 yen (274,000) and belongings at Buppha Ram police station in Bangkok on Thursday (Photo taken from Thailand Lost and Found FM91 Facebook page)
The Japanese businessman and his friends later realised their mistake, but they could not remember the licence plate of the green-yellow cab. They reported the loss to police.
The tourist was confident that he would get back his bag as he had his trust in Thai people, Pol Lt Col Pramot said. He had postponed his flight and awaited the return of his bag.
Police examined footage of closed circuit television cameras in the area the tourists left the cab. They saw the green-yellow taxi and then contacted Mr Thanakrit, the driver and owner of the cab.
They learned that Mr Thanakrit had earlier taken the rucksack to the tourist police sub-division on Ratchadamnoen Avenue, and asked that they help find the owner.
Mr Thanakrit said he found the rucksack at his taxi’s boot when he was cleaning his cab. He immediately left his rented room in Nang Lerng area and went to the nearby tourist police sub-division on Ratchadamnoen Avenue.
The Japanese businessman gave Mr Thanakrit a cash reward of 5,000 baht. He thanked him for his honesty in returning his bag with the money and belongings intact.