Cabbie returns B153,000 to forgetful Japanese tourist

Cabbie returns B153,000 to forgetful Japanese tourist

Taxi driver Somporn Joynusaeng, right, returns 153,000 baht in cash to a 29-year-old Japanese tourist, left, who left his bag in the cab. The return of the money was  witnessed by executives of FM91 traffic radio station on Friday. (Photo taken from @Thailandlostandfoundfm91 Facebook page)
Taxi driver Somporn Joynusaeng, right, returns 153,000 baht in cash to a 29-year-old Japanese tourist, left, who left his bag in the cab. The return of the money was witnessed by executives of FM91 traffic radio station on Friday. (Photo taken from @Thailandlostandfoundfm91 Facebook page)

A taxi driver has returned cash worth about 153,000 baht to a Japanese passenger who left his purse in the cab in the Sukhumvit area of Bangkok.

Somporn Joynusaeng on Friday returned the bag containing the money, in Thai and Japanese currency, to the 29-year-old Japanese man at FM 91 traffic radio station.  

The cabbie said the tourist hailed his taxi on Soi Sukhumvit 24 on Tuesday night and asked him to drive along the soi to pick up two more Japanese men near the Emporium shopping centre. He then drove them to Soi Cowboy, Sukhumvit 23.

He then planned to return to his home in Navakhon area, Pathum Thani.

While his vehicle was waiting for a traffic light at Bot Mae Phra intersection, a woman opened the back door and got inside.  Before she could give her destination,  the woman saw the small bag on the seat and drew his attention to it.

Mr Somporn decided to refuse the passenger and asked for the bag. He immediately drove back to Sukhumvit 23 and cruised around the area hoping to see the three tourists.

He then drove along Soi Sukhumvit 24, as he thought one of them might be looking there for his lost bag. He drove around for about 30 minutes, but did not see any of them.

So he called FM91 traffic radio, told them about the purse and then went to the radio station to hand it in. The purse contained yen and baht notes worth about 153,000 baht, Thai media reported.

“I felt troubled after seeing the bag and the cash. I don't want to keep lost money, I would be afraid of being charged. I can earn more than 100,000 baht a year driving a taxi.  If I was put in jail for one year, I would not earn a single baht. Worse still, my family would be in trouble,’’ Mr Somporn said.

The 29-year-old tourist, who declined to be named, said through an interpreter that he was shocked to find the purse missing and never thought he may have left it in the cab.  He thought he lost it while walking along Soi Sukhumvit 23.

He thanked Mr Somporn for his honesty and gave the driver a 5,000 baht reward.

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