Bangkok Taxi Driver returns 630,000 baht left in cab

Good deeds bring year-end cheer - The Nation

Bangkok taxi drivers have been in the news for all the wrong reasons this year but yesterday one hit the headlines for his honesty. Cabbie Boonruam Boonchuchuay yesterday turned over US and Thai currency totalling Bt630,000 left by an American passenger.

The 51-year-old hopes his "good deed" will generate a better image of taxi drivers and generate a feel-good factor among foreign visitors. The relieved passenger gave Boonruam a US$100 (Bt3,525) reward.

At 2am yesterday Boonruam picked up 50-year-old American tourist Daniel Melga from Suvarnabhumi Airport bound for Sukhumvit Road. After dropping off Melga, Boonruam headed back to the airport. An hour later airport staff asked him to check if Melga had left a bag in his taxi. Boonruam found the bag and handed it over. The bag contained $17,000 and Bt30,000 in cash and important documents.

"I didn't look inside the bag and I call the Jor Sor 100 radio station if I find anything passengers leave behind. I'm happy the passenger got his bag back and I want foreign visitors to know there is at least one good taxi driver working at the airport. "I want visitors to feel good about Thailand. I want to erase the negative image of unregistered taxis that do bad things," Boonruam said. Melga has a business in Thailand. He had travelled from San Francisco.

He thought he had taken all his belongings when he got out of the taxi. He later realised his mistake and had a friend call the Ruam Duay Chuay Kan and Sor Wor Por 91 radio stations to help locate the taxi. "I'm thankful for the taxi driver's kindness and also for the others who helped get my bag back," he said.

In related news, Lampang roadside-restaurant dishwasher Sutri Manoy, 35, reported a customer had left a handbag with more than Bt28,800 in the restaurant.
Kamphaeng Phet police later said Vipavadi Vongkhoksung, 27, reported the missing bag. The two were reunited and the honest dishwasher was rewarded with Bt1,000. Vipavadi earned the money selling rice and was about to settle some debts. "It's New Year good luck that Thailand still has good citizens like this person," she said.

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[Smiles]

100 bucks reward for the return of 630,000 baht!!?? Amurcan sticky shit!

Cheers ...

[Jetsam]

100 bucks reward for the return of 630,000 baht!!?? Amurcan sticky shit!

Cheers ...

yes only 0,56% , I thought it was custom in America to tip at least 10%

As mentioned a I few times before from my own long experiences:

Thai people are usually very honest.

Here and there you might meet someone who is into cheating but those people are not well accepted generally.

And as I also observed sometimes, if someone feeled is cheated at, it simply turned out as a crash in communications.

... there are also honest people in other countries ... all this crap that Thai people are honest, its only the same in other countries, I suspect the ratio is the same, there are honest and dishonest people in all societies.

[Jetsam]

... there are also honest people in other countries ... all this crap that Thai people are honest, its only the same in other countries, I suspect the ratio is the same, there are honest and dishonest people in all societies.

Same myth as that Thailand is the Land of Smiles, sure,.. there are lot of smiles like in every country, I have seen a fair share of grumpy Thai people, of course not bar boys (some of them are) because that would hurt their business, they are great actors.

LOFS is a better name, Land of Fake Smiles

[dave_tf-old]

Clearly this Taxi driver was an former advanced student at the fabled Bar Boys training school, having so completely mastered the classes on slowly reeling in farang before pouncing for the big score. Having demonstrated his fake ""honesty"", the next step is to lure this farang into his taxi again, where the farang, drunk with happy thoughts of his previous encounter, will leave a more princely sum unattended in the back seat. I've seen it over and over again. Well, not ""seen"" it exactly...but I've heard about it. Well...to be honest, I haven't heard about it either...but I have imagined it. Of that you can be sure!

[dave_tf-old]

Clearly this Taxi driver was an former advanced student at the fabled Bar Boys training school, having so completely mastered the classes on slowly reeling in farang before pouncing for the big score. Having demonstrated his fake ""honesty"", the next step is to lure this farang into his taxi again, where the farang, drunk with happy thoughts of his previous encounter, will leave a more princely sum unattended in the back seat. I've seen it over and over again. Well, not ""seen"" it exactly...but I've heard about it. Well...to be honest, I haven't heard about it either...but I have imagined it. Of that you can be sure!

[Bob]

Most excellent analysis, Khun Dawit. A bit like Kafka on crystal meth but excellent observations nonetheless. :cyclopsani: