Thailand - Thai Cab Driver returns $410k in Gold Left by Passenger

In 2006, a cab driver tracked me down because I left my camera in the taxi!

http://news.yahoo.com/thai-taxi-driver-returns-410-000-gold-owner-113922291.html

He must have felt the karma was worth more than the gold. Good on him.

The driver also got a nice $6,400 bonus for returning the gold, which the police were searching for.

It's difficult to imagine someone leaving $410,000 in gold behind in a taxicab; some would have an attache case or the like manacled to them, or otherwise have it hidden and / or attached to one's person. This goes considerably beyond "forgetful".

The driver also got a nice $6,400 bonus for returning the gold, which the police were searching for.

It's difficult to imagine someone leaving $410,000 in gold behind in a taxicab; some would have an attache case or the like manacled to them, or otherwise have it hidden and / or attached to one's person. This goes considerably beyond "forgetful".

Beyond having it attached to my body, perhaps even surgically, I would not be transiting in in a taxi. Most likely an underground security tunnel known only to my security team and Obama's

One time, my friend left a bag with about $10K in cash on the train in Japan. Got everything back the next day.

Same for when my husband lost his wallet with a few $100. Got it back maybe a week later with everything in it.

From June, 2007:
Taxi driver returns Bt140m in cheques

A Bangkok taxi driver yesterday returned three cashier's cheques worth a combined Bt140 million that three Japanese passengers had left behind in his cab, saying he never wanted to take a "short cut" to riches. Suthep Kasak, 41, drove businessmen Yee Deng, Ho Mick Kindshita and Aki Okuda from the Emerald Hotel in the Ratchada area to Soi Thaniya on Surawongse Road on Thursday, but they forgot a file containing the cheques when they got out of his taxi. The three men reported the loss at Bang Rak police station and asked the Sor Wor Por 91 radio station to locate the taxi. Suthep called the radio station shortly afterwards and said he would return the file and cheques to the passengers at the radio station at 11am yesterday.
The file's owner, Kindshita, thanked Suthep for his honesty and rewarded him with Bt3,000 in cash before the group went on to Suvarnabhumi Airport to catch a flight back to Japan. Suthep said he was excited to have something as valuable as the cheques in his hands, although it was later explained to him that only the named beneficiaries could have cashed them. "I usually send whatever my passengers leave behind to the Sor Wor Por 91 radio station ... because I know the owners would be in trouble," he said, adding that he was proud of his action. Despite his financial situation - renting the vehicle for Bt16,000 a month and having a wife and three children upcountry to support - Suthep said he never wanted to take a short cut to become rich or neglect his duty to return what passengers leave behind.

He urged other taxi drivers to do good deeds, and avoid temptation and greed.

- The Nation


From April, 2008:

Taxi driver returns Bt500,000 to Japanese businessman
BANGKOK: -- A taxi driver Friday returned Bt500,000 to a Japanese businessman who had left it in the back of his cab. The passenger forgot his bag containing US dollars, Japanese yen and Vietnamese dong, a mobile phone and passport. Driver Rung Wantumma, 34, had FM 91 Traffic Radio announce the discovery. Owner Takechi Saito turned up at the station to reclaim the bag, hailing his driver's honesty.
-- The Nation 2008-04-25

Two months ago we left our brand new top of the range nokia phone in a bangkok cab. Realised immediately what had happened and shouted for the driver to stop as he drove away. We then called our number several times to no avail. He later turned off the phone . It was turned on again for a brief period before the sim was obviously discarded and our phone became somebody elses property.

Lovely to hear about the good un's out there...but it's the luck of the draw I'm afraid when you find yourself in this situation. Mai pen rai....

Is there some sort of brain debilitating taxi fare calculator in SE Asia?

Two months ago we left our brand new top of the range nokia phone in a bangkok cab. Realised immediately what had happened and shouted for the driver to stop as he drove away. We then called our number several times to no avail. He later turned off the phone . It was turned on again for a brief period before the sim was obviously discarded and our phone became somebody elses property.

Lovely to hear about the good un's out there...but it's the luck of the draw I'm afraid when you find yourself in this situation. Mai pen rai....

If you lose a phone here it can be retrieved but it does take a timely and concerted effort to retrieve it. You need to ask a Thai person to both text and call, essentially apologizing for burdening them with your phone and offer ~ 5,000 baht for the return. Typically it is a live-drop at a hotel desk where the Thai person mentions the phone, hands over the reward, and then the phone is handed over. You have ~ 8 hours before the phone enters the first level of the resale chain.

Most of publicized "good Samaritan" returns here, like those I added, represent the minority and usually the Police are breathing down the driver's neck anyway so he fesses up.

that's about 19 lbs...I guess you could leave a bag behind....