Taxi Driver in Thailand Returns $10,000 to Tourist Who Accidentally Left It Behind

Dec. 09, 2018

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3 min read

Taxi Driver in Thailand Returns $10,000 to Tourist Who Accidentally Left It Behind

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On his way back to Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK), Jerry Hart, an American tourist, left something very valuable in the taxi he took to the airport. Hart left almost $10,000 USD in the trunk of the car upon disembarking at the airport terminal, according The Daily Mail is reporting. Miraculously, Hart was reunited with the money after the extraordinarily honest driver noticed the cash.

Jerry Hart (center) with Bangkok Police (left) and taxi driver Veeraphol Klamsiri (right) (Image via The Daily Mail / Viral Press) — Jerry Hart (center) with Bangkok Police (left) and taxi driver Veeraphol Klamsiri (right). Image via The Daily Mail / Viral Press.

Hart, age 47, was at Bangkok's main international airport to catch his flight back to the United States when he realized that he had misplaced the small white fanny pack containing $9,800 USD. Around the same time, taxi driver Veeraphol Klamsiri was cleaning out his cab back at his house when he came across an unfamiliar item, which contained the money that Hart had misplaced. Klarmsiri knew that the money belonged to one of his passengers so he quickly made his way back to BKK to return the missing cash.

$9,800 USD that belonged to Jerry Hart (Image via The Daily Mail / Viral Press)

In a statement to The Daily Mail, Airport Director Kittipong Kittikachorn said of the incident, "When taxis enter the airport they must return all property of the customer. Tourists can feel safe that their belongings will always be taken care of even if they lose them or forget them."

Klarmsiri told The Daily Mail that he had "never seen so much money in [his] life." He went on to say that upon finding the money, he "panicked" as he knew it belonged to Hart.

Hart told The Daily Mail, "I'm very happy. I can't believe my luck. I didn't think I would see the money again." He went on to say that he was "very grateful [for] the honesty of the taxi driver." While Hart mentioned that he had vacationed in Thailand a few times before the incident, he said that the incident involving the honest cab driver cemented plans to relocate to Thailand when he retires.

TPG was unable to find a source with an explanation as to why Hart was traveling with such an excessive amount of cash on his person. Had Hart been in possession of an additional $200, he would have been legally required to declare the amount on his customs form upon arrival.