Hua Hin expat loses wallet and finds the real Thailand

Thailand’s recent bad press may have discouraged would-be expats from thinking seriously about choosing the Southeast Asian country, but it’s not all bad news.

Recent reports on safety issues for expats and tourists in Thailand as regards pollution, unexplained deaths, motoring fatalities, robberies and violent attacks have taken the gloss off this perennially popular destination. However, tales of unexpected kindness and honesty remind visitors that the Thai people, like every nation worldwide, are capable of restoring the reputation of their homeland by simple, kind acts.

Expat Per Knutsen had finished his weekly shopping trip in Hua Hin and had stopped at a local gas station to fill his motorbike’s tank when he realised he no longer had his wallet. Panic set in, as the wallet contained his credit cards, Thai bank card, 12,000 baht in cash and his driving licenses. Apologising to the garage owner, he left his mobile phone with him as a guarantee he’d return and pay for the fuel, then set off to retrace his movements in an attempt to find the missing wallet. He couldn’t stop thinking about the chaos of replacing his documents and cards, but couldn’t see the wallet on the road.
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n desperation, he went to a friend’s home and borrowed the 100 baht for the fuel, paid the gas station and went to Hua Hin police station to report his loss, not expecting to ever see the wallet and its contents again as had been suggested by his friend. He was greeted by a female police officer, who asked his name, told him to wait and returned just several minutes later with his wallet, complete with everything including the cash! Slightly shocked as well as delighted, Per checked his watch and realised it had been just 40 minutes since he discovered his loss.

Determined to thank whoever had found the wallet for their honesty and kindness, he asked the policewoman if she’d taken their phone number. She had, and was happy to call the number and ask for a meeting with him. Literally five minutes later, two smiling Thai guys turned up on a scooter and refused to take a reward until Per insisted. They drove away, still smiling, without even giving their names. Per is still amazed at the experience, as he’d heard the complete opposite about the outcome from his friend. The story goes to show there are always two sides to every perception, especially in Thailand.