A Thai woman in Pattaya was shocked to learn that her gold necklace had been stolen after she accidentally left it behind in a jewelry store, only for the thief to return it hours later, claiming it was all a misunderstanding.
27-year-old Ms. Bussarin, a curry rice vendor, told The Pattaya News that she had just purchased a gold necklace from a jewelry shop on Soi Siam Country Club. After paying for the item, she accidentally walked out of the store without retrieving it.
Realizing her mistake ten minutes later, Ms. Bussarin rushed back to the store, only to find the necklace was gone. The shop quickly reviewed the security footage and identified a man, suspected to be Cambodian, who had taken the necklace, slipped it into his pocket, and casually walked out.
About four hours later, on November 7th, the store received a phone call from the man who had taken the necklace. He explained that he had mistakenly thought the necklace was a “free gift” from the store. He then returned the necklace, later identified as 24-year-old Mr. Thone, a Lao national.
Mr. Thone explained that after purchasing his own gold necklace, he had mistakenly grabbed the empty bag next to him, thinking it contained a free gift. He unknowingly put the gold necklace in his pocket without intending to steal anything.
When he returned to his accommodation and saw his face circulating on social media, Mr. Thone panicked. Upon checking the bag he thought contained a gift, he discovered the gold necklace. After consulting his girlfriend, he decided to return the necklace to the store, insisting that it had been a genuine mistake and that he never meant to steal.
Ms. Bussarin was moved to tears when she received her necklace back, but she remained skeptical about Mr. Thone’s explanation. She expressed her gratitude to the netizens who helped by sharing the story on social media, which ultimately led to the recovery of her necklace.
