Thai waitress hands back wallet with £4,700 back to owner who lost it

A Thai waitress is being praised for handing back a bag filled with £4,700, passports and credit cards to its owner.

Chomnad Singaod, 42, found a fanny pack early in the morning in front of the Queen Club bar in Pattaya after leaving her night shift.

The barmaid initially thought it belonged to a co-worker, but was stunned to see large stacks of foreign currency, credit cards, and a passport inside.

Despite the amount being ten times her salary, the woman took the bag to the office, where she reviewed CCTV footage with colleagues on October 13.

Video showed how Aussie Shane Steven Mark Gabrielli, 48, had stopped for a rest on the way home from his nighttime exertions, before forgetting the pouch with his holiday slush fund.

Chomnad said: ‘When I opened another side of the bag, I found Australian currency, a passport and credit cards. I didn’t know how much, but it was large stacks.

‘Quite a lot, so I filmed a video as evidence to protect myself. I didn’t want anybody saying I had taken the money.’

Chomnad said she never considered keeping the 9,700 AUD in cash, adding: ‘The bag was left right in front of the shop. If it went missing, people would think I took it. That would not look good.

‘It was much more than I have ever had in my own bank account. I could stop work for the rest of the year, but that would be the wrong thing to do. It would be bad karma.

‘I don’t need a reward or anything from the owner. He can buy me a beer, that will be nice.’

Chomnad kept the bag safe, reviewed the shop’s CCTV footage to identify the owner, and handed it, along with the security video, to the local police station.

Police watched the footage showing a foreign man, dressed in a black jacket and shorts, sitting on the pavement outside the venue. He was carrying shoes in one hand and a waist bag in the other.

Moments later, the man greeted a passerby, then stood up and walked away, leaving the personal item behind.

Police Lieutenant Akkaraphong Sanputawong said the tourist had a tall, slender build and a tattoo on his left leg.

Officers later checked the contents and found an Australian passport with Shane’s details along with the cash.

Police are still searching for the owner and have urged him or anyone with information to come forward, or for Shane to contact them.

Pattaya has long held a reputation as a magnet for foreign criminals, with several gang-related murders involving international figures over the years.

The city is also known for petty crime such as pickpocketing and scams, especially in tourist hotspots like Pattaya Beach, Jomtien, and on baht buses.

In recent years, officials have launched campaigns to rebrand Pattaya as a family-friendly destination.

Efforts include improved lighting, expanded CCTV coverage, and increased police patrols – though nightlife, alcohol, and sex tourism remain the city’s biggest draws.

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