A Thai businessman shared his experience of catching a Chinese thief on a flight to Hong Kong and retrieving stolen cash worth nearly 400,000 baht.
Anuchart Rojpitipongsathon, owner of an auto parts business named SSC Autoparts, posted details of the incident on his business’s official Facebook page to warn travellers about theft during flights. According to Anuchart, the incident took place on a Thai Airways flight from Thailand to Hong Kong.
Anuchart said he was carrying 90,000 Hong Kong dollars in cash, equivalent to nearly 400,000 baht, to purchase auto parts in Hong Kong. He kept the cash inside a standard backpack stored in the overhead compartment above his seat.
According to his account, he was seated by the window and fell asleep shortly after take-off. Around 10 minutes later, he woke up after hearing the overhead compartment above him being opened.
He said he saw a Chinese passenger closing the compartment before walking quickly towards a bathroom. Anuchart became suspicious, noting that the man was seated far from the storage compartment and would have had no reason to access it.
Unable to check his bag immediately due to his seat position, Anuchart said he waited until the aircraft landed in Hong Kong. After checking his bag, he found the cash missing and confronted the suspicious Chinese man.
Anuchart said the man initially denied taking the money. He admitted punching the Chinese man during the confrontation before demanding he reveal the contents of his belongings.
According to Anuchart, the suspect later handed over an envelope containing the missing cash from his shirt pocket. He said the Chinese thief apologised and asked him not to pursue legal action.
The businessman said he contacted Hong Kong police after landing. He alleged officers advised him that pursuing legal proceedings could take considerable time, especially as the money had already been recovered.
Anuchart said he decided not to continue with legal action due to business commitments in Hong Kong. He believes the suspect may face consequences from the airline.
He urged travellers carrying cash to keep valuables with them rather than in overhead storage compartments.
Anuchart also suspected the Chinese thief may have attempted to hide the cash temporarily in the aircraft bathroom before retrieving it later.
He further claimed the suspect had been speaking with another Chinese passenger during the flight, raising concerns that others may have been involved. These claims have not been independently verified.
The story Chinese man caught after attempting to steal 400,000 baht from Thai man as seen on Thaiger News.
