HAT YAI, Thailand – On August 27, a peculiar theft occurred in Hat Yai, Songkhla Province, where a thief stole a manhole cover from a drainage system but later returned it. The incident took place in Moo 7, Ban Dan Nok, Tambon Samnak Kham, Amphoe Sadao.
According to reports, on August 24, a middle-aged man wearing a cap and dark sunglasses arrived in a pickup truck and pretended to take notes on an electrical meter. He then lifted the metal manhole cover and drove away with it. The theft was discovered by the homeowner, Ms. Phobphorn Muenjum, 42, who found the cover missing when she returned from Phang Nga on August 25. She reviewed the security camera footage and realized the cover had been stolen.
Ms. Phobporn shared the incident on the Facebook group “Dannok” and reported the incident to the Sadao Police Station. Remarkably, the following day, August 26, the thief returned the manhole cover by motorcycle and replaced it. This unusual act of returning stolen property is reportedly a first, as such items are typically never recovered once taken.
Officials from the Samnak Kham Municipality revealed that after the theft, they traced the stolen manhole cover to a scrap metal shop where it was sold. The thief, who was identified as someone from Satun Province, admitted to the crime. He claimed he had stolen the cover because he was unable to afford the return journey home. He had sold the cover for 250 baht but was instructed to return it and was even given some money to cover his expenses. The man subsequently returned the cover and complied with the request to replace it.
