An ancient violin tracing back to 200 years ago, which conservatively appraised at 18 million baht (an equivalent of $514,580), has been triumphantly reclaimed by its renowned owner, a highly esteemed Chinese violinist. The much-cherished musical instrument had been inconspicuously left in a taxi in Bangkok, leading to a determined recovery mission. Key players in this feat included the Thong Lor police force and JS100 Traffic Radio who collaboratively managed to track down the unwitting taxi driver.
The tense chronicles began when the internationally-acclaimed violinist, Xue Wei, vacated the taxi after his journey from a restaurant nestled on Sukhumvit Soi 26. Regrettably, he overlooked a bag in the backseat of the cab which cradled his invaluable violin. In his quest to retrieve this irreplaceable piece of history, Xue Wei approached the Police Sergent Major Kriangkrai Kornthaisong, a detective stationed at the Thong Lor Police department. Together, they painstakingly went through extensive CCTV footage tracing the taxi’s route but found no clear insight into the taxi’s license plate information as reported by the Bangkok Post.
In a bid to escalate the search, they sought the expertise of the respected JS100 radio channel, which eventually led them to the driver, Uthen Denkhunthod. Navigating through the sea of information, Uthen turned up at Thong Lor Police Station one fateful Wednesday evening, tenderly cradling the 200-year-old violin. A fellow Chinese associate of Xue Wei was present to receive it, and the trailing saga finally reached its climax in Pol. Sgt. Maj. Kriangkrai’s office.
Having been restored to safely, the jubilant friend of Xue Wei showered heaps of gratitude on the puzzled Uthen, expressing that the famed violinist was ecstatic at the news of his violin’s retrieval. The humble Uthen expressed his confusion after discovering the forgotten bag, admitting that he was uncertain about the rightful course to take. The missed calls from JS100 on his phone turned out to be the missing piece in the jigsaw, guiding him on how to facilitate the violin’s return journey.
As a heartfelt token of his overwhelming gratitude, Xue Wei extended a gift voucher to the driver Uthen. This event closely followed the commendable deed of another Bangkok cabbie returning nearly 400,000 baht to a nonplussed Bangladeshi passenger – a clear break in the capital’s infamous cabbie reputation.
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