Homeless Man Returns Wallet With Over $500 Inside, Ends Up With a New Job and Home in Return

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It was the old moral conundrum: if you found a wallet full of cash on the floor, would you return it to its rightful owner? For Woralop, a 45-year-old homeless man from Bangkok, Thailand, the answer was a no-brainer. He decided in an instant that the wallet needed to be given back.

Woralop witnessed a businessman drop his wallet on the floor, by accident, but could not catch up to him to return the lost item. Opening the wallet, Woralop was shocked to find 20,000 baht (US$609).

He had never even seen this much money, let alone held so much of it in his hands.

Woralop’s life story was a sad one up till that point. According to Coconuts Bangkok, he had been homeless for decades, out of work for a year, and often used Huay Kwang MRT station as a place to sleep. It would have been easy for him to see this wad of cash as an opportunity to buy himself out of destitution.

However, he was quickly overwhelmed by a sense of moral duty and decided to find the businessman, the money’s rightful owner, so he took the wallet to the local police station.

But that was not the end of the story for Woralop; it seems that moral integrity is sometimes rewarded. The businessman, Nitty Pongkriangyos, was so impressed by Woralop’s honest gesture that he took it upon himself to show his gratitude.

Nitty Pongkriangyos is a steel factory owner, and upon discovering that Woralop was homeless, he offered the man a job. Money, possessions, and even a home are not necessary prerequisites for being a reliable employee, and Nitty recognized this. It was Woralop’s integrity and good values that swayed the businessman.

Nitty remarked, “Don’t be embarrassed to do good, and once in a while, try to be the one who gives. I feel so much happier now that I have helped that man, even more so than when I got my wallet back!”

Through a simple act of honesty, Woralop’s life changed for the better. He is no longer homeless, he is gainfully employed, and he lives comfortably in a hostel built specifically for the steel factory workers.

Nitty’s partner, Tarika Patty, posted the story on Facebook and captured the attention of thousands. “When you’re kind to another,” she wrote, “another is kind to you. Anyone can do good.”

Tarika was so touched by the homeless man’s honesty that she even took Woralop on a shopping spree for clothes and essentials. What a difference a good deed makes.

Woralop has all the reason in the world to celebrate his decision to return the wallet. The wad of cash he found, which may have bought him a month’s rent, a few clothes, and a few meals, pales in comparison to the life he has earned for himself. He hopes that his experience might encourage other people to live honestly, do good deeds, and reap the benefits.