A motorcycle taxi rider in Thailand has struck gold after spending just 150 baht on two second-hand items that turned out to be worth more than 100,000 baht.
Chokcherd Duangngern, 45, who rides motorcycle taxi number 53, bought a tarnished silver box and a bracelet at a flea market beside the railway line in Rangsit, Pathum Thani.
He paid 100 baht for the box and just 50 baht for the bracelet, believing the latter was merely costume jewellery.
On Aug 28, Chokcherd and his girlfriend brought the items to Mangkorn Lom Thong gold shop in Thanyaburi district to have them checked.
Shop staff tested both items and were surprised by what they found.
The box was genuine silver weighing 156.88g and was purchased by the shop for 9,844 baht.
The bracelet was even more valuable. Testing showed it was gold with an estimated purity of between 80% and 90%. Weighing 24.30g, it fetched 94,881 baht.
Together, the two flea market finds earned Chokcherd 104,725 baht — turning his 150-baht investment into a massive profit.
The gold shop later shared footage of the discovery online, while Thai broadcaster Channel 3 tracked Chokcherd down for an interview on Sept 13.
The unexpected windfall came at a particularly difficult time for Chokcherd, whose own motorcycle had recently been stolen.
He had been relying on his mother’s old, battered motorcycle to continue working as a taxi rider.
What he thought was a cheap bracelet from a flea market has now proved to be a far more valuable find.
