In a peculiar turn of events, a noodle shop owner in Chanthaburi Province found himself in disbelief when four Chinese gem merchants, after consuming seven bowls of noodles, mistakenly transferred over 300,000 baht. The incident unfolded on March 5, 2024, at Jumbo A Noodle Shop, situated opposite the KP Grand Hotel on Trirat Road in Chanthanimit Subdistrict, Mueang District.
Upon arriving at the noodle shop, reporters were met with a bustling scene. Smart Wongnapa, 49 years old, the proprietor of the establishment, and his staff were diligently serving a queue of eager customers. Amidst the busy atmosphere, Mr. Wongnapa recounted the unusual occurrence involving the Chinese patrons.
According to Mr. Wongnapa, four Chinese gemstone merchants had visited the shop earlier that day, ordering a total of seven bowls of noodles amounting to 210 baht. When it came time to settle the bill, the customers opted to transfer the payment electronically. However, upon checking the shop’s account balance, Mr. Wongnapa was taken aback to discover an excess transfer of 333,210 baht.
Realizing the mistake, Mr. Wongnapa swiftly sought out the group of customers, who were still nearby. Despite the customers’ willingness to reimburse the shop for the unintended overpayment, Mr. Wongnapa declined, understanding that such errors can occur unintentionally.
The incident shed light on the goodwill between the shop owner and his customers. Mr. Wongnapa shared that instances of forgetfulness, such as leaving belongings behind, have occurred in the past, prompting the shop to go the extra mile to return items to their rightful owners.
In addition to the curious incident, reporters seized the opportunity to inquire about the shop’s renowned noodle recipe. Mr. Wongnapa gladly revealed that the shop takes pride in its homemade noodles, prepared fresh daily for over eight years. Moreover, during the recent challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the shop extended its generosity by providing noodles to frontline healthcare workers, earning admiration and gratitude from the community.
The episode at Jumbo A Noodle Shop serves as a testament to the camaraderie and integrity fostered within local businesses and their patrons, highlighting the resilience and compassion prevailing in society, even in the face of unforeseen circumstances.
