Myrtle Beach Restaurant Owner Brightens a Life by Returning $12,000 Found in Old Cabinet
Courtesy of Sak Yiengjuntuek
A wonderful act of honesty in Myrtle Beach is earning warm praise after restaurant owner Sak Yiengjuntuek discovered $12,000 in cash and immediately set out to return it to its rightful owner.
Yiengjuntuek, who owns Lemongrass Pho & Thai Cuisine, was clearing out old standing tool chests left behind by the restaurant’s previous owner. The cabinets seemed like unwanted leftovers, but curiosity led him to look inside before getting rid of them.
Tucked away, he found a simple sunglasses case.
“I saw the sunglasses case and then, you know, of course, when you see something like that, you want to open and look,” he told TODAY.
Inside was a stack of $100 bills.
“I was so shocked,” Yiengjuntuek says. “I knew right then that it belonged to the previous owner.”
From that moment, his purpose was clear. The money was not his, and he wanted to make sure it reached the person it belonged to. He first tried calling the number he had for the former owner, but it had been disconnected.
Still determined, Yiengjuntuek turned to local NBC affiliate WMBF, hoping that sharing the story on television might help reconnect him with the owner of the cash.
Then, in a joyful twist, while he was live on the air, he suddenly remembered that he had another phone number saved under a different name. He explained the discovery to the camera and called the number immediately.
When the previous owner answered, Yiengjuntuek’s relief and happiness came through clearly.
“I have some good news for you,” he said.
The story became even more meaningful when WLBT later learned that the owner of the money had been facing a serious health problem. For many in the Myrtle Beach community, Yiengjuntuek’s choice became a shining example of kindness, integrity, and doing good when no one is requiring it.
He hopes the moment encourages others to choose honesty, too.
“I just want to say: Do the right thing,” Yiengjuntuek told TODAY. “Don’t give up honesty.”
