During this past weekend’s Buddhist holiday, two women were caught on security cam leaving a Bangkok temple in different shoes than the ones they wore in, and — fashion faux pas alert — the shoes are clearly not their size.
Facebook user Zomjeed Good Lucky said she visited Paknam Phasi Charoen Temple on Saturday, the start of Buddhist Lent, but after she finished making merit and came out of the hall, her fancy sandals had gone missing.
It’s common for Thai temples to request visitors to leave their shoes outside what is considered sacred ground.
“I was there to make merit and didn’t think anyone would steal from me,” she said in a broadcast interview.
Zomjeed said her shoes are from Shuberry, a Thai brand that makes cushioned shoes just like Fitflops, and they don’t come cheap — about THB1,990 (US$60).
She asked the temple to check their CCTV footage, and it turns out the perpetrators came in pairs. The woman who walked out in Zomjeed’s Shuberry shoes had gone into the temple wearing flip-flops.
Meanwhile, her partner in crime, who also came to the temple in flip-flops, left in a pair of cushioned sandals.
After Zomjeed went public with the story, she told Coconuts that the thief contacted her and returned her shoes today.
The user refused to say whether theft charges were filed, but hey, at least the story ended with repentance. Looks like someone spent the rest of their Buddhist holiday in self-reflection.
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