PHUKET: A four-year-old girl has issued a heartfelt plea to a thief to return several of her beloved flowering plants that he stole from outside her family home in the early hours of Thursday morning (Jan 27).
The girl’s father, Wigan Phumraksa, explained that the five plants, worth a total of B5,000, were arranged on a shelf and on the floor with others outside their rented room in Soi Bangcheelao, just off Thepkrasattri Rd in Ratsada.
Mr Wigan and his young daughter, Green, had planted the one white spotted Alocasia and four Caladiums together and she took meticulous care of them each day.
“The plants are her pride and joy,” Mr Wigan explained to The Phuket News. “She cherishes them and cares for them each morning and evening, something she has done since we first planted them.
“It is not the monetary value of the plants that is important here but the sentimental value and importance of them to my 4-year-old daughter,” Mr Wigan added.
On discovering the plants were missing on Thursday morning, Mr Wigan requested CCTV footage from his landlord in an effort to understand what had happened.
The footage showed a man wearing a grey T-shirt, white shorts and a facemask loitering nearby the house before eventually approaching the property at 3:11am. He then proceeded to take the five plants one-by-one back to his motorcycle, which was parked nearby, before riding off.
In an effort to retrieve the beloved plants, Mr Wigan posted a video clip of the CCTV footage on the Caladium Phuket Facebook Group. It was not confirmed whether an official report with police had been made.
“I love and cherish my plants so much,” commented a visibly upset Green, with the help of her father.
“My father and I planted them together. When they are exposed to the sun in the morning they are beautiful,” she added.
“But now the thief came at night and stole them. I am very sad and just want the thief to take pity on me.
“Please bring back my plants,” she lamented.
Source: The Phuket News