An unexpected discovery inside an old cabinet turned into a remarkable story of honesty for one South Carolina restaurant owner.
Sak Yiengjuntuek, owner of Lemongrass Vietnamese Pho & Thai Cuisine in Myrtle Beach, recently found $12,000 in cash tucked inside a sunglasses case while cleaning out furniture left behind by a former tenant. Rather than keeping the money, he made it his mission to find the rightful owner and return every dollar.
The surprising discovery came after months of disruption caused by a fire at a neighboring furniture store on New Year’s Day. The blaze knocked out power to several nearby businesses, including Yiengjuntuek’s restaurant, for an extended period. Once electricity was finally restored, he began clearing out old cabinets that had been left behind and stored outside.
While sorting through one of the cabinets, he noticed a sunglasses case that caught his attention. Curious, he opened it and found it packed with stacks of $100 bills. It quickly became clear to him that the money likely belonged to the building’s previous occupant.
Instead of viewing the unexpected cash as a lucky break, Yiengjuntuek immediately started searching for the former owner. His first attempts were unsuccessful because the phone number he had was no longer in service. Eventually, he remembered having another contact number and was finally able to reach him.
The call brought an emotional response. The former owner was overwhelmed to learn that the money had been found and safely returned. According to Yiengjuntuek, the timing could not have been better, as the man has been facing significant medical expenses during an ongoing health battle.
News of the act of honesty quickly spread throughout Myrtle Beach. Customers, neighbors, and even workers at the local post office stopped to congratulate Yiengjuntuek, thanking him for doing what many described as the right thing. Although he never expected public recognition, he said the encouragement from the community has been meaningful.
For Yiengjuntuek, returning the money was never a difficult decision. He believes integrity matters more than personal gain and hopes his experience reminds others that honesty still exists.
His simple message is one he hopes people will remember: always choose to do the right thing, even when no one is watching. In an era when stories of dishonesty often dominate the headlines, his actions serve as a reminder that character and integrity continue to make a lasting impact.
