A foreign backpacker making his first visit to Thailand was planning an island getaway in the South, but after a miscommunication he ended up in the North nearly 1,200 kilometres away. 

He also lost his wallet on the way back.           A policeman in Suphan Buri province shared the story of the visitor, identified only as Jack, on his Facebook account on Wednesday.

According to the officer’s post, the backpacker told a driver he wanted to go to Koh Tao, a popular tourist island in the southern province of Surat Thani. But the driver took him to the North, believing his passenger had said “Doi Tao”, a district in the northern province of Chiang Mai.

When the mistake was finally realised, the visitor was dropped off in Lamphun province, next to Chiang Mai. A cabbage truck driver who was heading for Ratchaburi picked up Jack, who was trying to hitch another ride towards his real destination.

On the way, they stopped for a meal at a petrol station in Suphan Buri. Afterward, as they travelled through Song Phi Nong district of the province, Jack realised he’d lost his wallet.

A Thai woman had collected the wallet that contained his passport and cash and took it to the Muang Suphan Buri police.

The cabbage truck driver could not bring Jack back to Muang district because he had to deliver his vegetables to Ratchaburi on time.

Police officers from Song Phi Nong then took Jack to the Muang district station to meet the woman who had found his wallet.

Local police also found him accommodation for the night before he continued the rest of his journey the following day.