Thai restaurant owner heartbroken after thieves swipe iconic rickshaw

The “hurtful” theft of a restaurant’s prized authentic red rickshaw has left the owner fearing it would become “just scrap in someone’s backyard”.

THE owner of a popular Thai restaurant is reeling after the business’s prized authentic red rickshaw was stolen early on Thursday morning.

Monsoon Thai Fusion owner Avtar Saini said the Thailand-made rickshaw had become a popular emblem of the Battery Point restaurant.

“I spent hours decorating, putting lights on it,” he said.

“I see so many tourists taking photographs of it. It’s very iconic and something very close to my heart.”

The rickshaw took pride of place outside the Monsoon Thai Fusion restaurant. Picture: Instagram

But since the large item was stolen from its position at the front of the eatery, Mr Saini has said “we don’t feel like the same restaurant”.

“It’s very heartbreaking, it’s very hurtful,” he said.

Mr Saini feared the large item would end up as “just a scrap in someone’s backyard”.

He estimated buying a new rickshaw would cost $5000, plus $8000 for international delivery.

“The earliest I can get a rickshaw back in is January,” he said.

Monsoon Thai owner Avtar Saini. Picture: Eddie Safarik

The rickshaw all lit up. Picture: Avtar Saini

Mr Saini marvelled at how such a large item could be removed.

“I bought a chain from Bunnings to secure it,” he said.

“Bunnings told me ‘we don’t have the equipment to break the chain’, because the chain is that big.”

But the restaurateur was encouraged by the Hobart City Council’s recent installation of a security camera in the area, and said police investigators were “doing a very good job”.

Avtar Saini, his wife Pimrawin Sitthimongkhon and co-owner and head chef Thikumporn Prasitpitiniwat on the empty space where their iconic rickshaw used to sit. Picture: Avtar Saini

A Tasmania Police spokeswoman confirmed the red rickshaw and several statues were stolen from the Hampden Rd property between 5.30am and 6am on Thursday.

“CCTV shows unknown person/s in a white Prado towing a trailer removed the items and drove from the area,” the spokeswoman said.

Investigations are ongoing.

Anyone with information about the theft or location of the items is asked to contact police on 131 444 or Crime Stoppers anonymously on 1800 333 000.