Fisherman discovers yellow lump he kept in his shed in Thailand for five years is whale vomit worth £25,000 – and says he ‘really regrets’ carving it for fun because it would be worth even more
- Suwat Chitchanthuek, 58, found the unusual object at sea in Thailand in 2014
- He kept it in his shed and carved it with a knife without realising the item’s value
- Now he has realised it is ambergris, a substance used in perfume and medicine
A fisherman has discovered that a mystery yellow lump he found at sea is in fact a chunk of whale vomit worth £25,000 – and said he ‘really regrets’ reducing its value by tinkering with it for fun.
Suwat Chitchanthuek found the unusual object in Thailand in 2014 and kept it at home for five years.
Without knowing its value, he would carve with it a knife when he was bored at his workshop.
But when stories of similar finds emerged in the news, 58-year-old Suwat checked his find and realised it was a lump of ambergris, a rare ingredient used in fine perfume.
This yellow object which fisherman Suwat Chitchanthuek discovered in 2014 has turned out to be a £25,000 lump of ambergris, also known as whale vomit
Suwat Chitchanthuek, pictured with his lump of whale vomit, said he regrets carving it for fun in his workshop, saying it would now be worth more
The waxy substance, produced in a whale’s digestive system, is used as an ingredient in perfumes.
Suwat had spotted the giant yellow lump floating in the sea in Rayong, eastern Thailand and took hit home because he thought it was unusual.
In February, a similar stone was found in the south of Thailand, renewing his interest in the sea object.
On investigating the matter, his family were surprised to learn that the item in his home could now be worth up to one million Thai baht (£25,000).
Suwat holds up the lump which he spotted at sea five years ago and took home because he thought it was unusual
Suwat said that he would have taken a better care of it if he knew before that it could make him a lot of money.
He said: ‘It was heavier and bigger when I first caught it because nobody in this village knew what it was.
‘Sometimes when I was bored, I carved it with the knife to kill time which made it smaller. Now, I really regret doing that.’
Ambergris, which is also known as whale ambergris or grey amber, has been prized for centuries and is used as a fixative for fine perfumes and medicines.