"I love my gran - i don't know what I'd do without her" - inspirational 8 year old tugs at Thai heartstrings

[Jonathan Fairfield]

"I love my gran - i don't know what I'd do without her" - inspirational 8 year old tugs at Thai heartstrings

 

 

An eight year old boy taking responsibility for looking after his grandmother has tugged at the Thai heartstrings of people online.

 

A video and pictures showed Nong Tong going to market every day on a bicycle adapted for the purpose of selling vegetables.

 

Come rain or shine the pocket dynamo cycles off in the morning before school so he can make some money to look after the woman who has looked after him since he was 7 months old - his gran.

 

No one else helps out so the responsibility rests with this plucky young kid.

 

If there are any coins left over he puts them in a piggy bank in case they will need some extra funds one day.

 

Source: http://www.tnews.co.th/contents/bg/389857

 

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2017-12-13

 

[Thaiwrath]

Amazing kid.

I didn't understand the Thai, but it certainly brought tears to my eyes.

[ratcatcher]

A sad video that reflects the state of many children's lives in this country and similar in the world. What happened to his parents that granny must care for him?

It is scenes like this that make my blood boil when I see generally fat politicians displaying fancy jewelry the value of which would set this lad and others up until they can fend for themselves.

[greenchair]

I'm a grandmother  (turned mother) I have cared for my son for years working 7 days and nights. Nobody gave me any sympathy. Maybe it's because I'm white .I would never make my 8 year old work to support me. 

Why doesn't she get a job. ?

[DM07]

5 minutes ago, greenchair said:

I'm a grandmother  (turned mother) I have cared for my son for years working 7 days and nights. Nobody gave me any sympathy. Maybe it's because I'm white .I would never make my 8 year old work to support me. 

Why doesn't she get a job. ?

After writing this bunch of steaming BS, you really are surprised, no one gave you sympathy?!

 

[DM07]

Another tear- jerking story, from the land where "family" is so important and respect for your "elders" is so dominant, that an 8 year old has to take care of a grandmother!

Shame on you, Thailand!

Shame on you!

[greenchair]

4 minutes ago, DM07 said:

After writing this bunch of steaming BS, you really are surprised, no one gave you sympathy?!

 

Which part of that was bs. 

I'm not surprised at all, I never got sympathy because I never expected it. I don't see the big hooha of the above story. If she was white nobody would blink an eye.

Grandma raises boy. 

Boy earns his keep doing odd jobs. 

What's news about that? 

[greenchair]

10 minutes ago, DM07 said:

Another tear- jerking story, from the land where "family" is so important and respect for your "elders" is so dominant, that an 8 year old has to take care of a grandmother!

Shame on you, Thailand!

Shame on you!

That's a fancy house and tv for someone destitute. 

Oh and that shirt looks like a private school. And why is she sitting there counting the money whilst he works. Isn't that child labour? 

[bannork]

There are countless number of kids being brought up by their grandparents all over Thailand whilst their parents work in the Eastern Seaboard's industrial zones, Ayuttaya's  industrial estates, etc. A lot of those kids have a better quality of life living upcountry with its open spaces and freedom to cycle, go fishing, etc than they would in their parents' small apartment for rent with trucks roaring by every few seconds.

Naturally they are emotionally closer to their grandparents than their own mothers and fathers having being brought up by them. Things often change as the kids grow older though, and some move to live with their parents in the cities when they study  in high school.

This child is sadly not unique in seemingly being deserted by his parents, though in my experience the mother will usually keep in touch with her children even if she doesn't send money every month. It is a good feature of social media that cases of hardship can be highlighted and hopefully social services intervene to help the kids or elderly.

However personal misery has become entertainment on TV. For example, there is one programme on Workpoint called The Microphone Clears the Debt. It originated in Indonesia and consists of two long term debtors competing by singing. The judges elect one to go through to the next round, the loser, who may owe up to 400,000 baht or more, is given a desirory 5,000 baht. Prior to singing, the debtors must explain the origin of their debts and must cry freely in front of the cameras, along with one or two judges shedding a crocodile tear or two.

There are many programmes like this now where people's misfortunes and suffering is the focal point of the entertainment. The judges offer platitudes, advice anyone could suggest, as justification for the programmes.

Still , one could argue the programmes highlight suffering that may pass under the radar and hopefully help is at hand from officials.

[isaanbanhou]

2 hours ago, greenchair said:

I'm a grandmother  (turned mother) I have cared for my son for years working 7 days and nights. Nobody gave me any sympathy. Maybe it's because I'm white .I would never make my 8 year old work to support me. 

Why doesn't she get a job. ?

I pity you and even more I pity your grandchild.  

[greenchair]

8 hours ago, isaanbanhou said:

I pity you and even more I pity your grandchild.  

That's a rediculous comment.

Why would you pity my son when I said I work 7 days to care for him and I would never make him work to earn his home? 

[metisdead]

An off topic post has been removed as well as a reply. 

 

A troll post suggesting illegal activities has been removed. 

[isaanbanhou]

 

Just now, greenchair said:

That's a rediculous comment.

Why would you pity my son when I said I work 7 days to care for him and I would never make him work to earn his home? 

 

1. if you work 7 days a week, when do you care for him?

2. maybe it's because you needed to play the race card so quick

3. I find blowing others candles out doesn't make mine any brighter

 

 

[steven100]

The story did bring a tear to me. He is a brave young boy who is working hard to care for his granny. 

I would say a donation account will follow and if so i will donate to him to help.

[DM07]

14 hours ago, greenchair said:

Which part of that was bs. 

I'm not surprised at all, I never got sympathy because I never expected it. I don't see the big hooha of the above story. If she was white nobody would blink an eye.

Grandma raises boy. 

Boy earns his keep doing odd jobs. 

What's news about that? 

"Maybe it's because I 'm white!"

...just to give you an example!

And if you don't want sympathy: why even post, that you never got it?

 

[DM07]

14 hours ago, greenchair said:

That's a fancy house and tv for someone destitute. 

Oh and that shirt looks like a private school. And why is she sitting there counting the money whilst he works. Isn't that child labour? 

If I wear a jersey of the German National- football team...does that make me World Champion?

 

[cornishcarlos]

Not really sure what all the tears were about !!

They have a nice house. Looks like they have a mushroom farm set up too.

I guess granny works the mushrooms and other things that the wee lad sells ??

Apart from him having to get up so early, can't do any harm learning about business at such a young age :)

[chuang]

I am sure this has nothing to do with the color of the skin....

[greenchair]

12 minutes ago, DM07 said:

"Maybe it's because I 'm white!"

...just to give you an example!

And if you don't want sympathy: why even post, that you never got it?

 

Clearly you have missed the point. 

, the picture shows a nice well kept sturdy home. A boy in a private school uniform. A boy going to the market on a nice bicycle with products to sell from his granny that looks fit and healthy to Me. 

The granny counting all her ill gotten gains. How is this different from a paper run. How is this different from a single mother with 3 children working 2 jobs. Oh, my mistake, that would usually be a white woman deserted by her slack ass husband. It is a race thing. If black or ethnic you can expect donation pages, news articles, extra government help. Food hand outs and chrissy presents.  When did you ever see a white womens hardships pasted all over the pity columns. My friend is single with 3 children, 2 jobs and no food. My other friend is a married couple, both working with 4 kids to feed. If his grandy died he would go to live with another relative. This story is no different from hundreds of millions of your average Mary pooping and Joe blow trying to make a living. 

[greenchair]

27 minutes ago, DM07 said:

If I wear a jersey of the German National- football team...does that make me World Champion?

 

He is being interviewed at the school. So by the law he would be in school uniform. That's a private school uniform. They might struggle like the rest of the 98 percent of the world. But that are certainly not poor, from what I see in that video. 

[greenchair]

3 hours ago, steven100 said:

The story did bring a tear to me. He is a brave young boy who is working hard to care for his granny. 

I would say a donation account will follow and if so i will donate to him to help.

Well why don't you donate to me. my boy is top in math, science and English because we buy food with left over change so that we can pay for classes. He will miss out on the top government school because I can't afford thai classes and religious classes. We mostly live on rice and egg, sometimes we get chicken if I have a good month. 

Or what about my foreign friend she has 3 kids that she cannot take out of the country. Her crap ass husband has left her and she works 2 jobs, cleans the house, cooks and takes her kids to school and pick up 4 of them on one motorbike. She has to choose between shoes, food and school fees. Sometimes, if she's very careful she can save a few hundred baht in her money box. 

On top of all that every 3 months she has to trek down to the border to make her visa. On that month, the family scavengers from around the neighbourhood and the odd family member. 

Everyone is poor. It's not news. 

[isaanbanhou]

 

I'm sorry I am going to place you on ignore.  You are making me cry.

Open a gofundme page and tell the world your of your plight and

please, please share your views on black or ethnics in your appeal.

 

I am sure someone will send you new white sheets.....kkk

Edited December 14, 2017 by isaanbanhou

[MaeJoMTB]

51 minutes ago, greenchair said:

He is being interviewed at the school. So by the law he would be in school uniform. That's a private school uniform. They might struggle like the rest of the 98 percent of the world. But that are certainly not poor, from what I see in that video. 

I think you have a point, but to be fair, all the other posters hate me too.

[greenchair]

19 minutes ago, MaeJoMTB said:

I think you have a point, but to be fair, all the other posters hate me too.

That's funny. I love the ones that hate me the most. Makes for fun banter nah?

[greenchair]

38 minutes ago, isaanbanhou said:

 

I'm sorry I am going to place you on ignore.  You are making me cry.

Open a gofundme page and tell the world your of your plight and

please, please share your views on black or ethnics in your appeal.

 

I am sure someone will send you new white sheets.....kkk

Well I would open a go fund me but I'm not black or ethic. It would be shut down in hours, with people abusing me and telling me all about the poor black ethnic people. To me they looked like a nice normal family struggling to make ends meet. Like the rest of us. 

[Bluespunk]

9 minutes ago, greenchair said:

Well I would open a go fund me but I'm not black or ethic. It would be shut down in hours, with people abusing me and telling me all about the poor black ethnic people. To me they looked like a nice normal family struggling to make ends meet. Like the rest of us. 

Your continuous efforts to make this into a ethnicity issue is what I find bizarre. 

[greenchair]

1 hour ago, Bluespunk said:

Your continuous efforts to make this into a ethnicity issue is what I find bizarre. 

When was the last go fund me set up by an ethnic person for a white single female struggling to care for her child. If she was white there wouldn't be a story. 

I call a cat a cat. 

Just stating the facts. 

[Bluespunk]

10 minutes ago, greenchair said:

When was the last go fund me set up by an ethnic person for a white single female struggling to care for her child. If she was white there wouldn't be a story. 

I call a cat a cat. 

Just stating the facts. 

I don't look at every go fund me page, but as far as I know there is no racially based criteria for setting them up.

 

I've seen a number of them and there have been set up to help people of various ethnicities including Caucasian.

 

There is no reason not to set one up for your friend.

 

I really doubt there is a global conspiracy against single, white mothers.

 

If this story was happening in any country, no matter the ethnicity of the child involved, it would eventually make the news

 

 

 

Edited December 14, 2017 by Bluespunk

[DM07]

3 hours ago, greenchair said:

Clearly you have missed the point. 

, the picture shows a nice well kept sturdy home. A boy in a private school uniform. A boy going to the market on a nice bicycle with products to sell from his granny that looks fit and healthy to Me. 

The granny counting all her ill gotten gains. How is this different from a paper run. How is this different from a single mother with 3 children working 2 jobs. Oh, my mistake, that would usually be a white woman deserted by her slack ass husband. It is a race thing. If black or ethnic you can expect donation pages, news articles, extra government help. Food hand outs and chrissy presents.  When did you ever see a white womens hardships pasted all over the pity columns. My friend is single with 3 children, 2 jobs and no food. My other friend is a married couple, both working with 4 kids to feed. If his grandy died he would go to live with another relative. This story is no different from hundreds of millions of your average Mary pooping and Joe blow trying to make a living. 

I have missed the point...and you have missed, taking your meds!

[greenchair]

20 minutes ago, Bluespunk said:

I don't look at every go fund me page, but as far as I know there is no racially based criteria for setting them up.

 

I've seen a number of them and there have been set up to help people of various ethnicities including Caucasian.

 

There is no reason not to set one up for your friend.

 

I really doubt there is a global conspiracy against single, white mothers.

 

If this story was happening in any country, no matter the ethnicity of the child involved, it would eventually make the news

 

 

 

Why would it. They look perfectly healthy and happy. The boy is crying because obviously the interviewer has asked him how he would feel if his granny died. Most kids would cry if told to think about their granny dying. 

What's news about that.