Money pours in for Brit and Thai wife and child down on their luck in Buriram

[webfact]

Money pours in for Brit and Thai wife and child down on their luck in Buriram

 

 

Money has poured in for a British man and his Thai family who are suffering in Buriram in Thailand's north east.

 

Martin Anderson, 65, and his wife Thanyalak Sapanya were featured on a Facebook appeal on the page of Bhin Fanclub.

 

The post said that Mr Anderson has been in Thailand for thirty years. He used to work in the Pattaya area in a variety of companies over the years.

 

But in the last year he was not paid by a company for five months and now has no money at all.

 

To compound matters he fell down and is now unable to walk and needs constant care from his wife. She herself is blind in one eye and comes from an impoverished family.

 

They met ten years ago and have been together ever since. They have a child in P5 (fifth year of primary school) who is unable to attend classes now.

 

The wife needs to do everything - including take care of her husband's toilet cleansing as he is unable to wipe himself.

 

They got behind in the rent and are now obliged to live in a filthy shack with Thanyalak's mother.

 

 

Bhin Banleurit said they were in a desperate situation. He has already handed over 25,000 baht and was hugged for his kindness.

 

A plea was made for donations to the couple and their child and many posters in the initial swathe of reactions showed bank transfer slips showing they had transferred money.

 

Some praised the couple for their love in the week of Valentine's.

 

The story has been shared around 15,000 times tugging at the heartstrings of Thais.

 

Those who might like to donate to the family can do so via SCB # 221 226 8739 in the name of Thanyalak Sapanya, the wife.

 

The family live in Laharn Sai district of Buriram.

 

Source Bhin.fanclub.

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2018-02-16

 

[Thaiwrath]

These donations will do them for a short period of time, but the fund should have, realistically, been set up to get him a one way ticket to his home country. The way it is now, there is no long term solution.

[colinneil]

Sorry he has lived here 30 years, and has made no provision for his old age.

I am paraplegic, my wife has to take care of all my needs, yes even toilet.

Do i go am the internet begging? no just get on with it.

[khwaibah]

Make me ask ..What is his official status for visa and does Buriram Immigration know?

[smedly]

9 minutes ago, colinneil said:

Sorry he has lived here 30 years, and has made no provision for his old age.

I am paraplegic, my wife has to take care of all my needs, yes even toilet.

Do i go am the internet begging? no just get on with it.

surely he has a UK state pension of some sort and no harm to him but his health issues look like he has stuffed himself over the years into a slug state, does he smoke drink ?

 

Pretty sad state of affairs that only he has responsibility for

[watcharacters]

14 minutes ago, colinneil said:

Sorry he has lived here 30 years, and has made no provision for his old age.

I am paraplegic, my wife has to take care of all my needs, yes even toilet.

Do i go am the internet begging? no just get on with it.

 

 

Sorry but you did not beg in time.

 

You could have played it for millions perhaps..?

 

 

[sanemax]

34 minutes ago, webfact said:

To compound matters he fell down

And hes still there

[colinneil]

8 minutes ago, watcharacters said:

 

 

Sorry but you did not beg in time.

 

You could have played it for millions perhaps..?

 

 

  My pride would never allow me to beg off anyone.

Always done things myself always will.

[watcharacters]

7 minutes ago, colinneil said:

  My pride would never allow me to beg off anyone.

Always done things myself always will.

 

 

 

You have HIGH standards..

 

 

[watcharacters]

37 minutes ago, Thaiwrath said:

These donations will do them for a short period of time, but the fund should have, realistically, been set up to get him a one way ticket to his home country. The way it is now, there is no long term solution.

 

 

 

Soylent Green, I'm afraid..

 

How long does the lad want to live?

 

Go out in peace..

[PremiumLane]

42 minutes ago, colinneil said:

Sorry he has lived here 30 years, and has made no provision for his old age.

I am paraplegic, my wife has to take care of all my needs, yes even toilet.

Do i go am the internet begging? no just get on with it.

yada, yada, if you do't want to help then just shut up about it... of course you want to do a bit of virtue signalling though.

 

Some people get down on their luck because of different circumstances.

[Rc2702]

Here we go again. This is story 1 but the unfolding is yet to begin. 

 

 

[mercman24]

christ , this guy is grossly overweight, probably the reason he fell over, my sister is the same, so i think i can comment, the first thing is, your joints , ie, knees then ankles cannot sustain the weight and give up, next thing ya know you are immobile.

[watcharacters]

 

 

Send what you can afford.

 

Do not worry about if is a scam or not.

 

 

Give blindly to the lad who could not manage his life.

 

Good goal.

 

 

[sanemax]

Just now, mercman24 said:

christ , this guy is grossly overweight, 

Although hes usually portrayed as being rather skinny in the crucifix images

[Enoon]

22 minutes ago, colinneil said:

  My pride would never allow me to beg off anyone.

Always done things myself always will.

 

Then make a DIY "Human Interest" film Colin.

 

Just get someone to video you having your usual day and talking ordinarily (no appeals) then upload it to youtube with a contact.

 

It'll develop of it's own after that.

 

 

[apalink_thailand]

I’ve lived in TH for 30 years too and this man is 13 years older than me. He got to TH when he was 35 back when the boom years were on and an expat could make a living. Presumably he did just that and didnt just wade into the Pattaya drink & sex scene for 30 years. I suppose what I am surprised to hear is that this man seems to have no solid base of friends in support here. It’s quite sad. Maybe I have been lucky and met good people over the years that have been long lasting friends, who I know, would always have my back. Both Thai and Foreign. Anyhow, let’s hope he sorts himself out and that the Embassy can at least give him some support. Doesn't sound like he has much long term prospects in TH any more.

[colinneil]

10 minutes ago, PremiumLane said:

yada, yada, if you do't want to help then just shut up about it... of course you want to do a bit of virtue signalling though.

 

Some people get down on their luck because of different circumstances.

No down on his luck through his own neglect.

[Denim]

21 minutes ago, smedly said:

do you actually have anything to contribute to the topic of this thread because you have contributed nothing with this post

On the contrary, I have hopefully nipped in the bud a lot of posts that might otherwise have appeared such as :

 

' If you can't afford insurance you should not be in Thailand ....end of '

 

Which not only contribute nothing but also kick a man who is down. Not that with this remark :

 

 look like he has stuffed himself over the years into a slug state,

 

you seem to have been deterred in any way. A really great contibution.

[worgeordie]

There but for the grace of God,could also apply to

quite a few on here,at least he's not alone,who knows

what has happened in his life, whichever company

he worked for and has not paid his salary,needs to be

named and shamed, (anonymously of course,not easy

to tell the truth in Thailand,they have laws against it).

 

regards Worgeordie

[Enoon]

20 minutes ago, mercman24 said:

christ , this guy is grossly overweight, probably the reason he fell over, my sister is the same, so i think i can comment, the first thing is, your joints , ie, knees then ankles cannot sustain the weight and give up, next thing ya know you are immobile.

 

I have a work colleague in the "knee phase".

 

He's still snarfing through the chips, pies, saveloys and packets of chocolate digestives (sometimes 2 a day) though.

 

He blames "bad physio" for not curing his knee trouble.

 

 

[Orton Rd]

Some Thai orphanages, Schools, Hospitals and old people's homes could do with money pouring in as well, and they are all more deserving than a fat old irresponsible foreigner. Another one who must have hundreds of thousands in the bank (unless he's another cheating the system) that could be spent, and another that needs to go back home. 

If he has an ounce of sense he would have paying his NI contributions and will be shortly in receipt of his pension of about 6.5k baht a week at the full rate

[Lacessit]

Is there a pattern here? Seems to me it's only Brits that are (a) down on their luck (b) get publicity on Thai Visa.

I find it a bit hard to believe anyone on a Western pension system is completely penniless. Although perhaps he never applied for one.

 

[Enoon]

11 minutes ago, Denim said:

 

 

 

 

 

Which not only contribute nothing but also kick a man who is down.

 

And not likely to get up, looking at the size of him.

 

(Thanks for the feed)

 

 

[Lacessit]

5 minutes ago, Enoon said:

 

He's still snarfing through the chips, pies, saveloys and packets of chocolate digestives (sometimes 2 a day) though.

 

 

 

I would have thought the term "chocolate digestive" is an oxymoron.

[Enoon]

5 minutes ago, Enoon said:

 

 

(Thanks for the feed)

 

 

 

A phrase that needs to be heard less from him.

 

 

[Enoon]

3 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

I would have thought the term "chocolate digestive" is an oxymoron.

 

You're not British?

 

 

[GroveHillWanderer]

1 hour ago, smedly said:

surely he has a UK state pension of some sort 

Not necessarily - not if he didn't choose to make voluntary National Insurance contributions. 

[Orton Rd]

20 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

Is there a pattern here? Seems to me it's only Brits that are (a) down on their luck (b) get publicity on Thai Visa.

I find it a bit hard to believe anyone on a Western pension system is completely penniless. Although perhaps he never applied for one.

 

You don't apply to get on the pension scheme but do have to apply for payments to start. Even if he had not contributed since leaving the UK he would get something for 20 years contributions, assuming he worked or signed on unemployed for a total of that time. Guessing 12k a month. You just need ten years contributions to get a pension payout of some sort. I think his payment would start at 65.5 years now.

[Letseng]

29 minutes ago, apalink_thailand said:

I’ve lived in TH for 30 years too and this man is 13 years older than me. He got to TH when he was 35 back when the boom years were on and an expat could make a living. Presumably he did just that and didnt just wade into the Pattaya drink & sex scene for 30 years. I suppose what I am surprised to hear is that this man seems to have no solid base of friends in support here. It’s quite sad. Maybe I have been lucky and met good people over the years that have been long lasting friends, who I know, would always have my back. Both Thai and Foreign. Anyhow, let’s hope he sorts himself out and that the Embassy can at least give him some support. Doesn't sound like he has much long term prospects in TH any more.

Never wait for the embassy to help. They help if you have money or if they can be sure you can pay back. Whatever the reason for his penniless situation is, I feel sorry for him. Nobody knows what the future holds. Everybody can end up in a tight situation. The savings for a rainy day don't last forever. I doubt this guy held a top exec position where he could put a lot aside.