A granny's tears of joy as "Kindest German in Thailand" continues charity mission!

[webfact]

A granny's tears of joy as "Kindest German in Thailand" continues charity mission!

 

Picture: Sophon Cable

 

A man who has been called the "Kindest German in Thailand" is now helping a destitute granny find a better life in Pattaya.

 

Herr Reiner Abele along with his wife Ankhana and two other good Samaritans heard about the plight of 69 year old Bunreuan Phantaem.

 

"Khun Yai Bunreuan" was living in a shack in an area of Bang Lamung before her son died four months ago.

 

After that she moved out because she didn't feel safe with the drugged up youth in the area believing it was only a matter of time before they stole the money she made selling nuts to buy Ya Ba.

 

Picture: Sophon Cable

 

So she went to live in a rundown shack near the entrance to the delivery room at a local hospital. It is incredibly basic but at least she feels safe there.

 

The problem is it is too far from the area where she once managed to scrape an existence.

 

Herr Reiner - featured earlier this week giving alms to monks and distributing food to the homeless on Beach Road - heard about her abject plight and swung into action with two local pals.

 

Picture: Sophon Cable

 

Yesterday he went to see her with Worachet Empia who is also known as Chet Smile Buffalo. Completing the charity party was Jaroonsak Roopkhamdee a local historian better known as Lung Too.

 

Khun Yai Bunreuan greeted them with smiles and a heartfelt wai as the men pledged to do their best to help gran.

 

Chet Smile Buffalo gave her some money and dried foodstuffs to tide her over while Lung Too promised to follow up on her case and keep the help coming.

 

While Herr Reiner promised to find her a new place to live near where she used to be so she wouldn't have to walk too far. He also pledged to help her with the rent, help her enjoy a better standard of living and make representations to secure assistance from the local authority.

 

Khun Yai thanked all concerned with tears in her eyes, reported Sophon Cable TV on Facebook as posters gave their own thanks on behalf of the old lady.

 

Source: Sophon Cable

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2018-02-22

[Justgrazing]

Worachet Empia who is also known as Chet Smile Buffalo .! Eh .. I'm all for nicknames but where's that coming from .. 

[Get Real]

Sure, we must all appreciate this mans heart and feeling thowards his fellow human beeings. It´s a really nice thing to do.

[stanleycoin]

What a very nice man

Good job 

[thaifan01]

An example to follow, well done 

[canuckamuck]

Yes good for him, nice to see someone making a difference in a tangible way.

However just from observation, the spotlight is not often a good place for foreigners here. It has a tendency to burn a little too bright and people love to turn on a media darling. Best to get back below the radar for a while.

[johng]

Worachet Empia who is also known as Chet Smile Buffalo .! Eh .. I'm all for nicknames but where's that coming from .. 

Don't know if their still going or not but there was a Thai rock/pop group called Smile Buffalo maybe Chet is a member ?

[alfalfa19]

Well done Sir, my hat is off to you. 

[dotpoom]

I have been asking for many years now.....where are the charitable organizations that help the elderly. 

  I wasn't long living in Thailand (Pattaya at first) when I noticed all these businesses and organizations constantly donating to childrens charities....when I'd ask....why not the same effort for the elderlyI was met with blank stares.

   Eventually, I went to a convent to find an answer to my question. I was told that it was because "the family of the elderly took care of them".

   I got involved with the Father Ray foundation later on through one of the nuns. I happened to be walking with one of the " house mother's" one day and remarked how sad it was for the children there at the home who had no parents etc.,...She suddenly went silent...."what's wrong" I asked.

  "You feel sorry for these children".. she asked  "They have a far better life than I had". She went on to explain that they are never hungry, always have nice cloths, go to school (with daily pocket money) get all their books bought for them.

  She went on to say....her Mother took her out of school when she was old enough to go selling on the street carrying that long bambo stick thing with a basket on each end. She was always hungry, tired, poor and never happy.

  I have thought long and hard about that day since.

PS.... Her Mother ended up in a Wat but they couldn't take care of her after she became immobile. Through that same Nun I met we managed to get the Mother into a Nursing Home ( the daughter had never heard of such a home) where she eventually died.

Edited February 22, 2018 by dotpoom

[inThailand]

Clearly he's not a typical TV poster. Good on him!

[chrisinth]

1 hour ago, canuckamuck said:

Yes good for him, nice to see someone making a difference in a tangible way.

However just from observation, the spotlight is not often a good place for foreigners here. It has a tendency to burn a little too bright and people love to turn on a media darling. Best to get back below the radar for a while.

You said that better than I could have canuckamuck, but my thoughts exactly..........

 

It is great to have a nature for helping people with the only reward wanted is the feeling of sabai sabai, but now that he is indeed in the spotlight the world will expect 'the world' from this kind guy and his wife.

 

Unfortunately I can see a conflicting story about Herr Reiner as to why he is so jai dee as people dig into his past. Just a feeling....

Edited February 22, 2018 by chrisinth

[sungod]

14 minutes ago, dotpoom said:

I have thought long and hard about that day since.

 

As I will now remember your post!

[johng]

Hey I guessed right there he is again in the black t shirt

 

 

I liked their first album Smile Buffalo พ.ศ. 2538

they had a hit with  "too good"     track  number 6. ดีเกินไป

[trianglechoke]

Finally a topic that even the trolls of Thai Visa can't screw up!

 

Awesome guy. Most here would put there parents in a  home for a share of her house sale.

[MaxLee]

As fellow German I must say: "Sehr gut. Korrekt, man."

[Formaleins]

Who picks up these stories and decides to run with them?

 

As usual it is over reported, and give it a few days and this kindly German is going to end up with a backlash of hate.

 

These people should just keep a low profile and stop drawing attention to themselves, they are putting themselves in a position to get shot down quickly.

[geisha]

Unfortunately here, if you don’t have children or children can’t help you when you’re elderly, then you are left to your own devices. I see many old people here that are obviously down and out and it’s  heartbreaking.So where are the government and the charities when the old aged need help ? 

[Zack61]

Hats off to you Herr Abele your efforts are indeed commendable. 

I now wonder who will be dubbed kindest Italian, Japanese, Russian or Australian all culminating in the kindest farang award and ultimately the kindest person in Thailand. I await the judges’ final decision 

[drgoon]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

they stole the money she made selling nuts to buy Ya Ba.

 

 

555 sounds a bit dodgy.

 

Good on those boys though. Well done

[Lupatria]

1 hour ago, MaxLee said:

As fellow German I must say: "Sehr gut. Korrekt, man."

...and finally we get to know someone who is actually "bringing happiness to the people". Respect Sir! 

[captspectre]

1 hour ago, dotpoom said:

I have been asking for many years now.....where are the charitable organizations that help the elderly. 

  I wasn't long living in Thailand (Pattaya at first) when I noticed all these businesses and organizations constantly donating to childrens charities....when I'd ask....why not the same effort for the elderlyI was met with blank stares.

   Eventually, I went to a convent to find an answer to my question. I was told that it was because "the family of the elderly took care of them".

   I got involved with the Father Ray foundation later on through one of the nuns. I happened to be walking with one of the " house mother's" one day and remarked how sad it was for the children there at the home who had no parents etc.,...She suddenly went silent...."what's wrong" I asked.

  "You feel sorry for these children".. she asked  "They have a far better life than I had". She went on to explain that they are never hungry, always have nice cloths, go to school (with daily pocket money) get all their books bought for them.

  She went on to say....her Mother took her out of school when she was old enough to go selling on the street carrying that long bambo stick thing with a basket on each end. She was always hungry, tired, poor and never happy.

  I have thought long and hard about that day since.

PS.... Her Mother ended up in a Wat but they couldn't take care of her after she became immobile. Through that same Nun I met we managed to get the Mother into a Nursing Home ( the daughter had never heard of such a home) where she eventually died.

Nursing Home? I have never heard of anything like that in Thailand. where might that be? it would be good to know for an expat with a thai extended family.

 

[connda]

Well that's nice of him.  Good guy. 

 

But as canuckamuck aptly noted, he's become a 'media darling.'  It's sort of similar to working for a company or corporation who elevate an individual employee as somehow being so special that the executives trip over themselves to heap accolades on this person, yet the rank and file, knowing the individual, understand that in actuality s/he's isn't different that most of the other employees, but has somehow been anointed.  Everybody likes a feel-good story, 'eh?  Until you understand that it's disingenuous in it's artificiality.

So, too bad nobody notices the rest of the expat community who engage in good-deeds for their communities and support extended families who otherwise might just might end up like destitute grandma.  Those who get no notice other than to be considered a 'security risk' by the Thai government, always a potential 'bad guy' who must be constantly watched and monitored, and are treated like dirt for their acts of goodness, charity, and support of their family and for the Thai communities they live in.  The kindness in that segment of our expat community tends to be conveniently overlooked by the media, as well as social media, in favor of 'anointing' one individual as somehow being - special.
A pedestal for one; a bucket for all the rest...

So, raise one person onto a pedestal and heap praise on them about how wonderful, kind, and socially integrated into the Thai community he is in one breath, while heaping scorn on most of the rest of the male expat community with one broad-brush stoke referring to virtually all the rest as beer-soak, sex-addled 'foreigners' who otherwise have no redeeming value to Thai society, no less their own.

But, hey - everyone loves a feel-good story, 'eh? 

Edited February 22, 2018 by connda

[JSixpack]

1 hour ago, trianglechoke said:

Finally a topic that even the trolls of Thai Visa can't screw up!

 

Almost. The fortunate thing is that the article didn't say anything good about Thais for the bigots to seize upon. However, our whataboutistas are starting to jump in to screw it up anyway w/ off topic pontificating.

 

Quote

Awesome guy. Most here would put there parents in a  home for a share of her house sale.

 

Awesome guy, yes.

Edited February 22, 2018 by JSixpack

[kcpattaya]

At least 'someone' who cares.

As Thais completely ignore their surroundings.
 

[lvr181]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

Yesterday he went to see her with Worachet Empia who is also known as Chet Smile Buffalo. Completing the charity party was Jaroonsak Roopkhamdee a local historian better known as Lung Too.

Well done to them.

 

Yes, there are good people about, just don't seem to be among the Kingdoms authorities though. 

[sawadee1947]

1 hour ago, chrisinth said:

You said that better than I could have canuckamuck, but my thoughts exactly..........

 

It is great to have a nature for helping people with the only reward wanted is the feeling of sabai sabai, but now that he is indeed in the spotlight the world will expect 'the world' from this kind guy and his wife.

 

Unfortunately I can see a conflicting story about Herr Reiner as to why he is so jai dee as people dig into his past. Just a feeling....

Are you envy him because you feel too rotten to do as him? ?

[HOOD Robin]

i appreciate what this dude is doing for the poor elderly people.

But i do NOT appreciate that he gives EVERY day alms to the monks as these guys are NOT poor !

Instead he should give those alms to these old poor folks....

[shackleton]

Yes good on the guy helping the poor

 but as many will know or proberly do  when you marry a Thai woman 

most of us take on the responsibility of helping the immediate family whether 

It  be building a house putting the kids through school basically ensuring they all have a good quality of life

The unsung heroes 

[billmichael]

2 hours ago, dotpoom said:

I have been asking for many years now.....where are the charitable organizations that help the elderly. 

  I wasn't long living in Thailand (Pattaya at first) when I noticed all these businesses and organizations constantly donating to childrens charities....when I'd ask....why not the same effort for the elderlyI was met with blank stares.

   Eventually, I went to a convent to find an answer to my question. I was told that it was because "the family of the elderly took care of them".

   I got involved with the Father Ray foundation later on through one of the nuns. I happened to be walking with one of the " house mother's" one day and remarked how sad it was for the children there at the home who had no parents etc.,...She suddenly went silent...."what's wrong" I asked.

  "You feel sorry for these children".. she asked  "They have a far better life than I had". She went on to explain that they are never hungry, always have nice cloths, go to school (with daily pocket money) get all their books bought for them.

  She went on to say....her Mother took her out of school when she was old enough to go selling on the street carrying that long bambo stick thing with a basket on each end. She was always hungry, tired, poor and never happy.

  I have thought long and hard about that day since.

PS.... Her Mother ended up in a Wat but they couldn't take care of her after she became immobile. Through that same Nun I met we managed to get the Mother into a Nursing Home ( the daughter had never heard of such a home) where she eventually died.

It is a struggle to care for the elderly.  I had a terrible time looking after my mother here in the USA as she aged and became mentally ill.  There are resources if you are a drug addict however there is almost nothing if your mother or father are poor and out of their minds.  No one wants to help if you are poor.  In my small town there are "assisted living" facilities but it costs upwards of $3,000 USD per month and this does not include groceries or necessaries or any additional things like bathing, medications, &c.  If you are so poor that you are taken in by the state the best you may get is a bed where you are basically doped up and left to rot.  It shouldn't be this way.  May a multitude of blessings be upon those who care for the poor, the old, and the sick.  I was lucky.  My mother refused to take her medicine and succuumed to a massive stroke.  

[PerkinsCuthbert]

She sells nuts to buy ya ba?