10-year-old Boy Found Riding Bike To Bangkok To Visit Mom

[george]

10-year-old boy found riding bike to Bangkok to visit mom

PHICHIT: -- Police spotted a 10-year-old boy riding an old bicycle heading to Bangkok at a road checkpoint here Saturday morning.

The boy from Phichit's Samngam distrit as spotted riding the shaky bike at a road checkpoint of Samngam police station on theNakhon Sawan - Phitsanulok Road.

He was found with only Bt30 an a school bag.

Police took the boy, Boonmee Chinjoho, for questioning at the police station.

The boy told police that his mother, Plian Saithat, is a vendor in Bangkok's Bang Khunthian district.

The mother sent him to stay with his uncle in Samngam district to study there.

The boy said he missed his mother and friends of at his old school so he decided to ride to Bangkok at the end of the first school day with intention to beg for foods and shelter along the way to Bangkok.

-- The Nation 2008-05-17

[Boater]

At least he wasnt driving his uncles Pick Up Truck

I have seen kids as young as 8 driving around in those parts!

[KireB]

Poor boy misses his mother! What a sad story this is, especially when you realize that millions of kids are separated from their parents in Thailand.

[astral]

Reminds me of my step son.

Back when he was 5, he cycled about 4km along the main Sukhumvit Highway,

out in Chonburi province, to find his Mum who was visiting me for a couple of hours.

Filial love is a powerful emotion.

[pampal]

Kudos to the young man for attempting such a long ride, a mother's love is irreplaceable

[Brigante7]

Kudos to the young man for attempting such a long ride, a mother's love is irreplaceable

And a fathers, especially for a boy.

[seagull]

10-year-old boy found riding bike to Bangkok to visit mom

PHICHIT: -- Police spotted a 10-year-old boy riding an old bicycle heading to Bangkok at a road checkpoint here Saturday morning.

The boy from Phichit's Samngam distrit as spotted riding the shaky bike at a road checkpoint of Samngam police station on theNakhon Sawan - Phitsanulok Road.

He was found with only Bt30 an a school bag.

Police took the boy, Boonmee Chinjoho, for questioning at the police station.

The boy told police that his mother, Plian Saithat, is a vendor in Bangkok's Bang Khunthian district.

The mother sent him to stay with his uncle in Samngam district to study there.

The boy said he missed his mother and friends of at his old school so he decided to ride to Bangkok at the end of the first school day with intention to beg for foods and shelter along the way to Bangkok.

-- The Nation 2008-05-17

Gutsy boy i might say. Going to grow up as a fine lad.

[geriatrickid]

Kudos to the young man for attempting such a long ride, a mother's love is irreplaceable

And a fathers, especially for a boy.

Dunno. Kids will run to mom but away from dad.

[ukrules]

Kudos to the young man for attempting such a long ride, a mother's love is irreplaceable

And a fathers, especially for a boy.

Dunno. Kids will run to mom but away from dad.

From what I heard it's often the other way around.....dad running away from the kids and mom

[larvidchr]

What a brave and resourceful little lad

[mr_hippo]

Another cycling runaway!

It's unusual but not unheard of for a 10 year old to do that. However it is more common for teenagers - please read the above link.

[Johpa]

Poor boy misses his mother! What a sad story this is, especially when you realize that millions of kids are separated from their parents in Thailand.

It is just a common to see Thai children raised by grandmothers or older aunts as to see the children raised by their natural mothers. It would be interesting to find a study to see just what the percentages are, especially in the vast rural areas.

[plachon]

Poor boy misses his mother! What a sad story this is, especially when you realize that millions of kids are separated from their parents in Thailand.

It is just a common to see Thai children raised by grandmothers or older aunts as to see the children raised by their natural mothers. It would be interesting to find a study to see just what the percentages are, especially in the vast rural areas.

Personally, I reckon it is a ticking time bomb for Thai society in not so many years time. imagine a whole generation growing up without really knowing their true parents and raised by relations? Not only is it tough for the kids, but it often means Grandma and Granddad can't be doing the things they would otherwise be doing (like growing rice and food) due to time spent looking after the grandkids. Over half of my wife's relations in Roi-Et have farmed out their kids to a relative to look after, I'd say at a rough guess. Sometimes the parents only come back home briefly once or twice a year. No wonder so many end up "problem kids". Not sure if anyone keeps stats on the numbers, but doubt the govt would want to publicise them, even if they had them.

[Cuban]

Just in case other people were interested - this is a distance of about 350 km.

Link to map.

[LeungKen]

Perhaps Thai Visa should send the lad the bus fare ?

[Scott]

So who did the police call--Mom or Uncle?

I don't think that it is particularly harmful for children to be raised by grandparents. In a lot of societies--particularly older societies--it was necessary for the grandparents to care for the children as the parents were needed to do whatever was necessary for survival--hunting, gathering, fishing, etc. They really didn't have a lot of time to really 'care' for the children properly. In some ways, modern parents often don't have time to properly care for their kids either. Grandparents often have more time and a great deal of wisdom to share with the kids.

Of course, one big difference is that in Thailand, often the parents are separated by great distances from their children and seldom see them. The issue of financial resources is also important, since often the grandparents don't have adequate financial resources to care for the kids. I should also note that in some cases--a child is sent to the grandparents to help the grandparents! This happens even if the child is quite young.

[geriatrickid]

Personally, I reckon it is a ticking time bomb for Thai society in not so many years time. imagine a whole generation growing up without really knowing their true parents and raised by relations?

Not that bad. There is still "parental" authority albeit from a different family member. Very different from what sees in large cities in the west where the mother retains the multiple children. If it is crime ridden poverty environment in the west, then the kids then grow up in a very bad environment. At least the Thai approach allows the kids have some semblance of supervision, a family life and food. It also teaches the kids about the concept of responsibility for one's family. Not perfect, but better than the alternative which is the state taking over, and we've seen the result of that in the west.

It could be argued that the great nation building one saw in the USA, Canada, Australia and many Latin American countries was brought about by people who's families were even more fractured. Sometimes learning to be independent at an early age leads to self reliance and advancement when older.

[Xaryt]

omg

[Payboy]

10-year-old boy found riding bike to Bangkok to visit mom

Police took the boy, Boonmee Chinjoho, for questioning at the police station.

was he talking on his mobile phone too?