Garbage man declines donation from actress
The Sunday Nation

Actress Panadda "Boom" Wongphudee yesterday presented Bt50,000 to Bangkok garbage collector Surat Maneenopparatsuda at Saphan Sung District Office.
Boom also offered to take care of Surat's daughter, who was treated at a children's hospital for a facial tumour.

But after thanking Boom, Surat gave the money back and told her to donate it to charity causes for underprivileged people.

He said he was content with what he had - freedom, a job, a loving family and no debt.

"I'm not arrogant or anything. I am grateful for your kind attention but I'd like to decline this," he said.

"I have already got previous donations that cleared my debts. I'd like to also thank the anonymous person who paid the Bt133,400 fine to free me."

Surat said people wishing to donate money to him should instead give it to charity.

He was released on Friday after an anonymous good Samaritan paid his fine so he did not have to spend 667 days in jail for selling pirated movie and music compact discs that he collected from scrap.

An informed source reported that the Courts of Justice had propose allowing the option of a suspended sentence in cases like Surat's where people are jailed if they can't pay the fine.

The proposal had been forwarded to the National Legislative Assembly, the source said. The law currently only allows verdicts for crimes that carry a jail term to be suspended.

The source said the Courts of Justice had also proposed doubling to Bt400 the amount that goes towards unpaid fines for each day someone is jailed, and allowing defendants the option of performing community service to pay off the fine.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Garbage-man-declines-donation-from-actress-30247867.html


-- The Nation 2014-11-16

"But after thanking Boom, Surat gave the money back and told her to donate it to charity causes for underprivileged people." He doesn't think he's underprivileged! Guys got 'True Grit'!

Honourable man!

Turning the other cheek and not stooping as low as the people who prosecuted and jailed him

Thailand man of the year

To donate 50,000 Baht means that he would have to serve only one year in prison, but she would have had the media attention and the profile of a good heart... To donate anonymous shows really greatness and honour.

Fatfather

The authorities managed to find exactly the lowest level individual in the country who could remotely be considered to have violated the copyright laws, a trash collector, and prosecuted him, of all people. Unbelievable.

Very true all the old bill would have to do is stroll down Sukhumvit from Asok to Nana to get a couple of Billion baht in counterfeit and pirated material

The authorities managed to find exactly the lowest level individual in the country who could remotely be considered to have violated the copyright laws, a trash collector, and prosecuted him, of all people. Unbelievable.

Well.....it is Amazing Thailand for a reason.....

To donate 50,000 Baht means that he would have to serve only one year in prison, but she would have had the media attention and the profile of a good heart... To donate anonymous shows really greatness and honour.

Fatfather

I'm not saying the actress wasn't genuine but stories like this are tailor made for those wanting good publicity.

Happy to read this.

In the end normal Thai are pretty honest and honorable.

Most of the bad news in Thailand come always from the same side - corruption of those in power (politicians, police, army, government official, monks, whatever, ...)

Thai people suffer just as much from this corruption of we farang do.

Mr Maneenopparatsuda puts to shame the selfish establishment and political elite with his honour and integrity. They could learn from his example.

Let it go garbage man, and don't play the Loan of Arc here,,, know when to hold 'em know when to fold 'em

and keep your pride for another day...

Honourable man!

Very !!!!

All Kudos to him, what a great way to think.

to those who continuously post about Thais having no honour this proves you wrong

good man

Jiryatam

Stalling career needed a little boost maybe........ Well done to the anonymous guy though, top marks.

Fair play to the bloke and the anonymous donor. But please remember in the future Mr garbage man..... You can't sell counterfeit goods unless you grease some palms first! That basically was his only crime!

Nice to see a poor man with pride!!

All the selfserving Thai politicians could learn a lot from this humble man!!

Nice to see a poor man with pride!!

All the selfserving Thai politicians could learn a lot from this humble man!!

Actually JOC, I don't think this man is poor. I think he's a lot richer than most - his prowess speaks volumes - he's king of the road, as they say.

Stalling career needed a little boost maybe........ Well done to the anonymous guy though, top marks.

Here's the "anonymous guy."

http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/princess-ubolratana-salvages-garbage-collector-prison-term/

and the other actress who was kind enough to offer help.

Panadda "Boom" Wongphudee

The photo of his daughter greeting him in one of the newspapers yesterday was one of the nicest photos I have seen in any paper. A daughter who really loves her father and a father who really loves his daughter and it shows.

A really nice man it seems and one of the many real Thais

This chap is a real man.

Brings a tear.

Just glad this out well in the end for this guy,the poor always

get the shit end of the stick,the justice system here really needs

reform,if your rich,a politician,or HiSo, you get a slap on the wrist

a suspended sentence at worse.

regards Worgeordie

Just glad this out well in the end for this guy,the poor always

get the shit end of the stick,the justice system here really needs

reform,if your rich,a politician,or HiSo, you get a slap on the wrist

a suspended sentence at worse.

regards Worgeordie

Oh just chuck the bloody CD's back in the bin.

Faith in humanity sometimes gets restored.

It is a good day today,

Nice to see a poor man with pride!!

All the selfserving Thai politicians could learn a lot from this humble man!!

Yes, they (politicians) shouldn't waste their time selling recycled DVD's

Garbage man for Prime Minister

He has got a lot of attention. He probably wants to get on with his life.

btw miss boom and look after me if she wants. boom boom

sorry ratcatcher pressed reply button too quick.

Here's the "anonymous guy."

http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/princess-ubolratana-salvages-garbage-collector-prison-term/

From the article:

But as the court was informed by corrections officials that the convicted couldn’t afford the fine due to his poverty, the court then ordered that he be detained instead in lieu of the fine.

However as the law allows maximum one year detention term in lieu of the fine, he then has to serve the prison term of not more than one year.

So, if you are convicted of a massive fraud involving hundreds of millions, get fined say 10 million - you can then plead poverty and spend maximum one year in jail? Oh yes, doh - these guys never get caught...

If only the so called 'High So ' Thai's would follow this mans example of impeccable behaviour the country would soon be moving in the right direction.

Kudos to the Princess and the Actress; it at least shows that there is hope in the cesspit of the upper classes.

There may be hope for this country yet. When you get a Princess, an Actress and a Garbageman front page news in the best newspaper story of the year.