Elderly man loses 10,000 baht from Thai govt handout

An elderly man who recently withdrew 10,000 baht in cash from the Thai government’s handout initiative found his wallet missing, prompting a heartfelt community response. A woman’s Facebook post detailed the incident and led to numerous offers of assistance from across the country.

The government recently issued 10,000 baht to vulnerable groups, distributed based on the last digits of their ID cards. Many citizens have rushed to withdraw and use the funds. A Facebook user named Hero Test shared a story yesterday, September 27, about an elderly man from Saba Yoi district in Songkhla province. After withdrawing his government-issued funds, the man discovered his wallet was missing along his journey, prompting a community-wide search.

“Please share to help find this man’s wallet. This evening, after withdrawing 10,000 baht, he took out 9,000 baht in cash. Somewhere along the route from Saba Yoi to Long Khuan to Khu Ha to Khao Daeng, he lost his wallet. He realised it was missing when he got off the bus to buy sticky rice. The wallet contained cash and several cards. If anyone finds it along the Saba Yoi to the worksite route, please return it. We feel so sorry for him.”

Community support

The post quickly garnered attention, with many kind-hearted individuals offering to donate money to the man, believing the lost cash might never be recovered. The original poster later expressed gratitude, saying, “I’m so moved by the kindness shown. I never imagined so many people would want to help. If he knew, he would be overjoyed. The kindness shown is worth more than the 9,000 baht.”

The Facebook user also accompanied the man to renew his ID card and visited the bank to open a new account for him.

“The bank account in his name is now with him and the village headman. We went to apply for a new ID card and attempted to open a bank account, but the bank was too crowded. We then opened an online account in his name. Please do not transfer to any account other than his. The village headman has informed everyone.”

Another Facebook user, Mr. Ban Fis Khao Daeng, posted images of accompanying the man to open a bank account at the Siam Commercial Bank branch in Na Thawi, reported KhaoSod.

“I want to thank everyone for their concern. I’m working on getting the bank account in his name. Due to the high number of people using state banks, we apologise for any delays. We aim to handle everything carefully to avoid any future issues. We are working as fast as possible.”