Thai doctor vows to continue late YouTuber’s support for Afghan teenager

A Thai doctor pledged to fulfil the wish of late travel YouTuber Hlun Solo by supporting the education of an Afghan student the content creator befriended during one of his journeys.

Hlun Solo, whose real name was Bawonthat Pengsuk, was confirmed dead at a hotel in Tbilisi, Georgia, on July 14. The cause of his death remains under investigation, while arrangements are being made to return his body to Thailand.

Following his death, more people have revisited Hlun’s travel videos, with many viewers discovering his YouTube channel for the first time. Supporters have also returned to watch his content in tribute and to help generate income for his family, including his grandmother.

One of the videos that attracted renewed attention documents Hlun’s visit to Afghanistan, where he met a young local named Naezatullaa. The teenager volunteered to guide Hlun and his travelling companion and later welcomed them into his family home.

Hlun Solo promises to support education of Afghan youth he met during journey
Photo via YouTube/ ฮลุน โซโล่ (Hlun Solo)

At the end of the video, Hlun told viewers that Naezatullaa dreamed of becoming a doctor but that his family could not afford university tuition. Describing the teenager as kind and grateful, Hlun said he wanted to help him pursue his education.

Before leaving Afghanistan, Hlun encouraged Naezatullaa to continue studying and promised to support him financially if he was accepted into university.

He asked the student to stay in touch and contact him if he needed help with his education. Hlun also said he hoped to return to Afghanistan and meet him again. That promise was left unfulfilled following Hlun’s sudden death.

Yesterday, August 3, Thai doctor Tany “Taen” Thaniuavarn announced on social media that he would continue Hlun’s intention by providing educational support to Naezatullaa.

Hlun Solo in Afghanistan
Photo via YouTube/ ฮลุน โซโล่ (Hlun Solo)

Tany shared a video addressed to the Afghan student, informing him of Hlun’s death and inviting him to get in touch if he was still pursuing his dream of becoming a doctor. He asked Naezatullaa to contact him through email or via YouTube, Facebook, Instagram or TikTok so they could discuss the support.

The doctor ended his message by saying, “Naezatullaa, you are a very kind soul, a very good kid. Hlun believes in your dream, and I do believe in it too.”

Hlun is not the only Thai content creator to support students overseas. Another travel YouTuber, Komkrit “Sunny” Machai, better known as Sunny Backpacker, has been helping fund the education of a student from Burundi named Ernest, who is expected to complete his studies later this year.

Thai doctor promises to fulfil Hlun's promise to Afghan boy
Photo via Facebook/ Doctor Tany

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Petch Petpailin

Petpailin, or Petch, is a Thai translator and writer for The Thaiger who focuses on translating breakingThai news stories into English. With a background in field journalism, Petch brings several years of experience to the English News desk at The Thaiger. Before joining The Thaiger, Petch worked as a content writer for several known blogging sites in Bangkok, including Happio and The Smart Local. Her articles have been syndicated by many big publishers in Thailand and internationally, including the Daily Mail, The Sun and the Bangkok Post. She is a news writer who stops reading news on the weekends to spend more time cafe hopping and petting dwarf shrimp! But during office hours, you can find Petch on LinkedIn and you can reach her by email at petch@thethaiger.com.