80-year-old woman in Thailand catches & sells fish to care for disabled son, receives overwhelming donations

Elderly woman receives donations after clip of her catching fish goes viral

On 20 April, a TikTok post of an elderly woman catching fish by a riverside in Thailand went viral.

@phamonphatbutnon

♬ เอิ้นว่าชีวิต – ดุ่ย เชียงรัมย์

The clip by user @phamonphatbutnon showed her hunched over and scouring the river for fish and clams.

The post explains that the granny catches fish to make ends meet. After the post went viral, netizens in Thailand rushed in droves to donate money and essentials to help the old woman out.

Elderly woman catches fish to take care of disabled son

In an interview with local reporters from Thairath, the 80-year-old woman from Chaiyaphum in northeastern Thailand explained that she has been taking care of her son who has disabilities.

She would come out to the river in search of fish or oysters for every meal. These would either be cooked to eat that day or sold for around ฿100 – ฿200 (S$3.67 – S$7.35) each time to make ends meet.

The woman added that she also has a daughter who is married and working in Bangkok. Her daughter would visit and send money back once a year or sometimes, not at all.

Not wanting to impose on her daughter, she began fishing as an alternative source of income to survive.

Netizens donate in droves after hearing her story

The elderly woman’s story, which was initially shared by user @phamonphatbutnon in a TikTok post, has garnered more than 3 million views at the time of writing.

The OP explained that he had been rafting in the countryside with his family when he came across the granny catching fish. He was heartbroken by her story and gave her money to help her out.

Netizens who saw the clip were also saddened by the story and asked for a way to help the old woman.

Thairath reported that locals from the nearby province Udon Thani drove down to give her some essentials to help.

Many others who could not contribute expressed their concerns and hope for her continued good health.

Also read: 80-year-old woman volunteers to cook for Bukit Merah elderly home residents every month, buys ingredients herself

80-year-old woman volunteers to cook for Bukit Merah elderly home residents every month, buys ingredients herself

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Featured image adapted from @phamonphatbutnon on TikTok and Thairath – ไทยรัฐออนไลน์ on Facebook.