PHETCHABUN — A viral video circulating on Thai social media shows a man carrying a backpack and holding a Shih Tzu dog, walking along a road in extreme heat. He was attempting to reach a train station in Lam Narai district, Lopburi province, hundreds of kilometers away, until a kind stranger stopped to help.
Reporters later interviewed Mr. Aphichan, the good Samaritan who picked up the man and his dog. Aphichan, who owns a date palm garden in Phetchabun province, spotted the pair walking by his garden on April 8. Noticing the extreme heat, he offered water and asked about their destination.
The man explained he was from Udon Thani and had traveled with a friend for a welding job in Nong Phai, Phetchabun province. After only two weeks, the employer terminated their work and paid them just 1,000 baht ($28.6) each.
He planned to return home but buses refused to allow his dog onboard. With no alternative, he sent his belongings with his friend on the bus to Chai Badan district in Lopburi, while he began walking the 100-kilometer journey with his beloved 5-year-old dog, Nemo.
“After hearing his story, I felt so sorry for him,” said Aphichan, who drove the man to Lam Narai train station in Lopburi so he could return home to Udon Thani. The social media post garnered numerous comments praising Aphichan for his kindness, commending the dog owner for not abandoning his pet, and wishing them a safe journey home.
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