Officials have stepped in to help an elderly couple abandoned by their grandson who were living outside at the Mae Sai bus terminal in Mae Sai, Chiang Rai province.
Mr. Kanchan Chiamrum, Director of the Ban Nana School Learning facility for poor children, stated that he was made aware of the old couple’s suffering and went with officials from Wiang Pang Kham Municipality in Mae Sai District to investigate.
They spotted Mr. Amae Ma Yae, 74, and Mrs. Mee Ne Mue, 84, sitting with their pet dog in the yard of the Mae Sai bus station.
Mr. Kanchan, with the assistance of an Akha language interpreter, learned that they had previously resided in Mae Suai District, Chiang Rai Province, until their home burned down, and they had nowhere to earn a living.
They said they contacted their grandson and asked him to bring them to live with him in Mae Chan District. Their grandson allowed them to reside on the farm where he worked, and the employer requested that they help cultivate maize.
According to the elderly couple, once all the maize was sold, the employer refused to pay them and forced them off the land. Their grandson then told them they had to go.
He dropped them off at the Mae Sai bus terminal without money and drove away. They stayed and slept in the bus station’s garden because they had no money and didn’t know what else to do.
Mr. Kanchan stated that he examined the elderly couple’s documents to obtain government help and discovered they were both unregistered nationals. Mrs. Mue had a non-resident card from nearly 25 years ago, but Mr. A-Mae did not have any paperwork.
The pair stated that they did not proceed to follow up on receiving Thai National ID cards because they could not speak in Thai, and officials declined to help.
They told Mr. Kanchan that they had been living together on Doi Mae Suai for over 25 years, growing vegetables on a little plot of land to support themselves. They never imagined being homeless and abandoned.
According to villagers near the bus station, the elderly couple was seen sleeping in the garden for approximately 3-4 nights. People around them could not converse, so they could only purchase food for them.
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Geoff Thomas is an award winning journalist known for his sharp insights and no-nonsense reporting style. Over the years he has worked for Reuters and the Canadian Press covering everything from political scandals to human interest stories. He brings a clear and direct approach to his work.
