A young boy’s plea to King for rooftop repairs gets heartwarming response

PHOTO: A young boy wrote a plea to the king for help with his dilapidated rooftop. (via Noble Roofing)

In Nakhon Si Thammarat, a young boy from a destitute family has successfully received aid to restore the dilapidated rooftop of his home after his plea to His Majesty the King was met with a positive response.

Nine-year-old, Thirat Thongphet lives in a modest village within Khuntalay, a section of the Lan Saka district. The youngster penned a plea on April 4 detailing the unsafe living conditions brought about by a termite-ridden wooden rooftop. The severity of the situation left him fearful that it might collapse while he was asleep in the space below.

Written with a heavy heart, the letter revealed that Thirat had lost his mother in the winter of 2018 and he presently lives with an aunt. The struggling family found themselves strapped for funds to afford the necessary roof repairs.

The plea for help with the crumbling rooftop was thus looked into by the Office of the Privy Council, which then passed on the details of the young boy’s unfortunate circumstances to the governor of Nakhon Si Thammaraton May 4.

This led to officials taking action on the matter just yesterday. Sophon Promkaew, the mayor of Khuntalay, responded to the plea by paying the child a visit and initiating an inspection of the impaired rooftop of his house.

Workers were promptly summoned to substitute the wooden rooftop, reduced to a state of decay due to termites, with a substantially sturdier metal one. Mayor Sophon disclosed that the makeover of the rooftop costs approximately 60,000 baht, and is predicted to undergo completion over the course of about seven days.

“Thirat’s petition highlighted the day-to-day struggles that many in impoverished communities are facing. His bravery and determination to improve his living conditions served as a wake-up call for us in the local government. We will continue to ensure the safety and well-being of this brave young boy and others in similar situations.”

“While we aim to ensure the welfare of every citizen, we ask community members to reach out to us in times of need. We are here to serve and protect the people, and every call for help is crucial for us to do so more fittingly.”

South Thailand News

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Neill Fronde

Neill is a journalist from the United States with 10+ years broadcasting experience and national news and magazine publications. He graduated with a degree in journalism and communications from the University of California and has been living in Thailand since 2014.