Elderly Couple Left With 25 Baht After Medical Trip Receives Community Help
An elderly couple from Sakon Nakhon was left stranded at a hospital with just 25 baht after traveling for medical care, but community volunteers and rescue police stepped in with donations and helped them discover a senior citizen bus fare
On August 20, 2025, Buriram Highway Rescue Police responded to assist an elderly couple who had run out of money for their return journey home to Sakon Nakhon province. Grandma Thueang, 68, and her husband Tarujee, 74, had been sleeping outside Building 4 of Nangrang Hospital for two days. The couple originally from different provinces—Thueang from Pak Am, Buriram and Tarujee from Nangrang—now live in Sakon Nakhon. They arrived at the hospital on August 17, 2025, so Tarujee could see a doctor for his chronic conditions including heart disease, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and asthma.
Their son had given them 400 baht for the trip, but nearly all of it went toward transport to the hospital. With no money left for the return journey, they decided to wait outside, hoping their son could transfer bus fare on Monday. During their wait, they were left with just 25 baht—10 of which they spent on sticky rice to share. Fortunately, donations from visitors and rescue personnel provided them meals.
When Aranya, a 51-year-old community volunteer delivering fruit to hospital patients, discovered their situation, she alerted Buriram Highway Rescue Police. The rescue unit donated 500 baht, and another kind donor contributed an additional 100 baht, totaling 600 baht. The couple was then taken to Nangrang District's bus station, where staff informed them that senior citizens qualify for free passage. This allowed them to keep the assistance money for expenses during their journey home, and they were able to return safely.
