Elderly Woman Sells Vintage Coffee to Support Disabled Son
A 68-year-old woman in Chonburi Province sells vintage coffee from a stand outside her home to support her paralyzed son, earning only 100-200 baht daily with deteriorated inherited equipment. A local abbot is appealing for donations of cof
At 3 p.m. on July 10, 2026, Phra Khru Thaworn Sratakun, abbot of Wat Worraprot Sangkhavat in Chonburi Province, along with the volunteer team "Wihkhavehe - Young Hearts Doing Good," delivered rice, dried food, household supplies, and bedding to Sompon, 68, at her home in Bang Plasoi subdistrict, Chonburi. She lives in poverty, running a vintage coffee stand outside her house to support her 40-year-old son, who has been paralyzed on one side since being shot at age 25 and cannot work.
The coffee equipment she uses was inherited from her late brother and has deteriorated over time. Her daily sales amount to only 100-200 baht—insufficient for household expenses, food, water, electricity, and her son's care. The worn tables, chairs, coffee-making equipment, and utensils are barely functional but she cannot afford replacements.
Sompon shared tearfully that her son was shot by assailants at age 25, leaving him paralyzed and dependent. She has been the sole breadwinner ever since. Despite inheriting the coffee business from her brother, the old equipment prevents her from earning adequately. "Every day I make only 100-200 baht, and some days nothing at all," she said through tears. "What I need most isn't money—it's equipment like a cart, tables, coffee-making tools, and supplies to run the business properly and provide for my bedridden son."
Abbot Phra Khru Thaworn noted that the family faces genuine hardship. Sompon struggles alone, earning just hundreds of baht daily from coffee sales, sometimes nothing. Without capital to buy inventory and facing deteriorating equipment, her situation grows increasingly difficult. He called on benefactors to donate coffee-selling equipment or funds for repairs and supplies. Those wishing to help can contact Sompon directly at 099-055-2282.