A 15-year-old girl in Thailand has captured public attention after opening up about how she supports her family while continuing her studies, saying she is not ashamed of the work she does.
Helps support family after school
Benyapha Thanakornmonporn, who recently graduated from Grade 9, spends her days balancing school and caregiving responsibilities at home.
After classes, she heads straight back to the family’s rented room in Pak Kret to care for her father, who has been bedridden for over 16 years following a serious accident while repairing an air conditioner.
According to We Love Isan Facebook page, he now lives with paralysis and other health complications, requiring daily assistance.
Benyapha helps with tasks such as changing diapers, cleaning urine bags, and attending to his basic needs before heading out again to collect plastic bottles from bins and roadsides to sell.
She later sells the recyclables for money, sometimes earning less than 100 baht (about RM12) a week.
‘I’m not ashamed’
Despite the challenges, Benyapha remains firm about her situation.
I’m not ashamed. My father is sick, and I have to help him,” she said.
Her mother, who works as a school cleaner, earns about 380 baht (around RM47) a day and is currently the family’s only stable source of income.
The family continues to face financial strain, especially with ongoing medical expenses such as diapers and care equipment for her father.
Still excelling in school
Amid the hardship, Benyapha has continued to perform well academically.
She completed her recent term with a GPA of 3.75, ranking third in her class, and maintains an overall GPA of 3.31.
However, her education was recently at risk after the family struggled to pay for high school expenses, estimated at around 3,000 to 5,000 baht (approximately RM370 to RM620) including school supplies.
Her mother was forced to borrow money to ensure she could continue studying.
Story gains attention online
Benyapha’s situation came to light after it was shared by a Thai Facebook page, which later visited the family to verify their circumstances and provide initial assistance.
With the family’s consent, the story was made public to raise awareness of their situation and to allow others to extend support if they wish.
Those who are able to help can contact the family directly or contribute through the bank account shared in the original post.
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