Left with nowhere else to go, an elderly man in Thailand decided to embark on an arduous journey back to his hometown located hundreds of kilometres (km) away barefoot.
He was later found by a kindhearted passerby who noticed his swollen feet and taken to Chai Wan Hospital in Udon Thani province, where the heartbreaking reason for his journey was revealed.
62yo Thai man walks 500km to hometown barefoot
According to Thai news outlet Khaosod, a nurse at the hospital took pity on the 62-year-old man’s condition and gave him some anti-inflammatory medicine before calling the police.
She also told them that the man had began his journey while barefoot from Satuek District in Buri Ram Province and aimed to reach his hometown at Phon Phisai District, Nong Khai Province, which was 500km away.
Not along after, police interviewed the man named Phon at the police station to understand his situation.
Kicked out from house by wife & son
According to Phon, he was living with his wife in Satuek District, whom he had married for the past 13 years.
When his wife’s son moved in from Bangkok in mid-December last year, Phon found himself forced to leave from both his wife and stepson.
Despite his attempts to plead with his wife, she refused to budge, adding that she will be on her son’s side on whatever decisions he made.
Deeply hurt by the turn of events, Phon left the house on Dec 28 and began wandering around with no money and food, where he had to sleep at police stations and rely on food donations from temples.
During his journey, he also had to grapple with a lingering foot injury he sustained from a car accident when he was younger.
Thankfully, a farmer who was transporting sugarcane saw Phon walking on the road and gave him a ride to Chai Wan District, where he later found his way to the hospital and police station.
’13 years meant nothing to her’
Reflecting on the 13 years he had spent with his wife, Phon could hardly fight the tears and lamented on how their relationship ended on a bitter note.
When I was with my wife, I worked as a welder and gave all my money to her. But when her son came to live with me, it felt as though I was meaningless to her. 13 years meant nothing to her and our love was ruined.
“After my argument with her on Dec 27, I left the next morning and have been walking for the past 13 days,” he said.
Phon added that he plans to go to his hometown in Phon Phisai District where his grandson is at. He also promised to become a monk once he’s achieved this so that he could leave his broken life behind.
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