Mr Taweep Mee Phan, 57, from Chalong posted on his Facebook account last Friday (Jan 15) that he was willing to sell his left eye to raise much needed funds to support his family.
Mr Taweep was a bus driver for a Chinese tour company for 15 years before losing his job last February when tourists numbers visiting the island dried up.
Out of desperation he took to social media with the startling offer.
“After the COVID-19 outbreak, there were no tourists and I had to stop driving which meant I lost the means to provide income support for my family,” Mr Taweep posted.
“What I want and need now is a fulltime job to bring income in to help my family.
“I am willing to do whatever job is available,” he added.
“If someone needs eyes, I am ready to sell one of mine.
“I know that it is illegal but I need to get money in order to take care of my grandchildren, to enable them to study and to look after myself during my final years in my hometown.”
Chalong Mayor Samran Jindaphol visited Mr Taweep yesterday (Jan 17) after receiving a call from Phuket Vice Governor Pichet Panapong alerting him to the desperate situation and the subsequent post on Facebook.
“Mr Taweep posted on social media out of desperation after not being able to provide income and support his family for so long,” Mayor Samran said.
“I reassured him that he did not have to sell one of his eyes and that we will help,” he added.
Mayor Samran confirmed that Mr Taweep was initially given rice to help the burden and that he later managed to secure him work at a private company.
Mr Taweep later took to Facebook to express his sincere thanks to Mayor Samran for his help and for securing him a job.
“Thank you from the bottom of my heart” he posted.
Capricornball | 19 January 2021 - 13:14:30