A four-year-old boy was rescued by authorities after a video of him smoking a cigarette went viral on social media.
The footage, taken on Monday, May 26, showed the child sitting alone on the stairs at the Rama VIII Bridge in Bangkok, grinning while exhaling cigarette smoke.
Took to Social Media in Hopes Government Would Help
The man who recorded the video took to his Facebook and shared the footage online, hoping the government would intervene.
He explained he was visiting the Rama VIII Bridge when he saw the boy smoking a cigarette on the stairs. He further stated that the boy was around four to five years old.
In the clip, the man gently told the boy, “Throw it away. Leave it. Don’t ever smoke again, no. Give it to me. I’m going to tell your father,” before taking and putting out the cigarette.
The camera then briefly showed the boy’s parents, who looked like they were living in a simple makeshift shelter under the bridge, hinting that the family may be homeless.
Parents Found Living in Make-Shift Shelter
According to The Thaiger, shortly after the video was posted, social media influencer Guntouch “Gun” Pongpaiboonwet shared that his followers had sent him the video.
He then sent his team to locate the boy and his family.
The boy was later found living with his parents in a temporary shelter under the bridge.
Mother Says Teenagers May Have Given Son the Cigarette
His mother told Gun’s team that a group of teenagers might have given the cigarette to her son.
In an interview, she explained that the family became homeless after her husband, who is facing serious health and financial issues, was unable to work.
As the sole breadwinner, she could no longer afford rent, and the family began living under the bridge. They survived on free meals from charity groups and income from selling fish caught in the nearby river.
Boy Temporarily Taken Into Protective Care
The boy is not currently enrolled in school, though his parents said they plan to register him soon. Additionally, they also have two other children, who are staying with relatives in a different province.
Following this, according to reports, the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security has taken temporary custody of the boy.
He will remain in a government-run shelter until his parents can provide a safer and more stable environment.
Watch the video here:
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