Thai viral video captures the spirit of Asean humanitarianism (video)

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Across Asean today, like any other day, thousands of random acts of kindness will be performed by ordinary citizens.

While most will go unnoticed, the high rate of smartphone ownership and the rapidly increasing number of surveillance cameras mean that many more of these random acts of kindness will be recorded.

It is therefore somewhat fitting that the video at the top of the page is again doing the rounds on social media in time for World Humanitarian Day on August 19.

Recorded earlier this year in Pitsanulok Province, northern central Thailand, by the helmet cam of a Thai motorcycle rider, it captures the essence of humanitarianism; practicing benevolent treatment and providing assistance to other humans.

In the video 28-year-old Itthiphon Petchphibunpong is riding through stationary cars on his motorbike when he sees some frantic activity inside one of the vehicles. A father is bent over his daughter, who is laying prone across the front seat, calling for help.

The driver of the vehicle, 51-year-old Sorachat Sadudee, explains that his daughter is having an epileptic seizure and he’s trying to get her to the hospital.

Mr Petchphibunpong quickly gets other drivers (including one nursing his infant behind the steering wheel) to make way so the car can be moved to the side of the road.

With Mr Sadudee and his daughter on the back of his motorbike the trio strike out for Ruam Phaet Hospital.

What entails is a high-speed dash through the streets of Pitsanulok city, the frantic riding, horn-blowing, and calling out all captured on Mr Petchphibunpong’s helmet cam. In just four minute father and daughter are at the hospital. Mr Sadudee quickly dismounts and rushes inside, only to return seconds later after having deposited his daughter with medical staff, to make sure Mr Petchphibunpong didn’t leave before he had his contact details.

According to local media reports Mr Sadudee’s eight-year-old daughter made a full recovery, no doubt partly due to one random act of kindness by one stranger to another. In Thailand they would call this “Thainess”

Since it was posted on Mr Petchphibunpong’s Facebook page in May the video has attracted more than 52,000 shares, 14,000 comments, and over 90,000 reactions, while on the You Gotta Share This Video page it has been shared more than 383,000 times and attracted more than 229,000 reactions.

Unsurprisingly the humanitarianism depicted in the video above places this story in our Best of The AEC category.

 

 

Feature video Daily Mail

 

 

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