This Thai Homeless Man Left All His Savings to a Temple Before He Died

Giving money away without expecting anything in return sounds absurd, especially when saving money in this economy seems impossible. And when it comes to charitable donations, more often than not people settle for sharing issues on social media without actually taking action or shelling out for the cause.

But not for this homeless man in Thailand, who decided that the last thing he wanted to do before he died was to donate all his life savings to a temple in Lopburi, Asia One reported. The man, identified only as Ta Toi, made headlines in the country on Christmas for his kind gesture.

In a Facebook post, user Kiatisak Saothi praised Toi's good deed, saying "RIP Ta Toi. The old man in front of the 7-Eleven in Ban Mi. Even if you left, you still got relatives to bring all the money you had throughout your life to the temple. Your mind is really great."

According to Saothi, Toi was a garbage and antique collector who was often spotted begging on the streets of Lopburi’s Ban Mi district, part of a province northeast of Bangkok. Despite his living conditions, he was able to amass a sizeable collection of coins amounting to 70,000 THB ($3,153), all of which were given to the local temple.

The post has since garnered 19,000 shares, 30,000 likes and 2,500 comments and had a netizen calling Toi’s mind “more noble than many people”, and another wishing Toi could be “a millionaire in his next life.”

Saothi also included photos of Ta Toi outside the convenience store begging, one of which he is seen without even having a shirt on. Then in another image, the monks are seen gathered around counting the coins.

Despite barely having anything for himself, he still thought of giving all his money away. It really makes you wonder what he might have been saving for, or why he never thought it necessary to spend a little more on himself. Ta Toi can serve as a great example for us younger generations who are often too tied to our possessions, or even to tax-evading billionaires who only use charity as a scapegoat without batting an eye for their workers who earn minimum wage.

In a world often run by greed, it’s comforting to know there are still people like him out there, with pure intentions so rare that he may as well have been the richest man alive.

Conversion rate as of writing is THB 1 = $0.033.

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