Thai people are considerably kind. We like making merit to help unfortunate souls. And especially in an era when everyone can easily connect through social media, the ways of merit-making have changed and expanded even further. From previously making physical donations at temples and charities, people now reach out to help individuals -- many times a stranger -- they see online. Pictures of sick dogs, cats, humans, or even a call for blood donations appear on our Facebook feeds often on a weekly basis. The plea for help -- coupled with touching stories and photos -- always tugs at our heartstrings. And it doesn't take long for many of us to lend a helping hand, mostly through making a swift donation to help with the cause.
One such recent case centres on a former actor who was sick with tuberculosis. He has been sick for months, unable to work, and also has an ailing mother. After news of his condition was shared online, it became widespread and soon netizens took it upon themselves to shower Thee, the said actor, with support so he could afford to pay for his medication. Thee later posted video clips online, lamenting his condition and asking for help. The posts usually contained his bank-account number.
But both netizens and the media soon suspected that something fishy was going on. Thee kept on begging for help, which led many to wonder about the nature of his condition and if the public donation was not really enough to cover his medical bills. The detective game quickly began, leading to the discovery that Thee and his mother have moved into a big house (which he said he's renting for 2,000 baht a month). There's a car parked outside the house. The garden is being redone with a fish pond being built. There's also a guy living with Thee and his mother.
The amount of donations was not revealed at the time, and Thee was reportedly reluctant to disclose the information. The numbers and his words kept on changing until, most recently, he said on a TV show that he got about 8 million baht in donations from the public. He continued to ask for donations because he wanted to save up the money for his old mother. Most of the money is reportedly deposited in his boyfriend's account, however.
It also became known later that tuberculosis is covered under the 30-baht healthcare scheme, which means Thee could actually get his medication practically for free.
Naturally, the general public is enraged. Many said they now regret helping him, or even feeling sorry for him in the first place. People feel cheated. No one likes being taken advantage of, especially when they decided to help out as an act of kindness and compassion towards a stranger. And Thee's case has now become a cautionary tale in navigating social media and online merit-making. We can't trust everything we see.
Technology allows a lot of processes to be accomplished in a flash. Social media can make information go further and wider than ever with a single click. Mobile banking, too, helps in making swift payment. And when things are conducted in today's fast-paced society, not all of us take the time to pause and consider all that we see before us. We act, at times, almost on a whim. We go by quick emotions and not always thorough reasons and logic, and this may apply to anything from merit-making to fake news and even online shopping. We share, shop and give money to what makes us feel good in a certain way. We don't always stop to ponder if it's really what we need or even if it's legit.
With this kind of case in mind, what are we supposed to do as a society? In moving forward, when we are faced with another call for donations online, should we be less kind and less compassionate toward one another? How careful must we be before deciding to reach out and help? How thorough must we research or check before transferring money to complete strangers with a distress call? Or is it better to just stand still and look the other way when we don't know who we can actually trust? Does being cautious makes us a heartless person?
For sure, at least the public would be -- or at least should be -- more wary now when they see social media posts seeking donations. Those who are in deep trouble and need help will likely be the real victims out of it all. But will this lesson from Thee's case last? It's only a matter of time before we find out.
Melalin Mahavongtrakul is a feature writer for the Life section of the Bangkok Post.