Volunteer spirit: Former monk is a one-man road repair army

Equipped with nothing more than a hoe, a makeshift rake and a bungkee – a woven basked shaped like a clam shell – Suksan Saengsawang, known as Tid Ham, has never asked to be financially compensated for his labours in Khong district’s Tambon Muang Khong. 
Tambon Mayor Adul Pathan said Suksan, who lives at Wat Takhro, repairs roads and clears away trash in public places as a social service. 
The Nation found Suksan earlier this week repairing a section of the Nong Suang-Muang Khong road.
He said he’s been doing this work since 1988 – regularly checking for potholes and filling them in with a mixture of soil and rocks from the roadside. 
“I’ve never done this in the hope of personal gain,” he said. “We’re all Thais and we need to help each other and do what we can. 
“Some folks call me crazy, but I’m proud of what I do and happy that I can be helpful by doing things that benefit others.” 
He does wish he had more efficient tools – and a pushcart. “I’d be able to do more repairs and go further,” he said. 
“I’ll keep doing this until I no longer have the strength.”
Mayor Adul said Suksan ordained as a monk after his parents died and stayed on at Wat Takhro even after leaving the monkhood.
He began his volunteer road repairs 29 years ago. 
“It seems he does this out of the goodness of his heart and simple good intentions toward others,” Adul said. “He’s done this work for nearly 30 years, even though he doesn’t have money or the proper tools. I’ve heard people say he must be mentally disturbed, but what kind of crazy person would perform a service like this that benefits others?”
Adul pointed to all the holes in the asphalt roads that Suksan has filled with compressed soil. 
“That’s all this man’s doing, and done for the sake of others. I can only praise him for his sacrifices for the benefit of the majority.”