These days 80-year-old bottle collector
Bunlert Nutnom often feels ill. Her feet and stomach hurt and she has to
rest every 100 meters.
Pratchaya Kerdthong
At 80 years old, Bunlert Nutnom never expected to be
walking Pattaya’s streets every day collecting trash to get by. But she
also never expected to be caring for an infirm husband and two small
grandchildren.
She’s been collecting trash for 10 years, scooping up
five plastic drink bottles in exchange for a single-baht. She makes
about 10,000 baht a month, which barely covers rent and expenses for her
family. She starts her day out on the street at 5 a.m. and doesn’t
return until afternoon. Three years ago she was hit by a truck. These
days she often feels ill. Her feet and stomach hurt and she has to rest
every 100 meters.
Bunlert doesn’t get a lot of help. Her husband is too
ill to work, she said, and her grandchildren are orphans; their parents
killed when the kids were less than 3 years old. She has other children,
but they live far away. She said they never send her money or even ask
about the children, who are now primary school students at Ban
Nernplabwan School.
People who see the little old lady picking up garbage
do feel sorry for her. Some give her more recyclables to sell.
Life doesn’t actually have to be this hard for
Bunlert. She is unable to apply for help from the government because she
no longer lives in her original hometown. Besides, the octogenarian
says, a handout of a few hundred baht a month wouldn’t make much
difference in her life.
Bunlert said she accepts her lot in life and will continue to walk
the streets until she no longer can. Otherwise, she said, she has no
idea what will happen to the children.
