This story might be exactly what you need to wrap up your week and distract yourself from all the injustices in the world.
Bangkok’s Saen Saeb canal is known for its abhorrent fumes. You can literally smell the waste water well before the canal comes into view. But that didn’t prevent a Myanmar man from jumping in to save a drowning street dog on Wednesday.
Facebook user Tibet Nimikut witnessed the man’s heroic move and shot a video from a boat he was traveling on.
“He’s such a hero,” he said of the Myanmar national. “He doesn’t care how smelly and disgusting the canal is. He jumped in to help an old dog. I respect you so much.”
The clip, which has received nearly 4 million views, shows our hero floating on a buoy with the dog in the area near Srinakharinwirot University, before he swims over to the boat to deliver the dog to two waiting passengers on the boat who can be seen assisting him.
“Also, thanks to the boat operator for stopping to help the dog. The two of you show that there are still great things in the world,” Tibet added.
However, after saving the pooch, the Myanmar man, later identified as 31-year-old Paiya, swam off, declining to get into the boat.
Now a bit of a local celebrity, Paiya appeared on television yesterday, explaining that he didn’t want to get on the boat because the passengers would have been disturbed by his smell.
What. A. Guy.
“There were a lot of people on the boat,” he said in Thai. “I was soaked, and the water was not clean.”
Paiya, who delivers ice to the university, said that he didn’t hesitate to jump in the canal because the dog had been swimming for a while, but no one could save it.
As if all this wasn’t enough, Paiya added that he has actually saved humans from drowning on two occasions.
Paiya, who has been living in Thailand for seven years, said he was glad that Thai people admired his action online.
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