Pu Yen
Encyclopedia
Yen Kaewmanee or Pu Yen Thai
: ปู่เย็น was a famous centenarian
who lived to an age of 108. The Thai-muslim
man was known for his self-sufficient and economical way of living. His lifestyle embodied King Bhumibol Adulyadej
's philosophy on self-sufficiency. The elderly man made his living fishing from the Phetchaburi River
in Phetchaburi
, Thailand
. He sold the fish to locals at inexpensive prices in exchange for other necessities. For many years until his death, he refused offers of free food, preferring to live in his small boat.
In 2004, Pu Yen became famous when a documentary
“Khon Kon Khon” was made about his life and nationally televised. In addition, he was officially recognized by Queen Sirikit and given a covered fiberglass
boat on his 105th birthday.
Visitors who talked to him said that although he received many guests, he was always welcoming and cheerful to them. He maintained a positive attitude towards life and was a role model of self-sufficiency to many Thais.
Although Pu Yen lived in relative peace, he suffered a setback when thieves stole $2,060 in cash from his small boat.
Before his death, he lived a quiet life on his boat under the Lumyai (Longan) Bridge in Phetchaburi city. The place where he used to live is marked by a small landing with a small light bulb suspended from a tree.
After his death on October 12, 2008 from natural causes, he was buried in a local Phetchaburi mosque
and the boat was donated to a local museum in the province.
. Currently, there are over 4,000 registered centenarians in Thailand.
"Look at the shellfish…with no hands and no feet
Yet they manage to survive…
What about…people with hands and feet
If they can’t survive…shouldn’t they be ashamed of the shellfish?"
"If there is food, then I eat…if there isn’t any, then I don’t
I don’t ask for food from anybody else…
It’s hard to find people who die from hunger…
If they are not sick or unwell."
His view on selling and buying:
"Don’t sell things at high prices…then the customers will have an easier time
I sell things cheaply. Go ahead and take them.
Buy enough so you will have a full pot of curry (food)."
His view on charities:
"I can eat free food…but I’d rather not
I don’t want to bother anybody…no thanks…I’d be too ashamed
Vendors buy and sell things…
They need to cook. They need to clean."
His view on death:
"Life is like a bridge.
There is up and there is down.
There is high and there is low.
In the end…there is death."
Thai language
Thai , also known as Central Thai and Siamese, is the national and official language of Thailand and the native language of the Thai people, Thailand's dominant ethnic group. Thai is a member of the Tai group of the Tai–Kadai language family. Historical linguists have been unable to definitively...
: ปู่เย็น was a famous centenarian
Centenarian
A centenarian is a person who is or lives beyond the age of 100 years. Because current average life expectancies across the world are less than 100, the term is invariably associated with longevity. Much rarer, a supercentenarian is a person who has lived to the age of 110 or more, something only...
who lived to an age of 108. The Thai-muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
man was known for his self-sufficient and economical way of living. His lifestyle embodied King Bhumibol Adulyadej
Bhumibol Adulyadej
Bhumibol Adulyadej is the current King of Thailand. He is known as Rama IX...
's philosophy on self-sufficiency. The elderly man made his living fishing from the Phetchaburi River
Phetchaburi River
The Phetchaburi River is a river in western Thailand. It originates in Kaeng Krachan National Park, Kaeng Krachan district and flows through Tha Yang, Ban Lat, Mueang Phetchaburi and mouths into the Bay of Bangkok in Ban Laem district. It is 210 km long, most of which is within the...
in Phetchaburi
Phetchaburi
Phetchaburi , also known as Phetburi, is a town in central Thailand, capital of the Phetchaburi Province. In Thai, Phetchaburi means city of diamonds . It is approximately 160km south of Bangkok, at the northern end of the Thai Peninsula...
, Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
. He sold the fish to locals at inexpensive prices in exchange for other necessities. For many years until his death, he refused offers of free food, preferring to live in his small boat.
Biography
In 1993, Pu Yen's wife passed away. That's when he decided to save on rent by living in a small houseboat in Phetchaburi River. He lived on one small fish each day. If there were extra fish caught, he would sell them at inexpensive prices to locals.In 2004, Pu Yen became famous when a documentary
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
“Khon Kon Khon” was made about his life and nationally televised. In addition, he was officially recognized by Queen Sirikit and given a covered fiberglass
Fiberglass
Glass fiber is a material consisting of numerous extremely fine fibers of glass.Glassmakers throughout history have experimented with glass fibers, but mass manufacture of glass fiber was only made possible with the invention of finer machine tooling...
boat on his 105th birthday.
Visitors who talked to him said that although he received many guests, he was always welcoming and cheerful to them. He maintained a positive attitude towards life and was a role model of self-sufficiency to many Thais.
Although Pu Yen lived in relative peace, he suffered a setback when thieves stole $2,060 in cash from his small boat.
Before his death, he lived a quiet life on his boat under the Lumyai (Longan) Bridge in Phetchaburi city. The place where he used to live is marked by a small landing with a small light bulb suspended from a tree.
After his death on October 12, 2008 from natural causes, he was buried in a local Phetchaburi mosque
Mosque
A mosque is a place of worship for followers of Islam. The word is likely to have entered the English language through French , from Portuguese , from Spanish , and from Berber , ultimately originating in — . The Arabic word masjid literally means a place of prostration...
and the boat was donated to a local museum in the province.
Impact
Pu Yen's life and death highlighted the plight of many elderly people in Thailand without adequate medical care and attention. Following his death, Thailand's Health Minister Chalerm Yubamrung issued orders for special check-up facilities for the elderly which would shorten the waiting time for receiving health care. Also, the Health Department chief Narongsak Ankhasuwapala has suggested that a club for the elderly be made available in every tambonTambon
Tambon is a local government unit in Thailand. Below district and province , they form the third administrative subdivision level. As of the 2009 there are 7255 tambon, not including the 169 khwaeng of Bangkok, which are set at the same administrative level, thus every district contains 8-10 tambon...
. Currently, there are over 4,000 registered centenarians in Thailand.
Quotations
Pu Yen's view on self-sufficiency:"Look at the shellfish…with no hands and no feet
Yet they manage to survive…
What about…people with hands and feet
If they can’t survive…shouldn’t they be ashamed of the shellfish?"
"If there is food, then I eat…if there isn’t any, then I don’t
I don’t ask for food from anybody else…
It’s hard to find people who die from hunger…
If they are not sick or unwell."
His view on selling and buying:
"Don’t sell things at high prices…then the customers will have an easier time
I sell things cheaply. Go ahead and take them.
Buy enough so you will have a full pot of curry (food)."
His view on charities:
"I can eat free food…but I’d rather not
I don’t want to bother anybody…no thanks…I’d be too ashamed
Vendors buy and sell things…
They need to cook. They need to clean."
His view on death:
"Life is like a bridge.
There is up and there is down.
There is high and there is low.
In the end…there is death."
External links
- http://www.grg.org/calment.html
- http://www.kanchanapisek.or.th/speeches/1997/1204.en.html
- http://www.chiangmai-chiangrai.com/queen_sirikit.html
- http://www.thaindian.com/news-snippet/his-majesty-the-kings-sufficiency-economy-philosophy-and-mahatma-gandhis-self-sufficiency-ideas-4566.html