Teen, 16, takes grandpa on 2,000km journey from Thailand to S’pore on a budget, wins hearts online
A 16-year-old teenager in Thailand has won hearts online after taking his grandfather on a roughly 2,000km journey to Singapore by train, bus and on foot, giving the elderly man a chance to visit the Republic for the first time.
Known as Queue, the teenager shared a video of their trip on Instagram account kollawat_2626 on Oct 8.
The video has since garnered over 7.9 million views, 813,000 likes and 4,400 comments, with many netizens praising him for making the trip happen.
“As a 16-year-old boy, not from a wealthy family, I took my grandfather on a train journey covering 2,000 kilometres to Singapore for the first time,” he wrote in the caption.
Queue said he had shared the footage simply to preserve a happy memory with his grandfather and did not expect it to go viral.
The video captured the pair visiting the iconic Merlion and Queue’s grandfather in front of it.
At one point, he could be heard asking his grandfather to act naturally as he wanted to capture the moment on camera, reported Thaiger.
The heartwarming journey has drawn an outpouring of support, with commenters wishing his grandfather good health and encouraging the teenager to continue making memories with him.
Some also urged Queue to start a YouTube channel, promising to tune in for more adventures with his grandfather.
How they travelled on a budget
In the comments, Queue also shared details of how they made the trip while keeping costs down.
The pair first took a third-class train — the cheapest option — from Nakhon Pathom province to Su-ngai Kolok district in Narathiwat province, near the Malaysian border.
They then crossed into Malaysia and took a bus to Pasir Mas Railway Station in Kelantan before boarding a train to Johor Bahru. The train tickets cost around $16 each.
From Johor Bahru, they took a bus across the Causeway to Woodlands in Singapore, paying around $2 per person.
Rather than forking out for accommodation in Singapore, the pair returned to Johor Bahru, where lodging cost around $80 per night.
Queue added that a man he respected like an older brother had helped cover their accommodation expenses.
“This is a budget trip focusing truly on lifetime experience,” he wrote. “Thanks for all the support.”
Explore more on these topics
See something interesting? Contribute your story to us.
