Disfigured man forced to live as a recluse finally returns to his home city after 45 years to pay respects to the late King of Thailand
Shiti Charoenrattanaprapa, 60, has had neurofibromatosis since the age of 15 and was shunned by his own family because of bubble-like tumours covering his face and body
A MAN forced to live as a recluse his whole adult life because of a severe disfigurement has finally being tempted out of hiding to pay respects to his late king.
Shiti Charoenrattanaprapa, a neurofibromatosis sufferer since the age of 15, has been shunned by all around him since then, including most of his own family.
The disease has caused huge bubble-like tumours to form all over his face and body.
Mr Charoenrattanaprapa, now 60, said he was never accepted by the local community and was driven away from his home in the Thai capital Bangkok.
He was forced to cross the country’s south-western border into Burma and lived there until being arrested as an illegal immigrant and deported back to Thailand last year.
He has never held a job in his life because of his appearance, and has no family members to support him.
Red Cross volunteers found Mr Charoenrattanaprapa living alone in a hut in South Thailand's Yala Province.
He has been receiving food and other daily provisions from hospital volunteers who visit him in his simple dwelling.
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Mr Charoenrattanaprapa now wants to return to his native city to pay his respects to King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who died last month aged 88 and was regarded as semi-divine by his countrymen.
After his trip to Bangkok, where the late leader is buried, Mr Charoenrattanaprapa will most likely return to Yala Province and continue to receive help from the Red Cross.
Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn, the late king’s only son, is due to be proclaimed monarch on December 1.
In August we told how teenage neurofibromatosis sufferer Bhupinder Singh was shunned by his school and neighbours because of his appearance.
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