108-year-old Grandpa Yen dies

Yen Kaewmanee was pronounced dead at the Prachao Klao Hospital at 10.40am following heart failure.

Neighbours found him unconscious on his boat in the morning and rushed him to a hospital. Doctors tried but failed to resuscitate him.

The old man became famous when a documentary programme aired his story. He had been living alone on his small boat on a river in the province for years and mostly lived on fishing.

On learning about his story, Her Majesty the Queen granted a boat for the old man to live in. Yesterday, the Queen donated Bt200,000 for his funeral arrangements.

Although Yen was a Muslim - who was supposed to be buried within 24 hours after death - hisbody had a special funeral rite under the Queen's patronage at a mosque in Ban Laem district. Ano-ther special rite will be conducted again today at 9 am before burial at 10am in the mosque.

Before becoming known following the TV programme, Yen lived on a boat for more than 10 years after his wife Erb, a Buddhist native of neigh bouring Prachuab Khiri Khan, died over a decade ago. The couple had no children but adopted two daughters, who have lived separately.

In the TV programme,Yen, then 98, said he cried for three months after Erb died. Then he decided to move from his rented house into a small boat down the Phetcha-buri River.

He made a living solely from fishing. He later received personal support from the Queen and became a public icon for those admiring His Majesty the King's self-sufficiency economy principle.