A Thai employee has resigned from his job after what he described as an insensitive response from his manager while he was arranging the return of his younger brother’s body from abroad and preparing for the funeral.
Somsak Butsri shared the story in a Facebook post that quickly went viral.
Travel YouTuber Hlun Solo, who died abroad
(Photo: Screenshot)
His brother, a well-known travel YouTuber known as Hlun Solo with millions of followers on social media, died while traveling in Georgia.
In the days that followed, Butsri said he followed company procedures and submitted a written leave request, while also discussing privately how long he would be away.
At the same time, he was coordinating with multiple agencies, handling documents, contacting the embassy and arranging the travel needed to bring his brother’s body home.
He said the process continued late into the night and left him with very little sleep.
According to his post, during that period his manager repeatedly questioned whether his absence was necessary, whether he needed to be physically present, whether the situation was urgent enough to justify leave and whether he could return to work sooner.
Two days after his brother’s body arrived in Thailand, while the family was still holding funeral ceremonies, Butsri received another phone call asking when he would return to work.
He said there were no urgent tasks requiring his presence at the time.
Butsri stressed that he was not asking for special treatment, but for basic judgment and respect.
He said the comments he received reflected a mindset that failed to recognize the human reality of losing a family member.
After the ceremonies ended, he decided to resign.
He returned to the office on Aug. 18 to complete his responsibilities through the end of the month and ensure a proper handover.
On Aug. 23, his birthday, he told his mother and grandmother that he could no longer continue working in an environment shaped by that attitude.
He said he worried they would be anxious because he still needed to contribute to the household income, but their reaction reassured him and allowed him to take a break without overthinking the decision.
Butsri also said he had prepared financially, maintaining an emergency fund that could cover one to two years without work or potentially be used to start a small business.
For now, he said, he has not decided what he will do next because many matters related to his brother remain unresolved.
He also made clear that he did not blame everyone at the company, saying he was sorry to leave supportive colleagues and emphasizing that his decision was not about them.
He ended his post by arguing that leadership should be measured not only by business results, but also by maturity, judgment and respect for people, especially when someone is dealing with one of the hardest moments of their life.