An Unexpected Chance For Discovery
In the wake of Ti-eye’s untimely death, his family found themselves in dire straits, with their primary source of sustenance and income suddenly gone. Nok, now a widow, faced the daunting task of providing for her children alone. The burden of survival weighed heavily even on the youngest of shoulders, as her twin sons, merely eight years old, stepped into the world of labor. They toiled at a local cocoa bean oil plant, their small hands contributing to the family’s meager earnings. As the years passed, the twins, Chang and Eng, now 13, returned to the family fold, embarking on a new venture of duck rearing. The eggs they gathered became their wares, which they hawked along the dusty roads as itinerant traders.
Fate, however, had an unusual twist in store for them. It was a scorching day in 1824 when the twins, seeking respite from the relentless heat, found themselves cooling off in the waters of the Menam River. There, Robert Hunter, a Scottish merchant out for a quiet day of fishing, caught sight of them. At first glance, he mistook the duo for a peculiar creature, but upon realizing they were conjoined twins, his entrepreneurial instincts kicked in. Hunter recognized the potential for profit in the twins’ extraordinary bond, seeing them not just as children, but as a living treasure trove..