This clever designer is helping hard-up pensioners who struggle to walk by turning old shopping trolleys into wheelchairs. <br /><br />Graphics firm boss Apichai Inthutsingh had the idea after seeing elderly residents who could not afford wheelchairs struggle to get around in Bangkok, Thailand. <br /><br />He began collecting old shopping carts which had been donated from supermarkets then turning them into wheelchairs - which he then hands out for free. <br /><br />Caring Apichai has now helped hundreds of frail residents who would otherwise be stuck indoors to find a new lease of life.<br /><br />He said: ''The whole project is something I do for free. It’s for elderly people who are really poor and who are no longer strong enough to walk around.<br /><br />''In Thailand, people have to buy wheelchairs and that can be expensive for the elderly, especially if they have no relatives or the family is also poor.<br /><br />''The shopping cart wheelchairs are comfortable and they allow the old and sick to go outside, where they can feel better about life.''<br /><br />Apichai and his team begin by cleaning the carts then chopping off the front section with a circular disc saw. <br /><br />The front is folded down into a foot rest and the sides are also cut down and folded into arm rests. <br /><br />Each trolley is then fitted out with soft cushions which provide comfortable padding for the new user. <br /><br />When the mobility is device is ready, it is delivered in a truck to the recipient. The wheelchairs also comply with the country’s safety regulations.<br /><br />Apichai added: ''I just want to share with society without any cost. We have no limits to the amount we can provide or how long we will do this.<br /><br />''The carts would otherwise only be scrapped so supermarkets are happy to donate. We receive many requests from people who need wheelchairs so we will keep producing them.''<br /><br />Semi-developed Thailand has a government health system that provides care for locals but waiting lists are long and treatment poor.<br /><br />Many residents, particularly the elderly, still cannot get access even to that, as they have never been enrolled in the health service or made social security payments through formal employment.
