Worm Cast

‘THE early bird may catch the worm, but only in Thailand if gets up before firefighter Paisit Chanta.

The 39-year-old has stuck to a regime of eating one live worm a day for the past three decades in the belief that it helps him to stay healthy.

The unusual habit started when he was fishing as a boy and Paisit says he now loves the taste (which is apparently just like sticky rice).

One day, I was sitting there waiting for a fish to eat my bait for hours and was starving, he said.

Suddenly, I realised fish don’t die from eating worms so I shouldn’t either. I ate them until I was full.’

Work colleague Thepnakorn Kongwien, 28, says Paisit often digs for worms in the area near the fire station.

‘We’re used to that, but we still think it’s strange and disgusting,’ he said.’

Anorak