Mark Cunningham - known as Marko to the locals in Thailand - is a Kiwi from Upper Hutt. Marko survived the Boxing Day Tsunami in 2004 and joined local volunteers to collect bodies. These days Marko is an English teacher by day, and an Emergency Medical Technician by night with Bangkok's volunteer rescue charity. Nan Sirisamphan is in Bangkok to learn more about this altruistic Kiwi.

Marko is a 'Farang', a lone westerner amongst his Thai volunteer family. Under a layer of bulletproof jacket and an assortment of emergency radios, the Kiwi from Upper Hutt stands at approximately 6' tall. An English teacher by day, he switches to a life less ordinary by night.

'Marko' as his fellow Thai volunteers know him, is an Emergency Medical Technician and former body collector with Bangkok's volunteer rescue charity, The Ruamkatanyu Foundation. His duties vary from delivering babies in the back of taxis, to transporting sick elderly patients from squalid slums, to being the first on the scene of a murder investigation.

The rush was on to get all the bodies out of the sea - Mark (Marko) Cunningham, eyewitness, 2004 Boxing Day Tsunamis

In 2004, the Indian Ocean Tsunami devastated the south coast of Thailand. Without hesitation, Marko joined Ruamkatanyu in their efforts to collect the deceased. Spurred on by his sense of duty and a daily overdose of energy drinks, he spent his days in heat and humidity, collecting bloated bodies amongst wreckage that was once homes, stores and holiday retreats. Refrigerated vans, brought in to save the bodies from further deterioration, acted as a welcome solace from the heat - so much so that Marko would be found sleeping inside the van amongst the corpses.

After the tsunami, there was no leaving his newfound family and Marko was welcomed permanently into the Ruamkatanyu Foundation, where he continues to volunteer today.

In Bangkok, a city of more than 8 million people with a notorious reputation for gridlocked traffic, it is simply impossible for the underfunded public ambulances to cater to every emergency call. Instead they rely on the volunteer services, such as Ruamkatanyu to cover the majority of accidents.

The Ruamkatanyu Foundation is a reflection of modern Thai society in action - it stems from the Buddhist belief of creating spiritual merit through the idea of 'karma', i.e. whatever good you do in your current life will have a positive impact on either your life, next life or the spirit of your ancestors…

Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details