An emotional schoolboy broke down in tears when it was time to smash open his piggy bank - containing his savings from his school lunch money.

The youngster Punpun Kannapat, aged nine, received the pink pig as a gift from his mother during last year's Chinese New Year celebration in Chai Nat province, Thailand.

Punpun diligently put his leftover school lunch money into the ceramic coin holder until he filled it a year later, with change totaling 23,340 baht (574 GBP).

Footage shows the boy in school uniform crying and hugging his piggy bank to protect it on January 5.

Relative Pawitra Chaiprasit said: ‘Punpun receives 30 baht pocket money for school every day. He would come back and put whatever's left at the end of the day into his piggy bank.

‘He did this everyday and felt attached to the cute pig. He was cute but he had to learn how to let go.'

Pawitra added the youngster eventually agreed to open the pig with a hammer which he did by himself.

She said: ‘We counted the money inside and he saved 23,340 baht (574 GBP). Sometimes we would also put some money there too.

‘He wanted to go to a holiday to another province this New Year so he was given a piggy bank to save for it. He was so sweet.'