KUALA LUMPUR, March 21  —  The touching tale of a restaurant that helped a poor man celebrate his daughter’s special day has gone viral.

It began when a waitress at a shabu-shabu eatery in Thailand’s Wang Chan district in Rayong overheard a father telling his daughter to eat alone because he didn’t have enough money to pay for them both.

The father told his daughter he would wait outside while she enjoyed the Japanese-style hotpot but she refused unless they ate together.

The waitress then informed Halo Shabu owner Panumas Sroitong about what she had overheard and as the two were about to leave the premises, the restaurateur stopped them and offered them a free meal.

Upon finding out the meal was a birthday celebration for the man’s daughter, she asked staff to buy a birthday cake from a nearby convenience store.

"I saw how much he loved his daughter,” Sroitong told media outlets.

The birthday girl was all smiles when a restaurant staff presented her with a cake and everyone sang ‘Happy Birthday’. — Screen capture via Facebook/Panumas Sroitong

A restaurant CCTV clip showed Sroitong and her staff reduced to tears as they watched the man celebrating his daughter’s special day.

"It would be even better if Bella’s mother were with us today,” the father told Sroitong, using his daughter’s nickname.

The man and his daughter thanked the restaurant’s staff for the priceless birthday celebration after their meal.

In another clip, the father can be seen hugging his daughter outside the restaurant before walking away.

"She would be very happy. The love the father gave to her is beyond words. She got such a warm hug,” read one Facebook comment.

The heartwarming tale prompted scores of social media users to send appreciation messages to Sroitong for her random act of kindness.

The father and daughter hugged outside the restaurant after finishing their meal. — Screen capture via Facebook/Panumas Sroitong

Many praised the restaurant owner for giving the girl a memorable birthday gift.

"I wish good things would come back to this restaurant,” said one Facebook user.

"I appreciate this. Hope for good business for you,” said another.

In another Facebook post yesterday, Sroitong said she knew the father’s name and address but wanted to respect his privacy as he didn’t want any media attention or accept any financial assistance that the public has been offering through the restaurant’s Facebook page.

"On behalf of the father and his daughter, thank you for all your offers of help,” she wrote.

Sroitong’s initial Facebook post received 220,000 reactions, 4,500 comments and 82,000 shares.