From the nation's former husband to 'Mae Nai' (Madam). The phrase 'สามีแห่งชาติ' literally means 'national husband'—a term of endearment for a beloved male celebrity. Dang Phankorn. Single for 46 years, is his life really unsuitable for having a partner? He opens up about his life path, personal transformation, family relationships, changed views on love, and choosing to live free from constraints—solitary yet fond of socializing—on the program How Are You Feeling? A conversation that invites reflection on whether we truly understand ourselves today.
Being a singer, the son of a famous police chief—was it suffocating back then?
Dang Phankorn: Actually, I didn’t have other choices. It felt like I was born into it. My life followed the path where my father was already there. I didn’t know what other paths might exist. Was it suffocating? Not really, because I grew up that way. It felt normal. Whether my father was a policeman or police chief, I just felt I was still his son as always.
Was your father strict?
Dang Phankorn: My father was very kind. Others might have been afraid—outsiders or friends—but once you got to know him, he was the opposite. I never saw him as strict. He was kind, gentle, polite, rarely strict. When we wanted something, my older siblings would ask him, and he was generous. My mother, on the other hand, was stricter—she was the one who was a bit scary, so the children would be afraid, which was better.
Are you the only son, the youngest son?
Dang Phankorn: I’m the youngest, a late child. There’s a six-year gap between me and my sister Dao.
Did your family have high expectations for you?
Dang Phankorn: They didn’t expect much academically because I wasn’t a good student. I wasn’t focused on studying. I was able but didn’t apply myself. Since childhood, I liked to play and talk, so I developed a cheerful character. I felt no need to take things seriously or be pressured to be top of the class.
If your mother wasn’t strict about studies, what was she strict about?
Dang Phankorn: She was strict about lifestyle. For example, when I was young, I liked to dye my hair unusual colors—green, highlights—and she forbade that and scolded me.
Why did you ask to study abroad at age 10?
Dang Phankorn: Because I didn’t love studying that much. Also, I didn’t like waking up early, which is a habit I still have now.
Was your home very dark?
Dang Phankorn: Yes, I love darkness. Especially when sleeping, it must be completely dark and quiet because I wake easily and have trouble falling asleep.
Did anyone go with you?
Dang Phankorn: No, my parents just took me there. At the time, the Thai government had staff to look after Thai students. I took a taxi to school and cried, but I couldn’t go back, so I had to stay.
How was it when you first entered boarding school?
Dang Phankorn: It was like Harry Potter, but not as fun.
What was life like at boarding school?
Dang Phankorn: There were strict rules—wake-up times, brushing teeth together, eating breakfast together.
What about the freedom I asked about?
Dang Phankorn: There was none. I had a hard time adapting. I was mischievous. The first school was a private language school with two boys. In the afternoons, I stayed with a family on a big farm. I was scared because my family didn’t have pets, and I was afraid of all animals, especially cats. I wasn’t used to them, so I was scared. My whole family disliked pets except fish because you don’t have to touch them.
But the host family had cats?
Dang Phankorn: They had cats, horses, sheep, cows, dogs. I lasted two days, sneaking around to use the phone when the maid wasn’t looking, calling home to complain I couldn’t stay. I was very young and gave up. My mother told the Thai government I wanted to move to a school with more students and no cats. I first studied language, then transferred to another boarding school with Thai students, co-ed, and a real school community.
If you could go back, would you choose to study abroad again?
Dang Phankorn: Since I can’t go back, I’d choose the same path because it made me who I am. At the time, studying wasn’t fun, but looking back, it was.
What did it change about you?
Dang Phankorn: It gave me discipline. As a child, I was sometimes naughty, so my parents felt they needed to correct me.
Why did you become a singer after returning?
Dang Phankorn: Because I was determined to be a singer. Whenever I returned or found chances to meet singers or audition, I went. My mother found it hard to track me down, but I’d audition at every label: Stone Records, Ford's first album, Grammy, Sony—everywhere until I ended up at RS.
How did you end up at RS?
Dang Phankorn: RS liked me the best among all the places I auditioned. Others weren’t as interested.
Is RS like boarding school?
Dang Phankorn: Kind of. RS looks after its artists closely, like products. If something happens to us, the whole team suffers. They watch over us strictly—no nightlife, no bad behaviors, no drinking or smoking. No girlfriends is better, no mall visits—it’s not a ban, but like following the Five Precepts of Buddhism. On tour, we can’t leave our rooms; upon arrival, we go straight to the hotel with an AR escort. We eat room service. Maybe because I was young, they took special care. After interviews or radio shows, we returned to the hotel until concert time at clubs or bars.
Was that ban enforceable?
Dang Phankorn: Yes, because I liked massages. Sometimes, to pass time, I’d get Thai massages in the hotel room.
Do you see yourself as an introvert?
Dang Phankorn: No. It’s a mix. I’m solitary but enjoy socializing.
You have a wild side but also want everyone to be happy?
Dang Phankorn: I get along with everyone. These experiences broadened my perspective, exposing me to diverse people and cultures since studying abroad. I adapt to every situation and try to see everything positively. Since childhood, I’ve tried not to overthink. Buddhism has helped me a lot—I transform suffering into happiness. When facing hardship, I question it until I find an answer that relieves the pain. I’m wild but harmless.
What is Dang Phankorn’s true self like?
Dang Phankorn: Everything you see has been me since childhood. It’s genuine, not fabricated. I believe what’s constructed can’t hide truth; truth is truth.
Wild and solitary don’t seem to go together?
Dang Phankorn: Because I emit a lot of energy. When performing concerts, I’m unaware because I’m having fun. But after shows, I retreat to solitude because performing is exhausting internally. I rarely see anyone then.
From Dang Phankorn the nation’s husband to Mae Nai Dang—what was the turning point?
Dang Phankorn: It’s hard to say. Maybe it’s change with the times and fashion. I love fashion and always follow trends. Technology changed—from tapes to MP3s, newspapers to social media. I had to adapt, so I created a page to update fans on my work and schedule.
What made you realize you connected with the audience?
Dang Phankorn: Probably when I started mixing jokes and other topics. Since I don’t work on music constantly, I try to keep the page alive by posting daily, sometimes funny or quirky things. People laugh with me, understand my humor, enjoy it, and the followers grow.
Is Mae Nai a new persona you decided to debut?
Dang Phankorn: Mae Nai is a character on my DK Official page, managed by admins. It blends my character with the admin’s, making Mae Nai more variety-oriented and different from Dang Phankorn, though I’m the original. We change outfits daily, with a team managing it.
What are you really like?
Dang Phankorn: The real me? I don’t know what the fake me is like (laughs). I’m normal like everyone else. My profession means many know me. I feel happiness doing work I love. Being known isn’t an obstacle; it’s a package I chose. I accept it.
Do you see drama as normal?
Dang Phankorn: It’s normal nowadays. At first, bad news stressed me because I worried about disappointing my parents.
When people expect you to be exactly like your page persona, how do you handle it?
Dang Phankorn: I don’t handle it; I just am. Some expect me to be more outspoken than I am. That’s the page persona—if people criticize me, I snap back. Am I outspoken? Sometimes, like on the page, but not all the time. People remember me in the way they like—some for my sharp words that make them smile, some as a singer, some for politeness. Everyone has their own image of me. Mostly, I think it’s because I’m good-looking (laughs).
Which version of Dang Phankorn do you like best?
Dang Phankorn: I like all versions except when I get older. I wish I could freeze myself in my twenties. I don’t like being fat either.
You once weighed 78 kg?
Dang Phankorn: Yes, 78 kg. I’ll always remember never to return to that. If I do, I might sell myself as a spokesperson (laughs). I take care of myself. That was when I was enjoying life too much and forgot. I’d never been fat before, so I never needed scales. No matter how much I ate, my weight stayed the same. But as I got older, the weight crept up unexpectedly.
Is your passion for entertainment, fashion, and your page truly happiness?
Dang Phankorn: Like kids today piercing their noses, I feel I inspire youth. If I got fat and wore pants, who would want to follow my style or look?
What drives you to be one of the first in everything?
Dang Phankorn: It’s about my environment—I’m surrounded by fashion. Clothes represent fashion trends, not gender. Wearing a skirt doesn’t mean I’m transgender. I wear it because it’s cool and fashionable this season.
Have you ever felt you lack something?
Dang Phankorn: I’ve never asked if I lack something. I don’t see my life as a graph or pie chart with missing parts. I feel my life is complete daily. About partners—if I see myself as single and at peace with myself, I don’t feel lacking. But if I start liking someone, then I feel a lack. I think love isn’t necessary; it depends on meeting the right person. If I haven’t met them, I don’t feel incomplete.
You haven’t met anyone in 46 years?
Dang Phankorn: Maybe I’ve met people but not in a romantic way. I see someone and think they’re cute or nice, but that’s it. I haven’t experienced true love. As a child, I never thought I had a problem. I’ve asked myself why others have partners but I don’t.
Are you happy living like this, entertaining fans, and having personal space to comfort yourself?
Dang Phankorn: I recently analyzed myself and think I might not be the type to have a partner. Maybe my personality or upbringing isn’t suited for it. I studied all kinds of love theories. Growing older, I asked why. Maybe I have too many expectations, being a perfectionist. I notice small details and want someone who fits perfectly. For example, if on the first date they have food stuck in their teeth or dance oddly, I lose points immediately. Now, if asked, I say if it’s right, it’s right. If we have chemistry and like each other, that’s enough.
The person who enters your life must bring comfort, not discomfort?
Dang Phankorn: Why would I keep someone who makes me uncomfortable? If I overlook something and think we get along, those small details will come back.
But the Mae Nai page still frequently announces relationship statuses?
Dang Phankorn: My look and profession give me confidence as a singer. Confidence is important. But in love, I’m quite serious and a bit old-fashioned. I’m earnest. People might think I’m easygoing, but I’m conservative in some ways.
Can you picture yourself with a partner?
Dang Phankorn: I can’t see it.
What do you think about the term 'life partner'?
Dang Phankorn: It’s like watching a drama. I don’t think I have a life partner as my therapist said. If I do, it would be someone I feel completely at ease with—someone very lighthearted.
Have you ever been troubled by something that ruined things?
Dang Phankorn: Suffering is part of being human. Practicing Buddhism has helped me a lot. Self-questioning trains me to live in this world.
If someone could have deep Dharma conversations with you and ease your mind, would you open your heart?
Dang Phankorn: It’s just about Dharma.
If you could ask your psychotherapist one question about yourself, what would it be?
Dang Phankorn: "Do I have a partner yet?" (laughs) I’d ask if I’m mentally ill.
Are you good at being alone with yourself?
Dang Phankorn: I must thank Buddhism. I’ve studied it since youth—from chanting, making merit to Vipassana meditation. It helps me handle many things easily. Instead of worrying or panicking over problems, I change my thoughts to feel better.
When you have problems, can you talk about them?
Dang Phankorn: Yes. Dharma is a philosophy of life teaching us to be with ourselves. Some people are distracted by the outside world, but when problems come, I solve them immediately. If I’m very upset, I think to be happy. For example, my father has passed, but I tell myself I have his blood inside me. He hasn’t gone anywhere; he’s still within me. When I think of him, he’s still here.
Click to read.Entertainment news.More.