The misunderstanding has lingered for some time regarding the matter between Poo Kanokwan and Der Dok Sadao. After no photos showed Poo attending an event organized by comedian friends for Der, many wondered what had happened. Subsequently, Poo posted that she wanted to tell everything to P'Aoy and P'Chod to hear.
Then, on 10 Feb 2026, Poo Kanokwan appeared on the Club Friday Show for the first time. After the show, she gave her first media interview, openly sharing what happened. Poo said she had ended her relationship with Der Dok Sadao after discovering he had been living a double life for over 29 years. She revealed the other woman had been in his life before her and even spoke to her in front of Der, who was lying in a hospital bed: “I’m sorry for the past. No hard feelings now, we’re old.”
“Poo ended things on 22 Nov last year. If you check my Facebook, there’s a timeline hinting at this. The reason I decided to break up was that I discovered another life he’d been hiding for 29 years at the patient center. This woman had been involved in his life all along. I found out about her when I was about to end things. We had just appeared on a show together, the Four O’Clock Square program, and we were still sweet. Then I got suspicious and followed him, finding him parked by this woman’s apartment. I called Der and asked if he was going home or ending things.”
Der hurried home. I asked who that woman was; he said she was like a junior comedian in the troupe, like a subordinate’s child. It didn’t make sense. I told him no, I wanted a breakup. I told him to leave my house since he was staying there. We had been sweet moments, but after returning, problems arose. He said no, apologized, and asked for a chance to sort things out. The show had just aired, and we had just gone public, so I reluctantly gave him that chance.
The woman kept calling, but I tried to think positively that if Der wasn’t going to her, she wouldn’t call, right? But if he was with her, she wouldn’t need to call. She kept calling, and at one point, the meatball snacks had her phone number attached. She called asking to speak to Der repeatedly. I thought she was asking for money, thinking I was involved with a woman whose life was now tied to mine and that I had to be responsible, so maybe she needed financial help.
Did you get a chance to meet and speak directly, as women would?
“We spoke on the phone, but it was never clear what her status was. She would always ask to speak to Der. Sometimes she wouldn’t respond to me because she wanted to talk only to Der. But Der wouldn’t talk.”
“She called even when I was pregnant. There were whispers that she had children or had a child, though I didn’t confirm this. I heard about children while I was pregnant. This woman kept calling, even at midnight two years ago, using Line calls. Der was in the bathroom, and I answered. I asked why she was calling so late, and she said she wanted to talk to Der. I told her Der was in the bathroom and hung up. Then I checked her profile and saw her face for the first time in 29 years. I recognized her voice and face and kept them in mind.”
So you finally met her in person at the center?
“On 22 Nov, I was speechless. That day I slid open the door and saw this woman sitting, eating in a T-shirt, hair tied back, and wearing shorts at home. When I saw her, I looked at the bed where the caregiver was sleeping. The blanket was messy—she was staying overnight. I asked her name, and she confirmed it was correct, that she had spoken with me before. I walked around and stopped by Der’s bed.”
The woman stood up and said, “I’m sorry for the past. No hard feelings now, we’re old.” She said that, and I was speechless. Then she walked to the foot of the bed where Der lay. He pointed at her and motioned for her to leave. She left. After she left, Der made a love gesture toward me, but I said, “Don’t bother. Someone else is taking care of you, so what love?”
I asked how many times she had visited. Der showed two fingers, so I understood. I reported as usual and gave updates. Normally, I visit once a week, on Wednesdays, but that day I went on Saturday. I reported as usual, stood silently, cried, then said to him, “What have you done? You know it well. I hope you get well soon, but I’m done.” Then I walked away.
“I never registered our marriage because I already had assets. When I got in the car, I cried and called my child, Prai, and told her what happened and what the woman said. She was shocked. I asked how she felt, and she said she was okay and would always support me. I said okay, but I’m not coming back.”
Why did you keep quiet after this incident?
“Who can you talk to about something like this? Der’s reputation weighs on me. He’s well-loved, so I didn’t speak out. I thought I’d just fade away and let this secret die with him. But after I faded, people who visited him never saw me, which led to rumors that I abandoned him.”
Did it hurt what you endured?
“Yes, it hurt a lot. Why would they say I didn’t take care of him? It was the first time I was accused of neglect. I said, ‘You have my number; you can call and ask if it’s true.’ I can show money transfer slips proving I paid over 200,000 baht during his illness. Is that neglect? And then they said I abandoned him. Did they know I found out about the other woman? Yet they still blamed me. If I didn’t want to be blamed, should I have stood by two women’s beds? That’s not right.”
Having a double life for 29 years is a very long time. What guided you to get through it?
“I thought I had to accept the truth. Of course, I was angry but tried not to dwell on it. Once, when he was newly hospitalized, I had to move his car and saw a condo sticker. I told his child, and they said I had to forgive him. I felt I had no allies and couldn’t speak out. I feared losing him.”
Did you ever doubt your married life?
“At first, no. But later, when I went home, I realized I had missed signs. He left me alone for many years when going to other provinces. At breakfast, he’d say he was going with that woman. After eating, he’d pack and leave for days without calling me until the day he returned. I wondered if I missed these signals. He’d leave me alone.”
Looking at chats with his child made me sad. I told my child, ‘Prai, I’m alone again.’ Years ago, meaning during those times he left me, he must have visited her sometimes.”
Did you have any suspicions?
“No. I was the family’s pillar, earning money and supporting Der, who hadn’t worked for years. When he went out, he said it was with that woman, doing merit with her. He would feel lonely otherwise because he was social, while I stayed home alone. I always thought that if he wanted to leave, he would. I focused on earning money.”
What about the love Der showed you? Did it feel the same? Did he love you?
“If it weren’t for this issue, he loved me. For example, on his birthday, after playing at a café until 2 a.m., he stopped by Foodland to buy fruit and canned fish, cooked rice by 5 a.m., woke me, served rice, and drove me to give alms at the temple. That was enough. He never bought branded gifts, but this was enough.”
How long have you been raising your child alone without Der contributing financially?
“A long time, over 10 years before the TV show 'Afternoon Relaxation.' I never knew how much he earned because he never gave me money. I earned and never asked. Sometimes I teased him to ask for utility bills, but he said he had no money and had to pay debts. I paid the house bills. In the cooking clips, I pay for everything. Morning and evening, 1,000 baht each, plus 3,000 baht for gas when he left the house. I gave him the money. Expenses for Der alone, including food, are 80,000–90,000 baht per month.”
Have you ever wondered if this was a marriage or a servant relationship?
“Well, after having a child, I thought about it. I feared for my child because Der dubbed movies and only earned when working, like me with acting. So, I had to start a business and finance it alone. I created and funded the meatball business alone. Der just said, ‘Go ahead.’ Sometimes I wondered if he saw me as a life partner or a workhorse.”
Have you talked directly to Der about this?
“No, only when he was ill. I cared for him for nearly a month with my child, learning how to look after a bedridden patient, doing everything from light to heavy care, suctioning phlegm. The child also helped. Sometimes I was tired and complained that he was gone when things were good and only came when sick. I complained because he was often absent. My body broke down, requiring physical therapy due to the heavy care, and I wasn’t working during that time.”
Did anyone in the entertainment industry know about this?
“At first, no. They only found out before this New Year. I wanted to keep it secret.”
How do you feel about Der now? Do you still love him?
“It’s more like goodwill than love now. He has someone else. (Tears)”
How has Der been the family’s pillar?
“He cooked, even came up with the idea for the meatballs. I prepared the pork, mixed the ingredients, cleaned the machine. I did everything, even sewing the hair ties sold for 39 baht each. We had regular customers ordering 100 pieces, earning 3,900 baht. I did it all to cover household expenses. I did whatever made money.”
Were you prepared for possible attacks on Der after speaking out?
“It’s the truth we have to accept. I’ve already faced accusations of abandonment, which was suffocating. Looking back, he had another woman already. Why did she come into my life and interfere? Why did she block my chances? It’s very cruel.”
How many years have you been with Der?
“29 years (the same as the other woman?) Yes, she came first (and Der didn’t tell you?) He must have known my nature. If he had told me, I would have left.”
Does he have children with the other woman?
“I don’t know. There were whispers when I was pregnant, but I don’t want to know. How can someone be tied to another for so long? I’m willing to stay behind while he has a public wife. There’s something I have to accept here.”
Did you wonder why the other woman appeared while Der was ill?
“Not really, but I think she should have come earlier so I wouldn’t be blamed. Seeing her in person and hearing her speak that way when he was strong and famous—I would have rejected her. I’ve stood on my own feet and never used Der’s money. We used separate finances.”
Did you suspect what she wanted?
“I couldn’t imagine why she came. The phrase she said to me, it would have been better if she hadn’t said anything.” “I’m sorry for the past. No hard feelings now, we’re old.”
What are your plans now? Will you move abroad?
“No, I’m going to my child’s graduation. My child graduates in June after studying for three years.”
Is there anything you want to say to Der if he hears this?
“He doesn’t know anything. Our child doesn’t let him see social media. But my intention is that we’ve been together a long time through good and bad. There were good things he did. But this is something I couldn’t accept. It’s a big deal for me because we had agreements before living together, including land—four rai in his name but bought with my money. I gave it all to him. I’m only speaking out now.”
Anything besides the land?
“I don’t know. His things, I don’t interfere. The factory making meatballs on one rai was sold long ago; it was mine. I don’t know his assets, and I don’t care or want them.”
Have you forgiven everything now?
“Yes, I have forgiven. I’ve left. Actually, the other woman and child aren’t involved. It’s all about Der. He wasn’t decisive and didn’t settle things properly.”
Are you feeling better now?
“Yes, I’m better now. I keep it to myself. Friends in the industry know, and two senior reporters know, but they haven’t reported it. They said I should speak for myself someday.”
What lessons have you learned about marriage from this?
“Don’t just trust words. Marriage isn’t just about saying 'we’re okay' and living together for a day or two. It requires walking together carefully and thoughtfully.”
Is it fair to call it a double life?
“Think about it the other way. If I had hidden another man, my child would have needed a DNA test by now. I’m not that kind of person.”
Do you regret the 29 years?
“Sometimes I do, but I think if I had left him earlier, I wouldn’t have my child. So, I consider my child a gift. It’s worth the brief pain.”
Anything you want to say to yourself?
“At first, I didn’t know what to think, but P'Aoy and P'Chod told me I did well, did my best, and gave my all.”
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