Woody Talk reveals the father-and-son relationship of Dr. Sunil Phon , and Katie Phon. From the days when their clinic had almost no patients during COVID to the time TikTok transformed the entire family’s life, going viral with 10 million views unexpectedly, to live streams generating huge revenue. They share behind-the-scenes of running a Family Show-style live stream, how they split percentages without ever asking about earnings, and the important lesson of “go all the way if you do it.” Their family work formula allows for arguments and space but ultimately requires talking and moving forward together.
Was it Dr. Sunil’s family that inspired Woody to start live streaming?
Katie: If we’re going to do a live stream, we want to make it the best and unlike any other. I feel the live streams on Katie’s channel are more like a family show, featuring me, Dad, Kevin, and Mom. We each have our own character, making it similar to the reality shows once popular on US TV, mixed with occasional product sellers joining in.
Dr. Sunil: When someone streams on Katie’s channel, normally you get just one influencer, but on our channel, we have four people selling together. So, we can support each other—one person covers a different angle when sales dip, adjusting to boost numbers. We fully support the consumers.
Today, we’ll gain a lot of inspiration from this episode, not just about live streaming but about going all out in whatever you do?
Katie: Dad always tells me that whatever we do, whether live streaming or work, we have to do it fully. If we’re not serious, it won’t turn out as we want. He always says before doing anything, we must map it out clearly in our head, then release it. If we do it, we should give it 100%, make it complete. Without energy or dedication, why do it at all? That’s what Dad taught me since I was little.
What can viewers gain from watching this episode?
Dr. Sunil: I think they will see the effort involved. Many might wonder, “They’re already rich, why start live streaming?” There are many questions like that in society. But this live streaming idea came from a dinner table discussion with the four of us. I had proposed it months before. Eventually, Kevin said he could do it, and the kids set everything up themselves. On the day I was out of town, they started, and sales rose sharply. Another story is that two days ago, Kevin suddenly told me he would sell products himself. Normally, he works behind the scenes. He broke records—TikTok called at midnight! In three hours, Kevin sold 10,000 tubes of toothpaste.
Katie: Usually, he’s behind the production. He’s not the type to plan to go on camera, but if he feels like selling that day, he just does it—and sells very fast.
If you already have money, why do live streams? Some think live streaming is only for those without money. What does the doctor want to say?
Dr. Sunil: My two kids, Kevin and Katie, graduated in Switzerland in hospitality. I have options like opening a hotel for them, which requires an investment of 1,000–3,000 million baht today. I told them, after that, how much can we charge per room in Thailand? Around 3,000–4,000 baht. I told my kids if we try live streaming and earn income, a 5-star hotel cannot match the revenue from just one live stream per month by Katie. So why build a hotel? That was my thinking about live streaming then.
How much do you think a hotel would earn in one month?
Dr. Sunil: I think about 30 million baht, just that.
Does live streaming have more potential?
Dr. Sunil: If you consider profit, it’s much more. It’s not just the live stream that ends there. It leads to announcements from Katie and me, and we make clips for the public. That brings additional income on days we don’t want to live stream.
Katie: I feel it’s not just about money but about fun. I really like being on camera and find live streaming fun. I don’t think we should do things just for money. For me, if we enjoy it, it doesn’t matter if we earn a lot or a little. If we enjoy and give our all, that’s all that matters.
Has Katie always been like this?
Dr. Sunil: Maybe she got it from us. If we do something, we do it to the best of our ability, whether it’s a small business or anything else. When we party, we party till morning. When we work, we work hard. We finish live streaming at 3 or 4 a.m., then have meetings until 6 a.m.
What meetings?
Katie: Meetings about what we can improve. Every day we face obstacles during live streaming, and it’s a learning process. Many think business always has problems and obstacles. Every day, we discuss how to improve for tomorrow, what strategies or methods to fix issues, and how to mix and match. After every live stream, we sit down and talk.
Dr. Sunil: We have to wrap it up within two hours that night, talking until 5 a.m. Then I wake up at noon to go to the office. Katie can sleep longer, but she gets up to do makeup for the next day. From being someone who used to party and go out at night, she hasn’t gone out for three months. This isn’t just about the live stream—it’s about the whole family. Viewers worldwide watch, not only in Thailand. The result? Patients return to our clinic. The clinic fills up with patients, which is our main family income. That’s the side benefit I’m lucky to have.
Is live streaming selling the solution?
Dr. Sunil: I think you can start simply with just a phone. Maybe start with a talk stream—not dancing or other types.
Katie: I feel that if anyone wants to start live streaming, the main thing is to be yourself. Don’t try to be someone else or try to be unique if that’s not you. You don’t need a big setup. Like Dad says, just one phone. If you do something true to yourself and are happy with it, and show your true self, that’s it. No need for sales strategies or training. I’m real. If it tastes good or not, everyone sees from my expression. My method is selling authenticity, no pretending or overacting. If you’re real with yourself and the viewers, that engages people, and they buy more.
What challenges will you definitely face, and what patience is needed to overcome them?
Dr. Sunil: At first, you might have zero views until TikTok’s AI recognizes you have a character, something unique. When I first started, I danced to "Chon Kaeng" by Jack Papho. That went viral, but few people were on TikTok then. I had to post clips every day. If a clip didn’t get views, I didn’t worry. After five clips, one would catch on. Consistency is key. If you want to live stream, do it daily. I tell Katie on days without selling, still live stream for half an hour—do makeup or anything. Keep followers engaged daily. That’s the technique and don’t give up.
Some viewers may want to do this with their family but fear conflicts. How does your family work?
Katie: If we don’t understand each other, we take space. If living together makes us unhappy or worried, take space. That’s what I do. When we’re ready to reflect and talk calmly, we do. If not calm yet, we wait and talk later. Eventually, we resolve and fix everything together.
Dr. Sunil: When I have problems with Katie, which happens often, I walk away and don’t talk. After three days, we calm down. I just forget it. We don’t drag it out for long.
Katie: About two to three days, then we talk it out and it’s normal.
Dr. Sunil: I might be the first dad who never asks what time his kids come home. I never ask because I trust my daughter. If she goes out, she’s with trusted close friends. Sometimes she comes back at 9 p.m., sometimes 3 a.m., partying at home. I tell her to go out sometimes—to party and socialize to get different perspectives. Now she’s serious about work and live streaming, so we tell her to rest sometimes. Even on no-live days, she wakes up thinking about what we should do next, what products to focus on. Last week, one product sold best; she keeps five for me to work on.
I manage production only—I produce without interference. I find products for Katie to sell. Now Super Doc has nearly 100 products within two months. Mostly, we start with brand collaborations. You invest, and I share profits. We don’t stock or store products. Our home storage is full. Partners stock inventory, and we share profits.
Can you share a brand collaboration that worked well without stocking?
Dr. Sunil: For example, chili paste—basil chili paste sells very well. I’m from northern Thailand, Chiang Rai, and I love red chili paste, so we made it and it sells well. Then canned fish—we tried that. I used to eat canned fish as a kid but it smelled bad. When canned fish sellers joined our show, it sold very well. I proposed collaboration. They processed documents in three days. Now our canned fish sells like crazy. We try to be like the Kardashians. For example, I made a toothbrush with gold and diamonds, costing one million baht, but no one’s bought it yet.
Have you sold products worth hundreds of thousands? Tell us about that phenomenon.
Katie: I was shocked. The brand sent a pearl necklace, one of a kind in the world. They said if I wanted to sell it on live stream, I could. I agreed. For three or four days, I wore it. On the first day, everyone was amazed and nearly 300,000 baht was sold on the live stream. Everyone wondered if someone would actually buy it. I thought maybe one day someone would. It would be amazing because it would be the most expensive necklace sold on TikTok. The brand owner was there with another product, and we streamed as usual.
Suddenly, the team shouted that someone paid for the necklace. At first, I didn’t believe it. Was it real? The payment notification popped up. I looked and saw it. Who really bought it? I cried—how is this possible? We didn’t expect it. I’m not the type to expect things; if it happens, great; if not, it’s okay. When it happened, I was shocked, happy, and grateful. Everyone was surprised and excited. The brand owner said it really happened—it did.
What did you learn from this?
Katie: I expected it somewhat. I always think if it will happen, it will. If not, it won’t. I’m cool with it. But after this, I believe if I think it will sell, it will.
Dr. Sunil: I see TikTok as an excellent platform that changed my family’s life in many ways. It’s not just selling items for 50 or 100 baht. Next month, I’ll launch a 2 million baht dental floss product. I’m confident I’ll sell it on TikTok.
You’re saying it changed your life?
Dr. Sunil: It changed life from partying almost every day and dining out, to now rarely going out. When we get a chance, we eat simply together. Our credit card bills have almost disappeared—no shopping, nothing. Just work, like when the clinic was new and we were establishing ourselves. I’m very happy. I used to have no phone calls or messages, now I open my phone to 50 messages about product issues needing my approval. I enjoy multitasking and feel very happy.
Patients come in saying they saw me on live streaming and thought I wouldn’t be at the clinic. They come from Narathiwat, Surat Thani, Chiang Rai, Phayao, Nan, Mae Hong Son. They don’t trust local doctors, so they fly to see me. That impresses me greatly. On the first day of TikTok, we were in Samui. I woke up to find my wife had 100 messages. At that time, there were no patients during COVID. Katie told me we must do TikTok; Kevin said TikTok is trending.
Suddenly, patients booked 75 dental appointments. My wife couldn’t read Thai well, so she translated messages to English and back to Thai to communicate with patients. That day, 50 patients waited at the clinic. I told the team to reduce staff and call everyone back. Now the clinic is busy every day because of TikTok.
It all started with fun, right?
Dr. Sunil: Now it’s fun. By chance, Nikki Nattarat interviewed me. That interview went viral with nearly 6 million views on YouTube. People suddenly asked, “Who is this doctor?” Old patients who couldn’t find us came back and returned to the clinic.
Why do you say TikTok changed your life compared to other platforms?
Dr. Sunil: TikTok changed our life because we almost collapsed due to COVID. At first, we thought it would last 3–4 months or 6 months. It lasted 4 years. By the third year, we had mortgaged all our assets. Money ran out. Our kids studied in Switzerland, costing 8 million baht per kid per year. Kevin was studying in Switzerland then. The kids said, “Dad, you have to do something or we can’t study.” Then TikTok brought patients back to the clinic, generating income that sustained us. We’re not very rich, but I can say we live comfortably. We don’t worry about prices when buying clothes or anything. But we don’t own tall buildings or condos.
Can you describe your life’s formula?
Katie: I want to say the clip that went viral was the first viral clip on Katie’s channel. At first, we didn’t make much content on TikTok; mostly Dad did. That day, we had a party at home, and Kevin and I tried making funny clips. Now, if I make a clip, I’m a perfectionist—I shoot 5–6 takes per scene until I like it.
But Dad is a one-take guy—if his face is crooked, he posts anyway. That clip wasn’t planned, shot in one take, with no thought about going viral. The next morning, it had 10 million views. We were amazed. We just went to get water, not expecting a spark. That clip led to more like it, as viewers liked that style.
Are you saying that pressure that day may have shaped her personality?
Dr. Sunil: Yes, it’s possible. There was constant pressure to be a dentist. Katie was an average student, not very good. We sent her to study with the best math teacher in Thailand. Even the teacher shook his head at Katie; she couldn’t grasp it. I told her to do her best but not to be harsh on herself. She still fears that teacher today.
Katie: Yes, very scary. If I like something, I put my all into it. But if I’m forced, I don’t block myself, but I try hard. I studied every day—after school, two hours of extra lessons, then two hours of self-study at home. I slept around 11 or 11:30 p.m. and repeated the next day. Weekends were for studying, so I had little time to meet or be with anyone.
Is being a salesperson in your blood?
Katie: I think so. But ultimately, I have fun. If you enjoy something, you can do it. We do it best and can do everything.
Dr. Sunil: When Katie sells, she explains product details very well. I can’t do that. Watching other live streams, I can’t explain like Katie. I just say, “This is this product; buy it or not.”
What convinces people to buy?
Katie: The brushes have the same bristles but different handles. We put the expensive one out; some may not buy it, and that’s okay. We also have an affordable one with a plastic handle. Both have the same bristles. People think, since they’re similar but one is much cheaper, they choose the cheaper one.
Dr. Sunil: Katie is passionate. To this day, neither Kevin nor Katie has ever asked me or my wife how much they earn. Before live streaming, I explained the split: Mom and Dad get 20%, Katie and Kevin get 40% each, in our family company. The next morning, Kevin said he wanted equal shares at 25% each. Katie agreed. To this day, they never ask about income or profits, nor do they spend money. I have to tell them to shop sometimes to relieve stress and spend money.
For those without products, how should they start live streaming?
Katie: If you don’t have products, start by telling your story to help people know you better. If you’re not ready to sell, focus on building your identity first.
Dr. Sunil: Start live streaming from your childhood up to your first live day—that’s almost 10 clips. I started by sharing my tough childhood—my father died when I was 8, and I didn’t inherit a billion-baht fortune but was cheated by siblings. I shared all that with fans. Wherever I shared, people responded, confirming it was true. Start live streaming about your life. Make short clips about yourself, funny stories, or daily encounters. If you live stream, you have to be talkative, rambling if no one watches. Keep going.
What if someone wants to sell but isn’t good at speaking?
Katie: Keep talking and practicing. There’s nothing you can’t get good at. If you’re weak in one area, repeat and practice daily until you improve. I believe in manifestation—if you think you can, you will be good at it. First, be positive. Second, if you’re bad at selling, start by telling your story—who you are and where you come from. Maybe post videos first. If you can’t speak well, practice in front of a mirror every day. That was my secret. Watch yourself and improve. Just keep doing it. Don’t give up if no one watches. That’s my advice.
Dr. Sunil: I’d say try making funny clips. Thai people love humor. Don’t make serious or intense clips. Make fun, entertaining clips to keep viewers watching. Also, if you’re not good at speaking, it’s okay. Look at my wife—her Thai isn’t clear but fans all over the country watch because of her energy and spirit. That’s important.
Katie: I’m very proud of that. Ultimately, you must first know yourself—what you’re good at and not. Then present yourself in a way others can relate to. If you don’t know yourself yet, find out what you like—movies, styles, food—all reflect who you are. Once you know yourself, present that in clips or live streams. If you’re true to yourself, people will like it. This generation likes authenticity and unfiltered content.
Dr. Sunil: No pretense, no politics, just family content Thai people want. Sometimes a solo act is good, but as a family, we see we can go far. We’ve had drops in views but don’t give up. Katie says, “Dad, views dropped.” I say, “Calm down, commerce has ups and downs.” Our ratings bounce back. We’re confident we’ll grow strong and stable.
What do you think about TikTok trends recently?
Dr. Sunil: TikTok’s team advises us when to pause—sometimes they tell us to rest for four days if we’re tired, to protect our voices. They guide us on when trends are weak and when to be active, like during coupon releases. We get support from TikTok teams in Thailand and China. The China team visits twice a month to help us grow. They see our potential even if our numbers aren’t huge yet.
What’s the secret to increasing visibility?
Dr. Sunil: First, our team’s dedication. Without Mom Puja or Kevin, it wouldn’t work. Sometimes I escape to parties but get called back because fans ask where I am. We need all four of us working together to go far. Six years ago, Netflix contacted me about making a family series like The Kardashians. Now, many comments call us The Bangkok Kardashians, referring to our family drama and outings. But we don’t get arrogant. At 22, Katie started a scholarship for eight students from elementary through university, funded by her income. I have about 50 children I support, and Katie just started with eight after one month of work. That’s what I taught her.
Tell us more.
Katie: If we have everything, some people don’t. I’m sensitive about this and feel we must always give back, even small things. For example, every Friday at home, I bring ice cream to kids in the neighborhood. I’ve always wanted to help those who have less. My parents taught me to always support and help others. Now that I have my own income, I want to share—not just use it myself. Whatever they do with the money is their choice, but I want to help everyone.
Dr. Sunil: Many don’t see what our family does. I personally care for 26 bedridden patients in the Salamat community and provide a van for elderly patients to hospitals. We do everything we can as a family. I say help starts close to home—not far away where it’s tiring—start nearby where you can walk and manage. That’s what we do.
Considering all aspects of this family, many watching might be inspired to act?
Katie: If you decide to live stream or start any business, big or small, just start. Don’t overthink whether it will succeed or fail. Many think too much. My advice is don’t worry about that. Put your full energy and work hard, and it will succeed. That’s my recommendation. If you have that mindset and work hard, no one can stop you. You will achieve your goal. Manifest success. Obstacles will come, but see them as learning, not reasons to quit or be sad. That’s another tip I want to share.
Dr. Sunil: One thing I notice in Woody’s live streams is how talented Thai people are. Products sold at these prices—how is that possible? I’m always excited watching those streams. I tell everyone Thailand will surpass China in production quality within four years. Our products are excellent. Let’s talk again after four years to see if I was right.
What about Miss Grand?
Katie: I have many goals, including entering Miss Universe and Miss Grand. I will definitely compete next year but haven’t decided which one yet. I need to do homework on that.
What’s your strategy?
Katie: I love them both. I want to enter both Miss Universe and Miss Grand. I also want to act in movies and series. I have many goals but focus on live selling now. Once successful, I’ll add Miss Universe or Miss Grand. I can’t do many things at once. I’m a bit nervous and want to do things step by step. I want to produce music and do many things, but next year, Miss Universe or Miss Grand is definitely happening.
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