Rocky Surabodin Rocky Surabodin chooses to ignore the drama about his father, appearing with his wife Ting and their 3-year-old son, Nong Goody. He shares the deep family bond formed through life's storms, having been cheated and burdened with tens of millions of baht in debt. He once contemplated suicide but survived for his child. Fighting to repay the debt, he is halfway there. His goal is to clear all debt, hold a wedding for his wife, and take his mother and son on a trip to Japan, as he shared on the 'Kuy Zab Show' program on One31.
Last week, Rocky appeared on the Kuy Zab Show to clear up the drama and wanted that to be his first and only appearance to put the matter to rest. This week, he was invited back for a week dedicated to moving on and debt relief. Besides his wife, mother Jeab, and Nong Dink also came to support him. After one week, how is his mental state now?
Rocky said, “I feel like I've been through a lot in the past year — so many stories and a huge amount of things happened to me. As I said, I want to move on now. I apologize to some who want me to talk in other places from different perspectives, but I want to stop here and be done. I’m not coming out for attention; I just want to show my true intention.”
Interviewer: “After last week's appearance, you hardly wanted to open social media at all?”
Rocky replied, “After going back, I had decided to speak just once. I brought my mother and son because I wanted them to share their perspectives. Honestly, I didn’t know what would follow. I avoided social media, and my mother didn’t dare leave the house at first.”
Interviewer: “Not knowing how the feedback would go, you chose not to look. Recently, at the hospital, someone came to encourage you?”
Rocky said, “The first day I told my story, I woke up unable to speak. I had to host a show and use my voice, so I decided to go to the hospital. I was just keeping my head down and acting normally. Before leaving, a woman gently nudged me and said simply, ‘Keep fighting.’ I was stunned and surprised, wondering what was happening to me. I thanked her, and we parted ways. Then I went home and told my mother and son it was nothing.”
“Everything passed as I intended, and it will continue to pass. That day I stayed home all day until evening, then decided to take Goody out. We went out to eat sukiyaki. At first, everyone seemed reluctant, but once there, we took photos together. I wasn’t brave enough to post them then, didn’t know if I should or what to do next.”
“I had never experienced anything like this before. Even though I work in front of cameras, when we were out, Goody played in the kids’ corner, and people looked at us. But it wasn’t what I feared. They smiled. They saw us walking as a family. Though some eyes glanced at us, I caught a few smiles — encouraging looks.”
“Your story was all over social media feeds with over 90 percent of comments offering support. Can you move on now?”
Rocky said, “I’m truly grateful. After regaining my footing, life must go on. Work will come anyway. Seeing the feedback was surprising, including messages from my childhood nanny who reached out to my mother, and even teachers from my mother’s school, my own teachers, old friends I hadn’t spoken to in over ten years, and others I don’t even know. I don’t know how to express my thanks enough. (He presses his palms together in thanks.) My family and I thank everyone for their kindness and support. I didn’t expect this, but so much encouragement came from many directions. When I host shows, I leave the microphone on but don’t put it in a basket, and people ask why. I just say, ‘Calm down.’ (Laughs) So many want to support us.”
Rocky said if Kuy Zab Show invites him again, he will bring his family. Other shows have contacted him too. Why does he only honor Kuy Zab Show?
Rocky explained, “When deciding with my family whether to speak or not, everyone chose to speak. We agreed to do it only once and then move on with our lives as before. If one of those shows is Kuy Zab Show, I ask to appear there first because about three years ago, at the worst time in my life, I was cheated by a friend and lost everything. The company I worked for suffered millions in losses due to a partner’s mismanagement. He abandoned the company, and I’ve been repaying debt alone since then. I’m still paying banks. He fled and started a new company. That day, my life crashed hard. I felt abandoned and didn’t know who to talk to. It was terrible. But that day, sitting here on this show...“
“I came on the show because I needed money. I had none. Work was just starting to have problems, and my friend betrayed me. My child was very young. I needed money fast. Appearing on TV gave me some. After the show, I took my son to eat delicious steamed eggs. Later, I sold things. If today I’m to speak, I want to do it on Kuy Zab Show.”
“Goody is 3 years and 6 months old. Who does he look like?”
Goody: “Dad.” (Smiles)
Rocky: “Before, I thought it was clear that Goody looks like his mother, but inside he’s like me. He takes after us.”
Ting: “Inside, he’s like us both—a double secret. It’s a headache, like meeting a little version of dad.”
“One thing they share is a similar way of walking, right?”
Goody: “True.”
“Who is he more attached to?”
Ting: “The good thing is he’s not attached to anyone in particular. He gets along with everyone.”
Rocky: “He’s attached to me. (Laughs)”
Ting: “He’s used to meeting many people. He’s not especially attached to anyone. I’m like a close friend, and the nanny is like a friend in the group.”
“Does he act affectionate?”
Ting: “He suddenly tells us he loves mom and dad, then comes and hugs us.”
“When you get in the elevator, what does he say to you?”
Rocky: “He says, ‘I love you, Dad,’ out of the blue.”
“Besides being affectionate, he also shows signs of being an artist early on, recalling many melodies quickly?”
Rocky: “He seems smart. Sometimes when I’m rehearsing songs at home, I hear a child singing parts of the melodies without me teaching him or expecting him to be a singer. It’s like, is my kid really only three?”
“Who was the first to know about Ting’s pregnancy?”
Rocky: “Yes. During COVID, we weren’t married yet and were facing problems. No one knew. The first to know was my mother, Ting’s grandmother. She asked when the next ultrasound was so she could see her grandchild. She was the first to arrive at the hospital on the day Goody was born, eager to meet him.”
“Grandmother Jeab advised Rocky to buy a ring for Ting first. Why?”
Rocky: “Two things happened then. It was a happy moment, but circumstances weren’t favorable—late COVID and economic struggles. My mother said not to overthink it. Speaking as a woman to me—my mother and I grew up like friends, so sometimes as a man, I overlooked things. She told me to buy a ring, not necessarily expensive, go out to eat, take pictures, and show that this is my wife. When ready, we’ll figure out the rest. I thought, my mother’s so kind to care.”
“Respecting your wife, thanking her for giving you a child?”
Rocky: “Yes. At that time, I didn’t think much. I was a mess, stressed out, and felt my life was hopeless. We named him Goody because I felt my life had no good at all.”
“When Goody was born, did Rocky feel sorry he was born during such a storm?”
Rocky: “Some people hesitate to have kids due to costs. Before, I thought I could provide—working, building a company, saving money, taking care of parents. So it was time. But suddenly, everything didn’t just decline; it plummeted. I wanted his name to be Goody because he was the one good thing in my life.”
“How much were you cheated out of?”
Rocky: “More than 10 million baht wasn’t enough. From having money, I ended up in the red. Honestly, I was producing TV dramas, but they started declining. No money, big debts. I couldn’t imagine where to get money to pay debts. It was overwhelming.”
“It got so bad you even thought about suicide?”
Rocky: “I didn’t want to live. I didn’t know what to do. My wife didn’t talk much but stayed close. I was drowning in problems. It was like a drama scene—I sat alone in a dark corner, didn’t want to talk or eat. My friend didn’t just betray me; he did it to others too. Sometimes, I got calls from unknown creditors. I felt like a paranoid person scared of the phone, crying all the time. It was like a drama scene. I didn’t want to live anymore.”
“How did you get past that?”
Rocky: “The only good thing was Goody. I wondered why this had to happen when life was at its worst. I wanted to take care of him as best I could, not necessarily rich but not suffering. Over time, I told myself if he hadn’t been here, I might not be sitting here today.”
“When you decided to live, what did you do?”
Rocky: “I did everything I could. I knew work was scarce then. I told everyone who would listen that I needed help, rather than waiting for them to tell me. Including this show. After appearing, small opportunities came. I accepted everything gratefully. I sold things. I used to manage a cable TV station, so I could do that but hadn’t for a while. I’m mostly behind the scenes. It’s like starting over at age 20, beginning work anew. I do everything.”
“It wasn’t easy with a newborn and a pregnant wife amid all problems. Rocky fought for his child and to clear debt, starting sales from scratch. How much debt remains now?”
Rocky: “Debt is part of life—you accept and fight. From 10 million baht, it’s now less than 10. Some months I pay on time, some not, but it’s not as scary as before. Plus, I have support from everyone. After the show, my small channel got thousands of orders. My channel, Rocky Advertising, might be the smallest in Thailand receiving so much care. Everyone sends me strength. We mustn’t give up. We have to keep going for the child and many other reasons.”
“If you clear your debt, what’s your goal?”
Rocky: “When things get better, I had a project but everything collapsed. What I want most is to get married—not a big event, just a little one. ‘Don’t cry,’ (laughs) maybe a ring, take my son to the wedding. That’s his dream; he talks about going to Japan, Thomas Land. I want to take him and my mother abroad. I’ve never taken my mother out since she returned from studying abroad. I want to take her traveling, but everything collapsed first. I tell myself if I can do this, it’s what I want. It might sound cool or embarrassing, but I want to share: if I get through this, I want to use my channel to help others because when I was at my worst, I saw no one. I understand how someone feeling isolated might feel if they get a little light. If I survive, I want to find those people.”
“Ting, if he clears the debt and holds the wedding, is there anything you want to say?”
Ting: “I honestly never expected it. We’ve known each other over 10 years and never expected marriage. I just want him to unlock himself. That’s it. My goal now is just to see our child happy. But thank you if he thinks of it. (Voice trembling)”
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