Many people were shocked by the passing of Mr. Pradit Mahathai, the father of famous singer Ja Nongpanee. He passed away peacefully after a severe motorcycle accident and months of treatment in the ICU. Ja and her family held a simple funeral rite at their home in Ang Thong.
On 12 Apr, the day Ja's father died, it was also her mother's birthday. Ja brought a cake to celebrate her mother’s birthday and posted a caption: "Dad must have loved Mom so much. He fought for over two months just to be here for Mom’s birthday on 12 Apr 2026. Happy birthday, Mom. Dad hasn’t left us; he’s just preparing a place for us. I will take care of Mom the best I can. I promise." However, this sparked another controversy, with some saying it was inappropriate and they wouldn’t have done it.
Ja responded: "Please understand the drama. Earlier, some of Dad’s relatives who came to offer the monk’s robe were not dressed formally. As the host, I want to say anyone can dress however they want. It’s Songkran; anyone can wear floral prints. We aren’t focused on attire; we are just happy anyone comes—that’s the encouragement."
Ja said she isn’t worried about the drama. She explained that since it was Dad’s funeral, she wanted his siblings to lead the ceremony. She asked her uncle to offer the monk’s robe, but he declined, saying he was dressed casually in shorts. Ja realized her relatives were afraid of netizens. She reassured them not to worry and to live naturally. Their family, being farmers, just wore work clothes and came as usual.
Usually, funerals start around 8 p.m., but theirs began at 6 p.m. because Ja had three concerts that night. The first was at 9 p.m. in Salaya. She wanted the event to feel normal, so she urged her uncle to come pay respects to Dad one last time.
Regarding the birthday cake controversy, where many commented they wouldn’t have done it, Ja explained,
"I saw some comments saying if it were them, they wouldn’t do it. How would Mom feel? Actually, even if we didn’t do it, Mom would still feel something because it’s her birthday. The cake is something she gets every year, so we had to give it. While Dad’s still tangible, we told Mom to hold Dad’s hand."
Ja told commenters not to worry about how her mother feels. They are embracing each other strongly, supporting one another. She keeps assuring her mother that she is taking good care of both parents and that things will be twice as good from now on.
(Are there still people who don’t understand some aspects?) Of course, there will be. Some will question why, which is normal. Being in this situation, we have to be more understanding. Just wait and see—there will be comments about wreaths, why some haven’t sent them, or why some haven’t come. Netizens won’t understand that it’s Songkran, and many are traveling or busy. Netizens will argue about why someone hasn’t come.
I want everyone to be at ease. If you don’t see something, especially about wreaths, it’s because we really couldn’t photograph everything. Thank you very much for every wreath. If anything was missed or if I didn’t post or thank anyone on social media, I sincerely apologize. There were so many, and I truly appreciate them all."
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