Many people greatly admired the adorable bond between uncle and nephew after watching a clip on the channel of Em Bussarakum the daughter of Mam Jokmok who brought along Bank Banktazz or Bank Piyapong Wongkamhla the son of Waew Jokmok to sit and talk together. The three of them shared stories going back to their childhoods. Mam even said that Bank is a very good grandchild who has never caused any trouble. On the show "Banktazz, This is the Best Grandchild of Mam Jokmok | Mam with Mam Ep.212"
Bank recalled when he was 16 and Uncle Mam caught him smoking marijuana. Uncle Mam directly asked, "Bank, are you smoking marijuana?" Bank said, "Yes," and then he said nothing else and walked away. "At that point, I surrendered," he said. Uncle Mam said, "Don't say anything. One day he'll stop. If we make it a big issue, it'll become big. If we treat it as not a big deal, it won't be. Eventually, he'll quit. His father was once addicted to women, but one day he stopped too, once he reached his limit."
When asked if Uncle Mam ever received a call for help from Bank during his life, Mam said, "Only once. Even when he had a car accident, he didn’t call his dad. We asked if he was in trouble, and he said no, the car was insured, and he was fine. But once he called asking for 10,000 baht because his wife needed surgery. I gave him 15,000 and asked if that was enough; if not, he could take more. As for Waew’s funeral, the money was mostly given to Bank." Bank explained, "Yes, it was for my ex-girlfriend’s surgery. She had cancer."
Many people didn’t know that Bank is Mam Jokmok’s grandchild until they saw his surname. When asked what made Bank feel the need to keep it secret or feel embarrassed about the Wongkamhla surname, Bank said, "I'm not ashamed. I think to myself that when Uncle first came to Bangkok, he wasn’t a star supporting others but made it on his own. I should be able to do the same. I have hands and feet; I can try on my own. If I really couldn't make it, Uncle wouldn't have abandoned me; he would have helped. So I want to fight on my own first. When acting, I don’t want to use the surname to get better roles. But when cashing checks, people ask if I’m related to Mam Jokmok. I say yes, I’m his grandchild. It’s nothing special, just the same surname."
When asked why he changed his surname to Wongkamhla instead of his father's surname, Bank said it wasn’t his decision. The adults handled everything. His parents separated, and his mother wanted him to be her child and use her surname. That’s all; it had nothing to do with Bank himself.
Mam said, "This grandchild is the best among all my grandchildren. He never bothers me. The others? How should I put it? Two have gone to jail. I sent them to study, but they didn’t. This one didn’t study but never caused trouble. When he got into a car accident, I asked if he was okay. He said the car was insured. The only time he called was for 10,000 baht, but I gave 15,000 for his wife’s surgery."
"He’s just like his father, Chati (Chati Ranad). His father died in his hands. He took care of every baht and satang, never asking for anything. But we knew he was suffering. At his father’s cremation, he couldn’t look at him; he cried, tears flowing while watching his father’s body. We share the same heart. It was like his father was a monk, watching his own father being cremated. The father could feel it." (Tears flowed)
Em asked, "When Uncle Waew was gone, did you worry about Bank?"
Mam said, "I sat with Waew for almost two hours in the room. I didn’t know what to say to Bank then. I was speechless."
Bank added, "Uncle just told me to go see my mother. I went in and yelled. I’m usually not loud in Uncle’s house, but that day I was very loud."
Mam said, "I saw Waew follow him. I fled during the cremation, but he died peacefully, not suffering much. He was like a friend to me, not just a brother-in-law."
Mam also said, "Bank is the best grandchild among all. The only thing is he didn’t study. I sent all the others to school. Not a single one turned out well. Their parents couldn’t afford to send them, but I did. Bank is the only one who didn’t study."
Em asked, "Why didn’t you send Bank to school?"
Mam said, "At that time, Bank was a teenager, and I was wary, afraid of disappointment. Bringing someone else's child to raise is like 'biting the hand that feeds you'—it's a clear saying. It’s like 'a snake eating its own eggs' or 'an eel drinking the soup.' It’s true."
Em asked, "If Uncle Waew and Uncle Chati were still here looking down on Bank..."
Mam said, "Oh, they would be proud of him. Banktazz would be proud."
Em asked, "Are you proud, Dad?"
Mam said, "I’m happy that he can make a living."
Bank said, "(Hands in a wai) Thank you."
Em asked, "Do you know about the social media attention from Snoop Dogg and American singers liking, following, and sharing him?"
Mam said, "I know. Someone told me about it."
Em said, "Do you know that’s considered the highest success in a person’s life?"
Mam said, "I know. Having world-class people like that liking and sharing is extraordinary. I’m happy for him. I don’t have a phone, but they told me. These siblings, especially Waew, made me cry the most. He survived many times. I helped him when he had nowhere to go, carrying a bag. I felt sorry for him. He still has his older brother. When he came here, the house was very clean; he was like a housekeeper before."
Bank said, "Honestly, Mom didn’t really want to come here. But I called her and told her to come. She didn’t have to stay there anymore. She said Uncle would scold her, and I told her Uncle only scolds for one day—the day she arrives—and then he helps her eat. So she agreed to come."
Em asked, "If it weren’t for Uncle Waew, you wouldn’t have come up to Bangkok, right?"
Mam said, "Partly."
Bank said, "Since I was young, I rarely thought of myself as Uncle’s grandchild. Honestly, maybe because I wasn’t close with him and was afraid of him. I hardly ever heard him call me 'grandchild' either."
Mam said, "I’m a man of few words."
Bank said, "That’s one reason why I didn’t dare tell others I was his grandchild."
Mam said, "It’s only in the last ten years that we’ve gotten closer."
Bank said, "Yes, after Mom passed away."
Mam said, "Bank saw me more than Waew did because sometimes Waew wouldn’t come home for 6 or 7 days."
Bank said, "That’s another reason I didn’t want to get involved with Uncle’s affairs because since I was a kid, I saw how the other grandchildren were."
Em said, "It’s true. You sent all the grandchildren to school, but none succeeded."
Bank said, "The beloved grandkids’ gang, and I’m the only one not in that gang. So I saw that gang had issues. Uncle bought a chopper for Golf but took it back because Golf skipped school."
Em asked, "Did you ever feel hurt?"
Bank said, "A little, but not much. I realized that’s just how I am. Especially as a teenager, I told myself I probably wasn’t the favorite grandchild. I went through many things. The most painful day was when I told Mom to come live with Uncle. Mom had just gotten out of jail a few days before and moved in. The day Mom was arrested, I was with Uncle. It might have been Uncle’s birthday or something. Someone called Uncle, and he got very angry. The event was ruined. I knew then that Mom should come back. A week after Mom came here, I had to face the consequences. Uncle was very angry, saying, 'You’re just like your mother; as the mother is, so is the child.' I was like, 'Oh wow.' (Mam: "Today is better.") But I understood Uncle. I was wrong that day but have made it up by serving in the military."
Mam said, "That changed Bank. He got muscles and looks handsome. He stayed there for two years, which polished and corrected his character well."
Em asked, "Do you think Bank has succeeded now?"
Bank said, "Not yet, brother. The ultimate goal is to be a director, making movies."
Mam asked, "Do you really want to do that?"
Bank said, "I really want to, Uncle. It’s my highest dream."
Mam said, "Continue from Nong Mix then. Mix’s 'Tiger Howl, Dragon Yawn.'"
Em asked, "What is Bank’s movie?"
Mam said, "Dragon Sleeps a Thousand, Wild Tiger."
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