He was another close friend of the late young singer. Tae Thaman Taepan or Tae Dragon Five. As for Nikki Sura Theerakorn or Nikki Pim, both have been friends for over 30 years since their time as RS trainee artists. Recently, Nikki opened up after attending Tae's funeral, sharing that they met when he was 18. At that time, Tae was a national youth swimmer, which helped her understand why he chose water. She described Tae as polite, well-mannered, and soft-spoken, rarely showing any signs of stress. Although she knew he faced some problems, she never imagined they were this severe. She also shared their last moments of closeness before bidding farewell.
What was it like knowing Tae from when you were both starting as artists?
"It's been 30 years. We met during training at RS, where we learned to sing together. We almost released a special album together before going separate ways. There was another member named DNT, so the group was Nick, Tae, and another. We were set to release a special album as a trio before pursuing solo careers. His group became popular first, releasing their album before mine. After that, Tae disappeared for a while, then moved to Grammy and formed Dragon 5. That's when we reconnected because Andy and I were already friends outside music, so we met up again and kept in touch."
What was the boy band scene like back then?
"Mine was rock and hip hop, while Tae liked techno, so his style was techno and dance music."
Having known him for so long, what kind of person was he?
"When I first met him, I was 18 and he was about 17, a year younger. He was a swimmer, probably on the national youth team. That explains why he chose water. He had broad shoulders and was tall."
You went to perform a spirit-calling ceremony this afternoon?
"I went with Andy. We called out to him, saying, 'Hey Tae, come home, come back to the temple.' Andy called me, so I went."
How does this news affect you as a friend?
"Tae was a calm person. He never showed stress or strong emotions. He was quiet and extremely polite. In all the 30 years I've known him, he was well-mannered, gentle in speech, and soft-spoken. He never appeared stressed."
You posted that you were shocked by what happened?
"Yes, I was shocked because he never showed any signs. Maybe minor issues like some business difficulties, but I prefer not to discuss it as it's personal."
When was the last time you met Tae?
"Quite often. Tae's younger brother, who is also a relative, is close to me. We're about the same age, so we see each other frequently. The last time I met Tae, he cut my hair at his hairdressing school. He asked me to get a haircut so he could film it for TikTok to promote the school. After that, we kept in touch by phone, and he invited me to go cycling."
Did you talk about any stressful issues among friends?
"Well... I'd rather not say, but I was somewhat aware of minor problems causing him stress. Still, I didn't expect it to be this severe. I don't want to speculate about what he was going through."
Were there any projects he wanted to do with friends?
"Tae was very well-mannered. Before COVID-19, he ran a YouTube channel called VLOG Channel, making programs with kids. It was generating good income then. During COVID-19, like others, he faced problems; advertisers stopped supporting the channel, so it halted. Because he was a reserved person, I once invited him to work together, but our styles differed. He had his own image and concept, so we didn't proceed further, but we remained friends."
Today, you came to see and say goodbye to your friend?
"Yes, that's about right. If I wanted to say something to him, he had already made up his mind. I can't say much because... well..."
So you respect your friend's decision?
"Yes."
He was one of your best friends, right?
"Yes, 30 years. We've known each other since childhood. It's rare to know someone that long. Tae was a good person, honestly."
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