It was another loss for the Thai music scene with the permanent departure of Suraphan Jamlongkul or Tong from TWO the former singer of the duo TWO, a renowned musician and music producer.
Recently, Tor Sahaphap Weerakhamin or Tor from TWO attended Tong’s funeral and shared memories of the day he learned about his friend’s illness, expressing surprise at how quickly Tong’s condition worsened, and reminisced about their time working together as a duo.
Were you all shocked when you found out? Had you known about Tong’s illness before?
“To give some background, at the end of last year, Tong had the idea… We had never performed a concert together in 28 years because we each had our own paths. Tong wasn’t interested in performing concerts or taking jobs. One day, he felt that we were getting older and wanted to form a band to work, travel, and enjoy. So he called to discuss forming a band. Around that time, at the end of the year, Pae Hi-Rock invited us to perform at his friend’s event in Phetchabun province. We had the chance to set up the show for a concert tour.”
“At that show, Tong went even though his neck was swollen. He had a tissue sample taken to check what it was, but they didn’t know yet. We played the concert happily and thought we’d prepare to rehearse and tour afterwards.”
“I told him to update me if anything happened. Tong called and, in a calm voice, said the biopsy showed cancer. I asked where, since his neck was swollen, and he said it was in the nasal cavity.”
“I encouraged him, saying, ‘Hey Tong, it’s okay. Nowadays cancer can be cured. Some people live 10 or 20 years. Let me know if you need anything or if anything goes wrong. Call me anytime.’”
“After that, Tong started treatment. He said the plan was about six chemotherapy sessions. First, he needed to have teeth extracted, then undergo radiation.”
“I thought that was fine and told him to keep in touch. Then it went quiet. Tong had his second treatment and called to say he was on his way, still talking normally. I thought there was no problem because many people I knew had over 20 sessions and were fine. I believed my friend could handle it.”
“Then he told me he was entering the third treatment. After that, I thought everything was okay because it was around a friend’s birthday, and Tong even texted happy birthday. I thought passing the third treatment meant he was fine.”
“Later, I learned from his niece that he was having joint pain and psoriasis all over his body, likely due to immune suppression from chemotherapy. He began losing the ability to walk and became bedridden. It happened very fast. When I found out, I rushed to check on him, but I hesitated because he was vulnerable to infections, so I didn’t go in immediately.”
“When I finally visited, it was the day before a check-up. At that time, he was somewhat better, wounds healed. The doctor wanted to assess if he could continue chemotherapy. After that visit, he never left the hospital until now. That was early last month.”
When did you first learn about his illness?
“Around March this year. We had a concert in February, then in March he was diagnosed. (What stage was it when you found out?) At first, they told me it was cancer. I asked where, and they said the nasal cavity. They didn’t say the stage yet, but soon after, he said it was stage 4. Still, his tone was okay at that time.”
So he had no symptoms before that?
“None at all. I even thought if they hadn’t detected it, maybe it wouldn’t have been serious. That’s how I felt because he still seemed healthy and we played music together, though his voice was affected due to the swollen neck. But since Tong was the main vocalist, he wasn’t too worried and still performed on stage happily.”
How was Tong’s morale when he found out?
“I think his spirit was quite good. When we went to the last concert, which we initially thought would be our first together but turned out to be the last, I drove us there. We talked all the way, and Tong sat beside me chatting about how he was doing.”
“He was encouraged because his two children were doing well. At first, he worried about the youngest son, the boy with Pookie—named Bambam. He was a bit concerned, but then Bambam moved to live with his older sister in Australia, so Tong was happier and seemed motivated. He wanted to tour, enjoy traveling, earn money from concerts, and have fun. Later, he enjoyed riding motorcycles on trips. I believe Tong had very strong morale.”
How was Tong’s general health?
“Compared to me, Tong looked healthier. I took worse care of myself. Tong had a routine job and was more stable, staying home more than I did. But I don’t know his daily details like sleep. I’d say his life was probably even more eventful than mine.”
When was the last time you saw Tong?
“Before he got sick, we talked on the phone regularly. After the concert, I told him to call if he needed anything during treatment. Tong was considerate and went with his niece. He just updated me that he was receiving treatment. Later, I heard from his niece that he couldn’t walk anymore. That’s when I began visiting, but it was very fast.”
Did Tong have a chance to live the life he dreamed of in his final days?
“Not at all. After we returned from that last concert, we planned to… We never performed together before. On stage, I said we had never played together before (voice trembling). This was our first concert (tearing up). Tong had reworked everything, new songs, medleys, and it was well received. We thought we’d tour together.”},{
