Prayut got a photo with Toon – and missed a billion-baht opportunity
Toon Bodyslam has become a national hero and is well on the way to raising more than a billion baht for hospitals, far exceeding his original target of Bt700,000.
But what a pity that he had to do it on his own with very little government support, other than a photo op with the Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha when he arrived in Bangkok (which did more for the PM than it did for Toon).
His run took him from the deep South to the far North, bypassing huge areas of Thailand where the contributions would have doubled or tripled – even quadrupled – the current total, making Bt4 billion not out of the question.
If there were coordinated runs with other stars running part of the distance from Trat, in the far Southeast, up though Chantaburi, Rayong and Chon Buri, and others circling through the provinces of Isaan, I am sure people would have lined the streets just as when Toon passed through on the other side of Thailand.
To add Toon’s stamp on these supporting runs, the Royal Thai Air Force could have laid on a helicopter to whisk Toon into the major cities as the run passed through, before flying him back to his main run northwards. It would at least have given the RTAF a meaningful mission.
But that is now a missed opportunity.
All that aside, we must stand in total and absolute awe at the courage, commitment and stamina of this extraordinary Thai man. Would that more were like him.
David Brown
Rayong
