Veteran Thai Actor โฃKo Theerasak Reveals Years of abuse, Suicide Ideation, and Family Trauma
BANGKOK – โCelebrated Thai actor Ko Theerasak, known for his prolific careerโ inโข television and film, has publicly โdetailed a harrowing past marked byโ familial abuse,โ bullying, and suicidal thoughts stemming fromโค pressures within the entertainment industry. In a recent โฃinterview, Theerasak recounted a childhood and young adulthood plaguedโ by emotional and verbal violence, ultimately leading him to flee his family home โขand seek refuge โคwith friends.
Theerasak described a deeplyโ challenging โขupbringing within the entertainment world, stating, “Because we โฃcome to live in the role of theโ heroโฆ โinvestors and consumers, heโ wantsโ us toโข beโ the way he wants to be. We keep doing that. Weโ think โthat it must be adjusted.” He explained the โฃconstant need to โconform to expectations dictated by thoseโ with financial power, prioritizing โฃincome over personal โฃwell-being.
The actor โrevealed the profound emotional toll this took on โฃhis family life. He shared that mealtimes were consistently filled โwith conflict and abuse, with family members “cursing” โand “hitting” him. Despite the severity of the situation,โข Theerasak found solace inโ his โคacademic performance, using โit as aโ coping mechanism. “Therefore is the driving force โคthat makes us studyโ hard. Because at โleast we are good at studying.”
Theerasak disclosed grappling with suicidal โขideation โduring this period, describing a desperate attempt to self-harm as โขa โคchild. “Across the suicide lineโฆ Go into the closet, we โฃclose theโ door and โขgive โขit all the air. When we run out, we โopened theโค door because we were hot, weโค came out.” He clarified that while heโฃ contemplatedโค suicide, he ultimately โdid not act on those impulses.
Driven to escape the abusive surroundings, Theerasak left home with limited resources, surviving with theโค help of friends and their families. He initially supported โขhimselfโค by sellingโค goods at Ampornโฃ Park, โขbelieving his โskills were transferable. โThough, his parentsโ eventually discovered his whereabouts. โHe โขexpressed reluctance โto return, fearing a โrepeat of the โคabuse. “Weโ don’t โคwant toโ go back to society at home,not home.โ And everyone is very fierce.Use each โword that makes us emotional.”
Theerasak reflected on the experience as aโ matter ofโ “karma,” believing he needed to โaccumulate good โขdeeds toโฃ overcome the โคhardship. โขHis โeventual return home was markedโ by a tearful reunion with his โmother, with whom โhe shared โa close bond.He revealed a complex family dynamic, with โคhis sister attributing the issues to their mother’sโ overprotective โnature and a subsequent separation of Theerasakโฃ from his mother, placing him in the care of his brother. Theerasak became visibly emotional while recounting this, stating, “Speaking, it โwas sad.” (Tears in the crying).
