Dr Voratha Wattanachayan-gura, better known as Apiwat, died after a two-year battle with cancer that had spread to his liver. He left behind his parents, a wife and two teenage daughters, who were with him until the last day of his life.

His funeral will be held at Debsirin Temple from today until July 4. A royally-sponsored bathing service takes place today.

Born in 1957, Apiwat had a career dream - to be a teacher. Following his dream, he obtained a bachelor's degree from Chulalongkorn University's Faculty of Education. He then furthered his studies overseas. On returning to Thailand, he held a Master of Education degree (Educational Management and Supervision) and a Doctorate in Education from the United States.

His first job was as a lecturer at Bangkok University, teaching  English. In less than two years , he had climbed to its top post in the Humanities faculty. In 1989, he became the university's foreign-affairs director. Back then, Apiwat's  good looks led him to TV. He first appeared as a presenter for a toothpaste brand and then, at the invitation of JSL Co Ltd, as a TV host. His new career was a big success. He made his name co-hosting the TV talk show Chan Kaprib (Blinking Moon). Apiwat later quit his post at Bangkok University and worked full time with JSL.

From 1994 to the time of his death, Apiwat served as JSL vice president. The firm is one of the country's leading TV production houses. Apiwat renamed himself Voratha Wattana-chayangura this year. He said his new name was a combination of auspicious letters. "It's like a blessing for my life," he said. Apiwat was diagnosed with colon cancer on August 6, 2004. Just five days later, he underwent an operation to remove the tumours. A later month, doctors found Apiwat had liver cancer and he began a combination of treatments, including chemotherapy and drugs.

He then had a series of operations to remove malignant cells. Apiwat initially hoped to recover from the fatal disease. He cut back on his busy lifestyle, which he believed was a likely cause of his illness. "I think I have been under stress for too long, but without recognising it - I simply got used to it . . . I don't think I'll live my life that way anymore," he once said in an interview.