Academic leads tours for bank
Since surviving a near-death experience - cancer in his lymph nodes - Phaotong Thongjure has been working hard as a cultural tour guide.
His fame recently earned him a new position as cultural adviser to the president of BankThai, a job that Phaotong himself initially found challenging and also intriguing."It's a good job as I still work in a field in which I have experience," Phaotong said in a phone interview. With years of lecturing on arts at universities under his belt, Phaotong has been acknowledged for the depth of his knowledge of Thai history. Any tour that has him as the honorary guide guarantees success for the organiser. After persuasion from Thabthim Singhaseni, a senior vice president at BankThai, a few years back he started a relationship with the small bank as an honourary speaker at a number of workshops. The relationship advanced as he agreed to lead tours of BankThai to historical sites such as those in Ayutthaya. "BankThai is small and not as rich as the others, but it thinks big when it comes to culture," he said, explaining why he recently accepted the role at the bank - an invitation that an academic in the field of history would rarely accept. To Phaotong, money is not the means to demonstrate if one is a true supporter of cultural activities. "It requires determination. To work in this field, it's not the money that is the most important. We have to know when enough is enough. I consider myself a millionaire of sufficiency," said the man who does not mind spending time on planes and roads following his recovery from a disease that is usually fatal. In his new capacity, Phaotong's first job was to lead the first "Proud to Be Thai Tour" where BankThai's clients across the nation were invited free of charge to join functions to participate in the celebration of the 60th anniversary of His Majesty the King's accession to the throne. BankThai president Phirasilp Subhapholsiri has high hopes that this will impress the bank's clients, as a number of photos from the celebration are shown along with Phaotong's explanation of the historical aspects of the scenes. Remarkably, Phaotong has spent years studying the history of each of the boats presented in the royal barge procession. The functions will be hosted across Thailand - July 15 in Phitsanulok, July 16 in Bangkok, July 17 in Nakhon Ratchasima, July 18 in Khon Kaen, July 19 in Hat Yai, Songkhla, July 20 in Surat Thani and July 21 in Chiang Mai. It seems Phaotong is not weary with such a busy schedule. "Whatever, I'm helping to promote the image of Thailand," he said. Achara Deboonme, The Nation
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