An International Christian Ministry Launched Out of a Celebrity Funeral in Thailand
At the burial ceremony for actress Tangmo, the gospel was preached to millions of admirers in the Buddhist nation.
Pimduan “Duan” Nagaviroj, like millions of other Thais, tuned in to the livestream of Nida Patcharaveerapong’s (Tangmo), a popular TV actress who drowned in February at the age of 37.
Duan, a consul at the Royal Thai Consulate General in Penang, Malaysia, was captivated by the memorial’s three-day gospel message.
She added, “I listened carefully to everything that was said, and the message that Christians do not dread death was very impressive to me.” “After realizing that God loves everyone, I made up my mind to get to know him.”
On the third night, she decided to contact the church via the livestream in order to learn more about Christianity, and she was subsequently encouraged to locate a local church. She went to the Wesley Methodist Church in Penang, where she enrolled in the evangelistic Alpha Course online. “After just a few courses, I embraced Jesus Christ as my Savior, and I wanted to be baptized,” she stated.
Whereas 93% of the population in Thailand is Buddhist and just around 1% is Christian, Bangkok pastors claim that March’s funeral ceremony for Tangmo was the greatest evangelical appeal ever carried on in Thailand. Tangmo stood out as a Christian in the midst of her fame as a Thai drama actress and a subject of tabloid headlines.
Twelve million people watched the mourning service online, and pastors in Thailand report an influx of new believers thereafter.
Thongchai Pradubchananurat, pastor of Bangkok’s Church of Joy and speaker at Tangmo’s burial, stated, “God opened a way via the death of a lady who loved God passionately.” “Jesus rescued Tangmo, although her life was far from flawless.”
Prominent figure who now speaks out In 1984, Christian Tangmo entered the world, and when her parents divorced, she was nurtured by her Christian dad. She went to a private Christian school but seldom attended services. Her acting career began when she came fourth at Miss Teen Thailand in 2002 and was recruited by a TV producer. In addition to her singing and modeling careers, Tangmo quickly gained a fanbase for her roles in hit Thai dramas including Bangkok Love Stories 2: Innocence, Club Friday The Series, and (The Fallen Leaf).
Dating the famous actor and singer Pakin “Tono” Kumwilaisuk also helped boost Tangmo’s profile. They moved in together sometime around 2013. Tangmo’s friend suggested she go to Pastor Chatchai Charuwatee of Binding Hearts Church in Bangkok about having a Christian ceremony.
Tono reportedly expressed interest in converting to Christianity after hearing Charuwatee’s story, while Tangmo renewed her commitment to Christ. After Charuwatee had taught them the Bible and wedded them in December 2013, they began their family. They were baptized by him a few months later.
After that, they started attending a cell group at Pradubchananurat’s church, where they became frequent attendees until their divorce in 2015. After that, Tangmo became depressed and attempted suicide, landing her in the hospital. Tangmo “was maturing in her Christian faith,” as Pradubchananurat put it, and she remained active in the church.
Interviews with Tangmo revealed her openness to discussing her faith. The actress stunned the presenters of the TV program Disclosure when, as a guest in 2017, she declared her desire to become a “full-time minister of God.” She said her life was transformed once she began regularly attending a church for worship and small groups three times a week.
Pradubchananurat shared with us that after receiving her degree, Tangmo intended to devote herself fully to ministry. However, a month after receiving her diploma, Tangmo drowned in Bangkok’s Chao Phraya River after falling off a speedboat.
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