Actor Pays Tribute to Late Travel Host Ray McDonald

Actor Arak Akaratthaya attended the second day of the funeral ceremony for Ray McDonald at Wat Yang Royal Temple, opening up about their bond and the inspiration McDonald provided over their years of working together on travel and entertainment projects.

Akaratthaya recalled first meeting McDonald while filming the movie "O.T. Overtime," which led to opportunities to work together on various projects. When McDonald was starting a new travel show focused on mountains called "Climb," he contacted Akaratthaya to be the host, though McDonald himself preferred the ocean. "Ray has always been my idol since I started in the entertainment industry," Akaratthaya said. "When I saw him on television, I thought he was cool, but seeing him in person on set and working with him was truly amazing."

Akaratthaya credited McDonald as an inspiration for his approach to both performance and travel. "Through working with him on the 'Climb' series, which had three seasons spanning about three years, I learned so much by watching him. He was incredibly dedicated to his work and his life path," Akaratthaya explained. "He was someone with a clear sense of direction, not swayed by modern trends or social media. He chose his own way of living and it made him happy."

While Akaratthaya never formally sought advice from McDonald, he described learning through example. "I didn't consult him, but he was a role model through his actions—both in his acting and travel work. I recently learned he never formally studied acting, yet he approached each role with such sincerity and authenticity. That genuineness in his character work translated to everything he did." Akaratthaya acknowledged the loss of McDonald as part of a difficult year for the travel community, noting the show ran for three seasons and he spent considerable time working alongside him.