Actor Totote Thantawit Updates Mother's Health Recovery
Actor Totote Thantawit says his mother's condition has stabilized after nearly two years of treatment for tuberculosis that spread to her brain, and doctors recommended moving her home to Ratchaburi to improve her awareness through family s
Actor Totote Thantawit has shared an update on his mother's condition as she recovers at their home in Ratchaburi province, hoping the familiar environment will help stimulate her awareness. He revealed that in the early stages he was heavily stressed, bearing medical costs of hundreds of thousands of baht monthly, but has since found some relief.
Totote has been caring for his mother for nearly two years after she fell ill with tuberculosis that spread to her brain. Most recently, on September 3, he attended rehearsals for a 87th-anniversary concert at Suntaraphon School of Music while providing updates on her condition. He explained that with her condition now relatively stable and her antibiotic course completed, doctors recommended moving her to a familiar environment where family and relatives could provide additional mental stimulation.
Regarding her progress, Totote said: "Her condition is acceptable now. We brought her back to Ratchaburi for recovery because the doctor suggested that once everything stabilized, being in a familiar place with family around would help her awareness improve faster. Here in Ratchaburi she has grandchildren and relatives visiting, and we've set up a sterile room for her. In Bangkok it was just nursing care, but here there's much more family support."
On his mental state, he shared: "Since she came home, she seems to be more aware. Sometimes when I talk to her, she blinks in response occasionally. We have to be very careful about infections since bedridden patients are more susceptible."
When asked how often he visits, Totote replied: "Not as frequently as I'd like because I still have many work responsibilities, but whenever I have free time or special days, I try to return to see her."
Regarding the financial burden, he explained: "The expenses are substantial—hundreds of thousands baht monthly. What made it harder was discovering my mother had no health insurance at all. I didn't know beforehand, so we've had to pay everything ourselves."
On how they manage costs now, he said: "My older brother oversees the theater company and handles all management of actors and work scheduling. I focus on my own work and handling various expenses."
Asked if the burden is heavy for someone his age, Totote reflected: "It's genuinely quite heavy when I think about it. There's a lot I have to bear—the expenses, my mother's condition—and I've become the head of the family responsible for everything. But this is what happened, and I didn't have a choice. In the end, she's my mother, so I have to take care of her."
