Tukkie Stunned by Bum's Crisis, Recalls Covid Help

Tukkie Sudarat opens up about being someone who dislikes donating through foundations, admitting surprise at how Bum Panadda arrived at this situation. She has always preferred making merit directly but confirms from firsthand experience that she received real help during Covid — calling Hotline 1669 and securing hospital beds for close contacts within 10-15 minutes. She also addresses the case of 'Pee Ta Panya' donating 10-11 million baht, stating it was money collected from the public for flood relief, not personal wealth, before being distributed to various organizations and foundations; she does not know the financial trail after that handover.

On her own merit-making: 'It comes from the heart. I don't donate through foundations. I have no transfer records to any foundation. I don't promote myself with foundations. I haven't entrusted merit to intermediaries for a long time. Since I had some money, I've made merit at my hometown temple — Kathin, Pa Pa, Candle Procession, Loy Krathong — organizing activities myself. I don't like bothering others with merit-making. I prefer doing it myself. Only kind elders give to me. I don't accept public donations, only word-of-mouth merit. Personally, I dislike transferring money to make merit through foundations.'

'We prefer making merit ourselves. We're familiar with the stories — not that we don't trust, but we're just more comfortable doing it ourselves. For example, if there's a flood in Hat Yai and a foundation raises aid, I coordinate with local elders in Hat Yai, buy everything myself, pack it into kits, and deliver to the village heads for distribution.'

'Simply put, if I make merit, I'll do it with the Thai Red Cross, Siriraj Hospital, or Workpoint's foundation — channels with clear tax-deduction receipts. I'm one who is clear about this.'

How does she feel about the news? 'Shocked how one person reached this point. What depressed them to change this much? Karma comes from actions. If evidence clearly proves wrongdoing, let the law take its course. I won't judge anyone as good or bad. The public can decide from everything that's happened how to live their lives regarding merit-making.'

Was she ever invited to join? 'We've seen many forms of financial misconduct; some went to jail. Everyone is close to Tukkie because we've worked together, partnered with P'Bum. She really does it — meaning she genuinely does good. We've faced crises needing help from P'Bum many times, and she helped fully.'

'It's a good track record of her help. Once, during Covid, we truly saw she does good. Beds were extremely scarce, quarantine facilities scarce. Five to ten of our close contacts lacked beds and treatment. It was a severe Covid crisis.'

'At 1669, we called P'Bum. Within 10-15 minutes, everyone requesting beds got them. So in the part she did, we saw it for real. When she asked for in-kind donations, we donated 100 crates of pla ra. P'Bum and I carried them ourselves to load onto trucks. We saw she really does it, she really helps.'

'But on the money side, the various donation trails — we don't know, we don't see. If it's proven wrong, then follow the law. But we confirm from the heart that every time we asked for help, P'Bum gave us real help.'

Pee Ta Panya donated 5 million? 'You could say we were intermediaries. In the work Pee Ta donated, Tukkie was the MC...'