Can you introduce yourself, what are your current roles at the moment?
Currently, I am a Radio Host for a live programme airing on weekdays from 10 to 11 am via Smart News 90.5. I am also a Commentator for a television show called Teeded Luknhee airing on weekdays via Thai Television Channel 3.  
Apart from that, I also host and produce two podcast programmes called Lhao Tao Tee Lhue and K(l)am Lao. The first show has a concept of telling stories after the radio show that has limited time and usually hosts could not finish on time, covering investment, stocks, finances and banking. The second show – K(l)am Lao – tells stories in detail from Teeded Luknhee. These two shows can be viewed via YouTube channel and podcast platform websites.
The most recent one is a collaboration between sanook.com and I. The show is called Cheevittongsu Prohkoomayer.

What was your first role as a Journalist, can you tell us more about your journey?
I graduated in accounting from the University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce. I was not actually good at it, taking me five years to complete the course with the GPA of only 2.10. After graduation, no one wanted to accept me to work for them. I had been looking for accounting jobs for long until I found a job at Wattachak Newspaper as a Payroll Staff. At that time, they were looking to hire a Stock Markets / Finance Reporter that graduated in accounting. They had this idea of finding someone that has a background in accounting, numbers, would make it easier to train them as a Stock Markets / Finance Reporter. I will be honest; I had no interest in that back in the day. I wanted to be in accounting but since this was the only job that accepted me, I gave it a go as there aren’t other options.

I started working there as a Journalist since 1993. I was lucky that I had Weera Teerapat as my mentor, he was very strict, but helped me learn many things. As I was not that good and did not graduate in journalism, I had to try harder than others. My first opportunity came during the blooming era of Wattachak Newspaper. I got a chance to host a radio programme about stock markets and hosted a cable TV programme via Thai Sky until the economic recession in 1997. Thereafter, started my own freelance Radio Host at FM 97 until in 2000, The Nation invited me to join their radio team at Smart News 90.5. While I was hosting for The Nation Radio. I also wrote for Kom Chad Luek Newspaper as well. I departed The Nation group in 1997 with my last role as Economic Editor. After leaving, I still write columns for them and as for the radio show, I still host it up till now.
For the TV show, I am a Commentator for the Teeded Luknhee airing via Thai Television Channel 3

You recently have a new podcast show with sanook.com, can you tell us more about it?
sanook.com invited me to host a podcast programme about personal finance and debt management. I think they have seen my work in the Money Care column that I write for Nation TV and Business Today. The column deals mainly with personal finance, guiding housewives to manage their money or kids to save their money. This programme revealed that Thailand have been facing a high rate of household debt. For me it’s interesting to team up with sanook.com as the website has different demographic from my current audience, so I thought it would be fun.
During the show we will give tips and tricks on how not to lend people money - trust me it’s not that difficult, and you can still save your relationship with that person after the rejection. Cheevittongsu Prohkoomayer is airing every Thursday weekly

As a Journalist, do you have any tips for PRs to work with media more efficiently?
For me, I still strongly believe in the content. For PR pitches, strong content is always interesting, and it would attract the media to feature that piece on their platform. I'm referring to mainstream media not the social media platforms that thrive on drama. I am lucky that finance sector does not have that much of a drama.

What are the trends in finance world that you think we should focus on this year?
I am worried about the household debt that affects Thai economic greatly. A country that has most of its citizens in debt is like an organisation that its employees are always sick, making it difficult to move forward without fixing the issues on hand first. COVID-19 has proven that our finance situation is very fragile – both for individuals and SMEs. When the first wave hit Thailand, we fell into an income shock. When the lockdown was in effect, people couldn’t go out to work and just that they lost all their money due to no savings. This is what I worry the most about.

What are the changes / development that you’ve never seen before in this industry?
We see that people are using less cash these days. I think this is partly because of the financial measurements issued by the government through Raomaitingkan, Konlakrung, Raochana etc., All of these transactions are done via application, making people more interested in technology. Who would have thought that local sellers would have payment options via mobile application or motorbike taxi?!