NAKHON SI THAMMARAT: Rocker Toon Bodyslam reached this southern province in the rain from Songkhla on Saturday as donations to his charity run for hospitals approached 175 million baht.
The 38-year-old singer also known as Artiwara Kongmalai entered Hua Sai district from Ranot district of Songkhla at about 5am, after a day of rest on Friday. As the morning wore on, he received a rapturous welcome from big crowds at selected spots along his route.
One of the people he encountered was an 82-year-old woman who did not know Toon as a musician but was aware of his charity run. She had been waiting for him since 4am and gave him some cash when she met him.
The abbot of Wat Bang Tapan in tambon Kha Phang Kra gave Toon a Buddha amulet and prayed for the success of his 2,191-kilometre, 55-day marathon from the southernmost district of Betong in Yala to the northernmost district of Mae Sai in Chiang Rai. A four-year-old girl also showed up to give the singer her piggy bank.
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Accompanying Toon, his mother Pranom Kongmalai, 64, said her son had been a generous person since childhood. She said she was travelling with him to make sure he ate well and had his favourite foods including steamed egg.
Local textile tycoon Jimmy Chawala, who donated 16 million baht to the charity run, said he would not attend an event where the Nakhon Si Thammarat governor plans to hand donations to Toon because he wanted other people to have their moment with the rocker.
He said the governor would hand his cheque to Toon and he might be waiting at his textile shop in case the marathon musician happened to run by.
The charity project called Kao Kon Lakao (everyone takes a step) is intended to raise 700 million baht for medical supplies for 11 needy public hospitals. Toon based the figure on a donation of 10 baht by every one of the country's nearly 70 million people. The run started on Nov 1 and has covered 417 kilometres so far.
It took just six days for Toon's campaign to pass the 100-million-baht mark. As of Saturday evening, the donations counter on Kaokonlakao.com had reached 173.5 million baht.
Last year Toon ran 400 kilometres from Bangkok to Bang Saphan district in Prachuap Khiri Khan to raise 85 million baht for the mid-sized Bang Saphan Hospital.
