✨Translated by AI

The Many Hobbies of a Soft-Spoken ENT Specialist

– ทญ. มรกต กฤตย์กุลเจริญ –

In the Ear, Nose, and Throat (ENT) department at BNH Hospital, you will find Dr. Pasakorn ‘Aun’ Thavornant, a specialist with a gentle voice and a friendly demeanour. While he may seem quiet at first, he can effortlessly engage in conversations on a vast range of topics—from medical issues to cars, motorbikes, films, music, watches, photography, travel, and wine. It is no surprise that his patients quickly feel a strong sense of familiarity and trust.

The Boy Racer

During his childhood, Aun spent a significant amount of time in hospitals caring for his mother, who was suffering from a blood disorder. After she passed away, he grew up living the life of a typical teenager in Nakhon Ratchasima, where it was common for youths to start riding motorbikes at a young age.

“I used to be what they now call a ‘dek waen’ (a boy racer),” he says. “I loved motorbikes. I would take the engine apart completely, modify it to be faster and louder, and then go racing.”

This interest in mechanics initially drew him towards engineering. However, as he was preparing for university entrance exams, his father told him of his late mother’s wish for one of her children to become a doctor. Feeling a sense of duty to his parents, Aun chose to study medicine and was accepted at Khon Kaen University.

During his secondary school years, Aun was also in a band, playing the keyboard, bass guitar, and drums. When he was accepted into medical school, his guidance counsellor was so overjoyed and relieved that she called him in for a chat. Seeing him spend all his time on motorbikes and music, she had worried he might not even graduate.

As a medical student, Aun was initially interested in plastic surgery. However, his perspective shifted during his internship at a border hospital in Sop Moei, a district in Mae Hong Son province. At the time, the area was still experiencing conflict, and he treated numerous war casualties. He tended to patients who had lost limbs to landmines, suffered perforated eardrums, or sustained severe facial injuries. This hands-on experience in orthopaedics and ENT sparked a new interest. When it came time to choose a specialisation, he considered his interests, personality, and the available opportunities, which led him to study ENT at Rajavithi Hospital.

After qualifying as a specialist, Dr. Aun became the first full-time ENT doctor at BNH Hospital in 2003.

“This isn’t a massive organisation, so all the doctors know each other. When we need to refer a patient, coordination is simple. It feels like a warm home where everyone is a friend or a sibling.”

The Ear Balloon and Patient-Centred Care

Most of Dr. Aun’s cases involve head and neck cancers, sinus disease, and ear conditions. A key principle of his practice is not just to cure the disease but also to ensure the patient maintains a good quality of life. For example, with laryngeal cancer, he will explore radiotherapy to preserve the patient’s voice box if possible. If surgery is unavoidable, he thoroughly explains the post-operative solutions, such as voice training or assistive devices, to reassure the patient that they can still communicate effectively.

“In my work, I must be honest with myself and my patients,” he states. “They need to be the ones to make the final decision.”

A pioneering technology Dr. Aun introduced to Thailand is Balloon Eustachian Tuboplasty. Previously, dysfunction in the tube connecting the middle ear to the airway was treated by inserting a grommet into the eardrum, which often fell out, causing the problem to recur. The balloon procedure, however, expands the connecting tube, providing a more permanent solution. Dr. Aun learned this technique in the United States and Singapore and was the first to implement it in Thailand.

“Initially, many medical schools were sceptical,” he recalls. “Some thought it wouldn’t work, so it was a big challenge. Now, however, the method is widely used almost everywhere.”

Dr. Aun’s friendly approach immediately puts patients at ease. He greets older patients with a traditional wai and chats with younger ones. His consultation room is decorated with his own landscape photographs, which helps reduce tension and often serves as a conversation starter.

That’s DA Way

The name of Dr. Aun’s photography webpage, That’s DA Way, is a clever play on his name: “DA stands for Dr. Aun.”

He began with film photography, a time when every shot required careful thought about light metering and depth of field. “With a 32-shot roll of film back then, getting two good photos was considered a success,” he says. After transitioning to digital, he carried a heavy DSLR and multiple lenses on his travels. He recalls a trip to Belgium where the 10-kilogram pack left him exhausted by mid-afternoon. “I came back and sold the entire kit,” he laughs. He then switched to lighter mirrorless cameras, though his collection of high-quality lenses has started to weigh him down again.

The Speed Enthusiast

Dr. Aun’s passion for mechanics extends from two wheels to four. His skill behind the wheel was surprisingly instrumental in his career. “At my interview at Rajavithi Hospital, the professor’s main question was, ‘Can you drive a van?’” he remembers. The hospital’s mobile medical unit needed a driver, and having a doctor who could also drive was a huge asset.

“I drive fast but safely,” he says. “The professors would praise me on long trips because I make quick decisions. I would even plan the route to include photo stops.”

He previously owned a MINI and a Porsche, and now drives a BMW Z4 and an Audi. When he has the time, he takes them for a spin on open provincial roads, always adhering to his mantra of speed with safety.

A Gentleman’s Accessories

For over 20 years, Dr. Aun has been part of a close-knit group of friends who share a passion for Panerai watches. His personal collection has grown to 24 timepieces from the brand.

“A watch is one of a man’s few pieces of jewellery,” he explains. “I love them, but I hesitate to buy the extremely expensive ones because I’d be too afraid to wear them.” His group has a playful motto that guides their collecting: “If you don’t sell, you don’t lose money.”

นาฬิกาที่หมออั๋นซื้อนั้นมีไว้เก็บ ไม่ได้มีไว้ขาย ตามคอนเซ็ปต์ที่เขามักคุยเล่นกับเพื่อนในกลุ่ม ‘ไม่ขาย ไม่ขาดทุน’ เพราะปัจจุบันราคานาฬิกามือสองส่วนมากมีแต่ตกลงเกือบ 50%

Immersive Sound and Sights

Music is a constant in Dr. Aun’s life. He plays it softly in the operating theatre to help him relax and focus. At home, he has a high-end audio system for music and a separate, fully immersive home theatre with ceiling- and wall-embedded speakers for watching films.

He prefers the superior quality of Blu-ray discs to streaming, especially for action movies. “When you have a great sound system and a helicopter flies overhead in a film, you really feel it,” he says.

The Wine Connoisseur

The COVID-19 pandemic allowed Dr. Aun to explore a new passion: wine. What started as a few bottles at home quickly grew into a collection requiring three wine fridges. Using the Vivino app, he has studied and reviewed over 1,500 different labels.