– Dr. Sakchai Sukhumpantanasarn –
On Dr. Sakchai Sukhumpantanasarn’s desk sits a Bible, which he has read cover to cover many times and continues to read with great enthusiasm. The meanings and teachings hidden in the sacred text from over 2,000 years ago are still relevant and offer him hope every day. Whenever he feels exhausted from work or faces life’s challenges, he prays and finds a way forward, just as God guided him out of the lowest point of his life to become a dentist—a profession he never dared to dream of and his family never expected him to pursue.
No One Thought He Would Become a Dentist
Sakchai’s father was a dentist, and his grandfather was a dentist. He grew up in a family of overseas Chinese dentists. Their home was a traditional Chinese dental clinic. He watched his father and grandfather treat patients and played with dental instruments as a child, but his family never expected him to become a dentist.
“I was a troublesome kid. I was addicted to gambling from primary school. I would bet on anything I could.”
Sakchai attended Chinese schools as a child, but when he reached secondary school, his father saw the necessity of sending him to a boarding school in Khao Sammuk.
“At the boarding school, we all slept in a big room. As soon as the teacher left, I would invite my friends to play cards. Sometimes we were bored with the repetitive food, so we would sneak out of school to find something to eat. The school was surrounded by mangrove forests and a canal leading to the sea, with a barbed-wire fence at the front. Sometimes we’d get caught. In the morning, we would be whipped in front of the flagpole.”
The boarding school’s highest level was Mathayom Suksa 3, so Sakchai had to move back to Bangkok for high school, where he graduated with a diploma but hardly any knowledge.
“After I graduated, my father saw that if I stayed in Thailand, I would probably become a gangster, so he sent me to America, hoping things would improve. But my English was terrible. I didn’t study. Nothing about me was good at all.”
His life in the USA began at a language school, then he moved to a college. Sakchai took courses to earn credits and planned to transfer to a university to study physical therapy. By this point, his English had improved enough for him to pass the TOEFL exam. He then transferred his credits to North Texas State University to study Medical Technology, a field he had intended to study from the beginning.
“When I went to class, I would record a one-hour lecture, then come home and listen to it, writing down every word the professor said. This took about three hours and I did it every day. It was how I practised my English. If there was something I couldn’t understand, I would ask my American friends for help. I was practically living and breathing with my books. I did this for three or four years because if I didn’t, I wouldn’t have been able to graduate.”
Before graduating, Sakchai had to intern at Hillcrest Baptist Medical Center in Waco, Texas, to gain practical experience as a medical technologist. It was here that he met a professor who saw his potential.
“This one professor taught every subject. He was incredible. He said that learning is like throwing clay at a wall—some of it sticks, and some falls off, but you have to keep throwing until the wall is completely covered. He also taught me that you only retain 25% of the content from a single read of a book. So, with him, you had to read a book four times to retain 100% of the information.
This professor was the reason I learned how to study.”
After completing his internship and being mentored by a professor who completely changed his mindset, Sakchai was ready to become a medical technologist. His life in the USA was complete; he didn’t hope for anything more.
“Then my sister, who was studying dentistry at Chulalongkorn University, sent me a brochure for dental school. To be honest, I didn’t think I could handle dental school, even though I wanted to. But since I had just graduated, I decided to apply anyway. I took the exam, passed, and was accepted into Fairleigh Dickinson University Dental School in New Jersey.
“In a bachelor’s degree, taking three or four courses a semester is already a lot, but in dental school, you have to take 11. If you fail, you have to repeat the entire year. But because of my medical technology background, I already had a good foundation.”
After just one year, his dental school was shut down for administrative reasons. He transferred his credits to the University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC) in Missouri, a public institution where tuition was more affordable. He completed his degree there and graduated with honours, bringing his total university life in America to a full 10 years.
During those 10 years, in addition to his rigorous studies, Sakchai also worked to earn money. He started as a waiter in a Chinese restaurant, then worked at a country club, and eventually gained the skills to help with research in a lab.
“I grew up in a Christian family. My father forced me to go to church as a child, but I didn’t pay attention to God. It wasn’t until I was in America, facing an uncertain future, that I started thinking about God, whose message had always been ingrained in me. At that moment, I thought that others couldn’t help, and I couldn’t even rely on myself, but God could. When you believe in God, He will lead the way.
I believe God paved the way for me. Even though it took 10 years, I reached my goal. No one in my family ever thought I could become a dentist. At the very least, I made my parents happy. From someone who had nothing, I was able to graduate because God led the way. Without God, I wouldn’t be here today.”
A Profession Passed Down Through Generations
Dr. Sakchai holds licenses in both Medical Technology and Dentistry in the USA. He had initially planned to continue his sub-specialisation studies, but after working for six months, his father asked him to return home to help with the family clinic.
Dr. Sakchai’s family has been running a dental clinic since his grandfather, who immigrated from China. His grandfather practised traditional Chinese dentistry, treating patients in a 45-degree reclined chair and using herbal medicine for dental ailments that did not require extraction. If you have ever seen old-fashioned gold teeth, they were mostly the work of traditional Chinese dentists who passed their skills down from generation to generation without attending modern dental schools.
“My family ran their own lab, making crowns, dentures, and gold teeth. I saw it all. I grew up surrounded by teeth.”
But in modern times, where dentists must have a university degree and a professional license, Sakchai, who no one ever thought would become a dentist, successfully became the third dentist out of nine siblings, making him a third-generation practitioner in his family.
Having studied Western dentistry, Dr. Sakchai’s treatments are based on standard Western methods and technology. However, he still applies some useful traditional Chinese methods, such as having patients sit reclined, as some people are anxious about saliva flowing down their throats when they lie flat.
After working at the family clinic for a while, Dr. Sakchai felt it was a waste of his language skills, which he had acquired from living abroad for many years. So, he applied for a job at BNH Hospital, where he could definitely use his language skills, and let his younger siblings take over the family clinic.
“I’ve been at BNH for over 20 years. They are very systematic and comprehensive. Everyone helps each other and works together, which makes everything possible.”
Anyone who has had dental work done has probably seen a dentist and a dental assistant working together in the patient’s mouth. The dentist works while the assistant suctions saliva. But in Dr. Sakchai’s room, the dental assistant’s only job is to prepare the instruments.
“I don’t like having too many hands in the patient’s mouth. A patient’s mouth is small. When the patient tilts toward you, the assistant might suction without seeing the mouth clearly. My eyes find it difficult to work with constant movement.”
So, Dr. Sakchai suctions and performs the treatment himself. Despite doing multiple tasks simultaneously, and sometimes with the patient sitting in a position that is more comfortable for them and not lying flat, his skill in treating oral problems has not diminished. Patients still say his hands are gentle; foreigners have even given him the nickname ‘Angel’s Hands.’
Dr. Sakchai’s care begins with building a rapport so that patients see him as a father or a friend. Once the patient trusts him, it is easier to talk. The doctor then learns the patient’s weaknesses and what they are worried about and knows how to make the treatment as painless as possible. When the patient feels less pain, they become calmer, which makes the dentist’s work easier.
“I adapt to the patient, not the other way around. When they know you understand them and they trust you, that’s when you succeed. When they have a problem, they will come to you. This is Complete Care. Being a doctor isn’t just about treating; it’s about understanding them, taking care of them, encouraging them, and empathising with them. You treat them like they’re one of your own family.”
Dentistry is a demanding profession that requires constantly looking into a patient’s mouth. At one point in his career, Dr. Sakchai considered encouraging his children to pursue a different field. However, his daughter, who had seen him work since she was a child, developed a passion for dentistry that was passed down through the family, becoming the fourth-generation heir to the family’s dental legacy.
Light Through Faith
“As a child, my father forced me to go to church, but I wasn’t interested. I would always find a way to escape. But when I had to live alone in an uncertain situation, I started to think about God, whose message had been ingrained in me all my life. At that time, I realised that other people couldn’t help, and I couldn’t even help myself, but God could. Whenever you believe in God, God will lead you.”
With this revelation, Sakchai prayed to God, asking what opportunities would come into his life. He left the rest for God to lead. God brought him back onto the right path in the USA. On a day when becoming a dentist seemed like an impossible dream, a quiet voice told him to try applying to dental school. And when he felt that his experience abroad would be wasted, getting a job at BNH Hospital, which is popular with foreigners, came easily.
With his unwavering faith, strict religious practices, and a life transformed by God’s guidance, Dr. Sakchai was honoured to become the pastor of Romklao Church about five years ago, where he cares for thousands of Christians.
“We teach about God, and the church is open 24 hours for people to live in like a home. Anyone who has no food or nowhere to sleep can come in. We live like a family, following the scriptures to build people.”
The doctor is also the president of the Rak Puan Ban Foundation, an organisation under Romklao Church that follows the commandment to love God and love your neighbour as yourself.
“If a person knows just this much, they won’t hurt anyone.”
The foundation’s main mission is to give love to those who need it, especially widowed women in distress.
“When I serve God and do His work, giving love to people, God takes care of me and blesses my life. I am 64 years old and have no chronic illnesses. I don’t need to take any medicine. My work is great, and my family is great. Everything is good.”
Today, Dr. Sakchai remains a devout Christian, attending church every Sunday, constantly studying the Bible, and giving love to those around him. This is his way of repaying God for everything He has given him.
“Christianity teaches you to love your neighbour as yourself. I treat my patients just as I would treat myself. I work as hard as I can, do my best, and understand my patients as much as possible.”
God loves Dr. Sakchai and brought him back onto a path where he could love himself and pass that love on to his neighbours, patients, and everyone around him. The doctor’s intention to do good is not only as a dentist and a pastor but also as a promise he has made to the God he believes in.
SAKCHAI SUKHUMPANTANASARN, D.D.S.
ทพ. ศักดิ์ชัย สุขุมพันธนาสาร
Education
Dental Degree, Doctor of Dental Surgery, University of missouri, United States of America
Bachelor's Degree, MT (ASCP), North Texas State University, United States of America
Language
English
Thai
Gender
Male
Schedule
Dental Centre
| Day | Time |
|---|---|
| Monday | 09:00 - 19:00 |
| Tuesday | - |
| Wednesday | 13:00 - 19:00 |
| Thursday | - |
| Friday | 09:00 - 19:00 |
| Saturday | 09:00 - 19:00 |
| Sunday | - |
This is the doctor's regular weekly schedule. Actual availability may vary — please confirm the available date and time when you make an appointment.