The Orthopaedic Surgeon Who Understands Patients' Relatives
– Dr. Worapoj Honglerspipop –
In his early 40s, Dr. Tee, Dr. Worapoj Honglerspipop, a doctor at BNH Hospital’s Integrated Orthopaedic and Joint Centre, has achieved professional success, earned his patients’ trust, and enjoys a simple life. But to reach this point, he was a boy from the market who took on every odd job to help his struggling family. He grew up in a family where his father was bedridden for over ten years. This is his story.
The Market Boy
“Grow up and become a feng shui master; it will make your life prosperous.”
Even though his Agong (paternal grandfather) has long passed, the Teochew Chinese words his Agong often spoke remain vivid in Dr. Tee’s memory. Dr. Tee was a boy who grew up in the market, born into a large Chinese family. He was raised by his Agong, who, although not a blood relative, was as close as family.
“Agong was like a grandfather to me. My parents respected him like a foster father. He rocked my cradle when I was little, loved me very much, and saw me as his true grandchild. When I was with him, I had to speak Teochew Chinese. As long as I can remember, he told me he highly respected feng shui masters. He raised me until secondary school, then I lost him, but I still remember his words well.”
“Now, I feel I’ve made him proud.”
The term ‘Sin Sae‘ (ซินแส), in Chinese, refers to a knowledgeable person, be it a teacher or a doctor. The desire to fulfil his beloved Agong‘s wish was one of the reasons Dr. Tee came so far from the fresh market to the hospital, establishing a career that has uplifted his struggling family to a better life.
“My family is a large Chinese family. My family sold pork, mushrooms, ducks, and chickens at Wat Duang Khae Market. My mother also sold various goods. When my mother sold pork at the market, I had the opportunity to go to the butcher’s stall with her in the early mornings. I used to ride a samlor (pedicab) to Yaowarat to sell chickens. I’ve been a coffee delivery boy, a noodle delivery boy, carried goods, sold things, delivered things, lifted this and that. Whatever the adults asked me to do, I did it. I’ve always been a ‘market boy’.”
D.Y. Tee’s childhood revolved around the market. He was born there, grew up there, and studied there, from Wat Duang Khae School to Debsirin School, all the way to the Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University. It could be said that life in the market was no obstacle if one had the aspiration to strive for good and immerse oneself in a society that pushed them towards a positive path, under the support of a family where everyone knew only trade.
“Some siblings didn’t have the opportunity for higher education because they mainly had to help with the family business. But my mother, she fully supported me. She never forced me, never asked what I wanted to study or what I wanted to be. When I said I wanted to study medicine and asked for money for extra lessons, she knew it involved expenses, but my mother and father helped. So, I tried my best to make their money count.”
Lessons from a Fall
Dr. Tee is a good-humoured doctor who often has a sincere smile on his face. He manages his thoughts well and often views obstacles as challenges. But to be able to smile as he does today, he has been through countless experiences that left him unable to smile. A major change in his life and everyone in his family occurred when his father, the pillar of their home, was struck down by a car accident and required brain surgery. Although he survived, he could not speak and became a bedridden patient requiring 100% care.
“It’s okay, Mama can take care. Mama wants Papa to live.”
Dr. Tee’s mother firmly insisted on the day she received the doctor’s prognosis that her beloved husband would never be the same again. After that, she sacrificed everything, unable to work and earn a full income, becoming someone who had to stay by her husband’s side to care for him constantly.
“Our family wasn’t well-off. When one person fell, it became quite difficult. My mother was the most heartbroken and sacrificed the most. From already sleeping little due to work, she slept even less. My younger sister was still in high school, and my older brother had just graduated; he seized an opportunity to work abroad to help the family.”
“At that time, I was in my second year of medical school and didn’t have much knowledge. I had to go home more often, take care of many things, and earn more income even whilst studying. I had to possess a certain level of maturity, trying to keep the family going.”
This event led everyone in Dr. Tee’s household to constantly support each other and collectively strive to get through each day as strongly as possible. Sixteen years later, his father passed away naturally, even though bedridden patients usually only live for a few years if not cared for adequately.
“My mother is incredible. She didn’t go anywhere; she didn’t travel. She only took care of my father until he passed away. I’m proud to tell anyone this story so they know how amazing my mother is.”
“This was one of the obstacles in my life that made our family love each other more, and we realised how lucky we were to have this family.”
And being a close caregiver to a bedridden patient for 16 years, with his father as a teacher in patient care, allowed Dr. Tee to understand the truths of life, the feelings of patients’ relatives, and how to care for their families when they are in a situation difficult to accept, because he himself had once been that person.
Football and the Orthopaedic Surgeon
“Part of why I chose to study in this field stemmed from playing football. I’ve played since primary school, to the point where my mother would say she’d boil the football for me to eat.”
Dr. Tee often jokes, based on reality, that his surname, ‘Honglerspipop’, makes him a true fan of the ‘Red Swans’, Liverpool F.C. During a period when the team was out of form, his nickname ‘Tee’ (ตี่ – meaning duckling, as ‘Hong’ (หงส์) means swan in Thai) was temporarily changed to ‘Ped’ (เป็ด – meaning duck) by his friends from secondary school through university, before reverting to ‘Tee’.
“When I played football, I had experienced injuries since childhood. But many times, I found that doctors in this field had similar characteristics to me, a similar mindset. They were a group of people I could relate to, which was another reason I became an orthopaedic surgeon.”
“Many of my university friends also played football. Half of them became orthopaedic surgeons. And what was impressive was that my year won the ’13 Khem’ (13 Needles) sports championship.”
But it wasn’t just football that led him there. Dr. Tee also enjoys orthopaedic treatment because it feels like giving a gift to both the patient and himself. Although the work of an orthopaedic surgeon requires a lot of physical effort, it often ends with the happiness of patients regaining their ability to move, with only rare instances concluding in sadness like in other medical fields. Thus, it’s a profession that maintains a balance between the joy and sorrow encountered daily, from the doctor’s perspective.
“I believe that if we want to work happily, we must also see smiles. Anything that allows an injured patient to regain their life, alleviating pain dramatically, these images — orthopaedic work is at a point where we can achieve that. It’s something that gives us good motivation to work.”
The orthopaedic surgeon’s career began when Dr. Tee graduated from his sixth year of medical school. He knew even before graduating that he wanted to specialise in orthopaedics. After his first year of rural service, he was stationed in the Orthopaedic and Joint Department for the remainder of his service, not needing to rotate through various departments to find a field of interest. His primary base was Naresuan University Hospital in Phitsanulok Province, but he also had to rotate to smaller network hospitals when there was a shortage of staff.
“If you ask which case was the hardest, I think it would be my first major surgery: a patient with a broken femur. It was just a standard plate and screw fixation, but I felt excited and challenged. Once I succeeded, it gave me confidence and the courage to continue in this profession.”
“When I was on my initial rural service in Bang Krathum District, I truly understood what life as a rural doctor was like. I stayed in a doctor’s residence like those I used to see on TV—an old, two-storey house with nothing in it. Before moving in, I had to sweep and clean the house. When I couldn’t think of anything else, I bought a TV first, because there was nothing else to do there. On the first day, I had to ask others where they ate. And back then, I didn’t have a car, but luckily, there was a train that went there. I took it directly from home near Hua Lamphong. In the morning, I’d call someone to pick me up. The hospital was only 2-3 kilometres from the train station. It was fun.”
Working with the community taught Dr. Tee the immense importance of his profession. Under the limitations of personnel and technology in remote areas, he had to learn what he didn’t know and try what he had never done. His patient care during his rural service was successful because the local hospital nurses were crucial support.
“Community nurses are incredibly skilled. Many of them I consider my teachers.”
“Going back before my rural service, I worked in Ubon Ratchathani for 3 months. My life changed drastically. I truly understood what real work was like and what exhaustion meant. Initially, I had never held a scalpel before. When I arrived, I was in the surgical department and had to perform appendectomies. The knowledge I had learned only prepared me to assist in surgery, but the person who taught me how to hold a scalpel was a nurse. That day, I was on call and performed nearly 10 cases, and by the later cases, I felt I could do it. The nurses taught me so much. I truly have to thank those nurses from that day.”
After completing his rural service in Phitsanulok, Dr. Tee pursued his specialisation in orthopaedics and joints, as he had initially intended. He then had the opportunity to begin working at BNH Hospital after completing his specialisation in total knee and hip replacement. Initially, the doctor was concerned because the patient demographic at BNH Hospital differed from his previous experiences. However, with the help of friends and senior colleagues in the medical team and other staff, he gradually adapted and built trust with patients through his skills and his smile.
“I never formally studied English anywhere. When I graduated, I could read, but I wasn’t good at speaking. I was very lucky to work and learn at the same time. Patients were one of my language teachers. Nowadays, I feel I speak English quite well in daily life. All the doctors here have been at BNH Hospital for a long time and are very fond of their junior colleagues. There’s no exploitation; it feels like a family, which makes me comfortable talking and helping each other care for patients at full efficiency.”
Beloved Gundam
Besides football, Dr. Tee also grew up with Gundam robots. Their coolness, beauty, classic appeal, and the creativity inherent in the robots captivated him, even though his childhood offered few opportunities to own Gundam figures.
“As a child, I felt they were very expensive, and I didn’t have the chance to buy or play with them. I remember in primary school, I helped my aunt sell rice, helped her carry things next door, and earned 5-10 baht. I saved up to buy a small Gundam to assemble myself. It was a dragon armour set for 240 baht. I still remember the price today. I was happy with it for about a year. That figure is still with me now.”
“Nowadays, they’re piled up all over the house, but I don’t have time to assemble them.”
Even today, when everyone else gravitates towards Art Toys, Dr. Tee still buys Gundam figures to collect in his cabinet, awaiting the day he can assemble them. For him, assembling figures and meticulously examining the details on a Gundam is a way to practise concentration skills and manage work-related stress.
Life Balance and Travel
“I always say that work is work; it must be separated from life. Work to your fullest potential; it’s your income. And everyone also has things they love to do, so do them when you have time. For example, I love to read—news, books, anything that helps me learn new things. I once dreamt of being a chef. Even today, I still love cooking, eating, and travelling. I’m happy with it.”
Dr. Tee loves travelling very much. When he has time off from work, he will embark on a journey. If he could travel around the world, it would be wonderful, but doctors find such time hard to come by. For now, he is gradually exploring different parts of the world. If there’s one most impressive trip, it would be Greece, the furthest country from home he has ever visited in his life. And one of the best memories of his life also happened there.
“I proposed to my wife in Greece. It was like a dream scene. At that time, I never thought I’d dare to go that far. I did a lot of research. It was during the low season. When we parked in Santorini, there were only two other tourist cars. My car’s window was smashed. For a hundred years, my girlfriend had never left her phone in the car, but I don’t know why this time she didn’t take her mobile phone with her. Actually, the thief could have opened the back of the car but didn’t. Luckily, everything was in the back of the car… the engagement ring was also in the back of the car.”
Despite some property damage, the most important items survived the thieves’ grasp. When the moment was right, one morning, with the sky bright and the view from the room beautiful, Dr. Tee’s beloved had just finished showering, preparing to go down for breakfast. Their favourite song played in the background as the doctor stood at the door, holding the ring.
“Will you marry me?”
And so, another important duty was added to the doctor’s life balance.
Each day for Dr. Tee continues to pass with its share of joys and sorrows, as is normal in life. But what the doctor always carries with him is his smile, something he wants people to remember, and something he wants both patients and anyone he meets to feel happiness from.
“Everything wasn’t strewn with rose petals. My life has had many challenges, but I believe that at some point, there will be a way out. I’m fortunate to have walked this path and gained friends and family. Many things have shaped me to reach this point.”
Articles & Published Content
ทำนัดหมายแพทย์ออนไลน์ | Appointment
WORAPOJ HONGLERSPIPOP, M.D.
นพ. วรพจน์ หงสเลิศพิภพ
Speciality
Orthopedic Surgery
Clinical Interest
Orthopedic Surgery
Hip and Knee Arthroplasty
Knee Replacement
Education
Medical Degree, Doctor of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Thailand
Fellowship
Arthroplasty, King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital, Thailand
Board and Sub board Certification
The Medical Council of Thailand, Orthopedic Surgery, Chulalongkorn University
Language
English
Thai
Gender
Male
Schedule
Comprehensive Orthopaedics Centre
| Day | Time |
|---|---|
| Monday | 09:00 - 17:00 |
| Tuesday | - |
| Wednesday | 09:00 - 17:00 |
| Thursday | 09:00 - 17:00 |
| Friday | 09:00 - 17:00 |
| Saturday | 09:00 - 17:00 |
| Sunday | - |
Ultimate Bone and Joint Care Centre
| Day | Time |
|---|---|
| Monday | 09:00 - 13:00 |
| Tuesday | - |
| Wednesday | 09:00 - 13:00 |
| Thursday | 09:00 - 13:00 |
| Friday | 09:00 - 13:00 |
| Saturday | 09:00 - 13:00 |
| 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.