Celebrity’s funeral turns into mass outreach 

Her death came as a shock to millions of fans. Her funeral turned out to be the largest Christian outreach ever in her nation and it serves as a testimony of how valuable it is for followers of Jesus to engage in the society. 

Duan, who works for the Royal Thai Consulate General in Malaysia is one of the people who was affected by the livestreaming of the funeral of the Thai actress and celebrity Nida Patcharaveerapong, commonly known as Tangmo.  

“I paid attention to everything she has said and was most impressed by the message that Christians do not fear death. I learned that God loves everyone. and I decided that I want to know him,” says Duan according to an article published in Christianity Today.  

Quick decision 

After the third day of livestreaming, she connected with a church. The people there invited her to an Alpha Course.  

“After only a few lessons, I accepted Jesus Christ as my Savior and wanted to be baptized. If I had not watched the memorial ceremony, I would have missed the opportunity to become Christian,” she shares. 

Tangmo’s talent  was discovered when she took part in the Miss Teen Thailand competition in 2002. Her acting in popular drama series in Thailand, made her famous. Although she had grown up in a Christian home, her faith did not mean so much to her until she decided to get married to Pakin “Tono” Kumwilaisuk who is also an actor. The testimony of the pastor they approached to be married, made Tangmo rededicate her life to Jesus, and she started to speak openly about him in interviews. At a TV-show in 2017 she shocked the host when she said that she wanted to be a “full-time minister of God”.  

Largest 

According to Christianity Today, pastors in Bangkok say that “Tangmo’s memorial service in March this year was the largest evangelistic outreach ever put on in Thailand.” Allegedly, the livestream of the memorial had 12 million views.  

Christianity Today writes that pastors have seen an increase in newcomers interested in learning more about Christianity.  

“God opened a door through the death of a woman who loved God immensely. Tangmo’s life was not perfect, but she was saved by Jesus,” comments pastor Thongchai Pradubchananurat in Bangkok’s Church of Joy. 

By Steinar Opheim