Puwanart Kunpalin smiles as he watches his two-year-old son play. “I didn’t think I’d be the type to like kids but when Paul came along I was completely smitten by how cute he is,” says the TV and radio personality. “Some people think I’m too strict with him but that’s not true. He’s only a toddler and I want him to grow up free and able to learn from his mistakes. I’m only strict when it comes to hygiene but as any parent will tell you, trying to keep a two-year-old clean is a task worthy of Sisyphus!”
Well into the ‘terrible twos’ now, Paul is at a challenging age and Puwanart, or Un, admits there is much out of the control of him and his wife Alisa. “I’ll tell him no and he’ll do whatever it is right away because he wants to know what will happen. But he’ll learn about consequences,” Un chuckles. “He’s been testing me for months now and he knows when I’m serious. Now when I’m stern with him he listens…but pretends not to.”
There is much to consider when contemplating bringing a child into the world today, as Un acknowledges. “I’m afraid of Paul’s future in the difficult and challenging world we live in. I want to make sure he doesn’t lack in knowing what is right or wrong. I just want him to grow up happy and be able to make sense of the world.” And when the child grows older his father plans to show him as much of that world as possible. “Travelling with him is something I’m really looking forward to.”
Un constantly sees himself in young Paul. “The one sure trait he has picked up from me is his organisational skills,” the proud dad says. “It started with him picking up trash to throw away. After that I taught him to put things back where they belong and now I find him doing it himself.” Turning bad habits into good ones is part of the trick. “I know watching too much television is bad for children, so I sit with Paul and explain everything to him, turn it educational. At this point I just want to be involved because these are his formative years and so important. And you have to get your hugs in while they’ll let you,” he laughs.
“Being parents is the hardest job in the world,” sighs Ariya Banomyong, and he should know being father to twins Kridsakorn and Bhakarabol, or Heka and Nova. Ariya was completely unprepared for the news that he was going to be the father of twins. “My wife, Atchara, had a hospital check-up but I couldn’t go with her because I had a meeting elsewhere. When she got back she said she didn’t think there would be enough room in the house for all of us. I just didn’t understand until she actually said ‘we’re having twins!’”
Now six years old, the identical twins are starting to show independent character traits but Ariya adds that they are incredibly close. “They are perfectly happy with just each other’s company. In fact, weeks of Covid-19 lockdown were a breeze for them because each had his best friend in the house. Their bond is amazing, even stronger than normal siblings.”
Ariya and Atchara spend as much time as they can with the twins. “We just love seeing them grow. I’m always surprised by the things they learn and what they can do,” their father says. “They constantly feed off each other. The key is to engage them, even though it can be exhausting at times. For example, when I go to the gym I take them too.” Another thing the twins have in common with dad is a love of travel. “The boys enjoy flying and in normal times we visit France once a year because I want them to be connected to where I grew up,” Ariya explains. “I’ve even taken them to Michelin-starred restaurants!”
On what he looks forward to in the future, the teenage years are not it. Ariya laughs, “We have many friends whose children are in their teens and we are aware of how difficult they can be. We know ours will be similar, which is why right now we want to maximise our time with them. This is the golden age in which they are still spontaneously affectionate and reasonably obedient. That will probably change all too soon.”
Influential curator and co-founder of the Woof Pack art space, Jay and his wife Jareyaedee Spencer are the parents of two youngsters—six-year-old son Jake and two-year-old daughter Jaya. The whole parenthood experience has been rewarding although he admits that, given the four-year gap between his children, having to relearn dulled toddler-minding skills was a challenge. “It’s been marvellous though. Children just are—they give you energy,” he beams.
Like many parents of youngsters today though, he becomes much more reticent when he contemplates the modern world we have created for the latest generation. “I do worry that children are growing up too fast. By nature they are much more aware these days and it’s going to be very hard to pull them back and not have them lose their innocence so easily. There are so many voices, it’s hard to be heard,” he says, referring to the effects of technology. “When I was Jake’s age I was much more naive. There was television but no internet, no mobile devices. In my time it was just open the door, run outside and find a tree to climb.” He adds, “Sometimes we become so engrossed with our lives, in our work and commitments, that we don’t necessarily spend enough time doing the things we should do as parents. Fortunately, being contained in lockdown presented a sort of silver lining in that I got to spend so much time with Jake and Jaya.”
Having grown up in a household full of animals Jay has a soft spot for furry friends and his son has inherited this love of animals—something dad encourages because it teaches subtle lessons in care and responsibility. In fact, like his father Jake has an outdoors outlook and their time together is often spent swimming or going for walks. “I remember my father taking me out trekking when I was young. I was around eight years old. It’s something I’ve been wanting to do with Jake and it won’t be long before we can turn walks into camping trails. I loved time like that with my father, listening to him talk about different places and different cultures. Those hikes also taught me not to be scared when out of my comfort zone. Like any parent, I want my kids to be usefully independent…once they have finished enjoying the happiest childhood we can provide.’”
Looking at father and son duo Patee and Paphee Sarasin, it is easy to see why those close to them say they are clones of one another. Their mannerisms, gestures and little personal quirks are very similar, as are their interests. “We get along really well together and we always have fun,” smiles Patee, or Doong as he is known. “Raising Paphee, or DD has been easy, partly because we like similar things. We read books together in the evenings and play music together.” Then he looks to his son and asks, “What’s different about us?” The seven-year-old responds with a shy smile, “You’re bigger than me and know how to play the guitar better than me. But other than that, there isn’t much difference.”
That DD shows more than a passing interest in music at such a young age gives his father and mother Pitipat particular pleasure because Doong himself is descended from a musical lineage. “I try to show DD that he has the freedom of choice though, which is a privilege not all children get. Music, art, sports, whatever it is—he should have as many positive learning experiences as possible. He is at that age where he wants to feel comfortable and safe but he’s also curious about stuff. And he is learning what it is to be a good person and how to treat others with respect. I admire his politeness,” says the founder of yet-to-be-launched travel platform Really Cool Go.
However, deep down Doong secretly hopes that DD grows to become a guitar player. “We’ve got a ton of guitars in the house but at the moment he’s more of a piano man.” Whatever the instrument, growing up to become a musical virtuoso isn’t out of the question for the young man, who is also a member of his school’s choir. And at home he regularly collaborates with his father. “It’s sort of inherited,” Doong laughs, “I started playing music with my mum, who is a pianist, and now DD plays with me.” The lad smiles at this point and says he loves playing Stay by Jackson Browne. His dad barks with surprised laughter, “Jackson Browne! You’ve heard of him?” And DD grins enigmatically back.
Prinya Ruenprapan, or Jack as he prefers, is the director of admissions and marketing at Wellington College International School. To his triplets Prinn, Praj and Prann—or Trip, Trey and Troy—he is lovingly looked upon as their very own Steve Rogers. “If I’m wearing a shirt and they think it’s flattering to my physique, they say, ‘You look like Steve Rogers dad!’” Jack laughs, bantering with his children who all simultaneously agree that he is a cool dad.
“I’m mostly in it for the fun,” says Jack, “but of course it’s important that the kids also understand there are times when I have to be strict. All it takes is a change in tone of voice and they know. I think it comes naturally to every dad.” At 11 years old the triplets are at a good age “They are still heavily invested in mum and dad. No doubt they’ll become preoccupied with going out with their friends or talking to girls, hands continually out for pocket money, and I’m not really looking forward to that,” he grimaces. “But I’m close to them and I’m fortunate that we have a very good relationship. I hope that they always feel that they can come and talk to me.”
Jack is very aware that his children are in the grey zone between being kids and becoming young adults. “It’s more confusing for them than for me,” he laughs. Trip, Trey and Troy—all named on variations of the number three—are fraternal twins and each has a completely different personality. “For me it’s great. Having triplets is like having three best friends that I see every day and fortunately with my work at Wellington I get to go to school with them.”
When one of the boys does make a mistake—“and it’s important to give them the room to mess up occasionally”—their father uses the opportunity to impart a little wisdom. “Sometimes I can even see the mistake coming but I let it go because it gives us the chance to talk about things. Not to make a big deal out of it but to point out how to avoid making a similar mistake. Everything that we do, the little things here and there that we teach, helps to prepare the boys for the future. I’m not going to be around forever, so right now I’m just looking forward to the next day with them,” Jack laughs.
See also: 4 Thailand Tatler Father-Son Duos
