Rocker Artiwara Kongmalai, aka Toon Body Slam, will run from southernmost Betong in Yala province to northernmost Mae Sai in Chiang Rai to raise donations for 11 hospitals.
The 2,191km run will start on Nov 1 and is planned to span 55 days with the rock star scheduled to reach his destination on Christmas Day, according to information posted on the Facebook account @kaokonlakao.
Artiwara in December last year completed a 400km charity marathon which raised a total of 85 million baht for medical equipment for Bang Saphan Hospital in Phrachuap Khiri Khan.
In his 5.26 minute campaign clip, Artiwara said he needed only a 10 baht donation from 70 million Thai people during his planned marathon. The money will be allocated to 11 hospitals, the central hospitals in each region, he said.
He said the success of his first run had created momentum. Many hospitals contacted either him or his team seeking help raising funds.
“Although I want to help all hospitals I cannot do it for 77 provinces, so the donations will go to 11 provinces that are the centres in their areas, reducing the number of patients who travel far to Bangkok to get medical treatment,” Artiwara said.
The 11 hospitals are in Yala, Surat Thani, Ratchaburi, Suphan Buri, Sara Buri, Khon Kaen, Prachin Buri, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Nan and Phramongkutklao Hospital in Bangkok.
“I want to be the first person to run from the southernmost to the northernmost points of Thailand. It will be the longest run of my life and may be the last,” the rocker said.
