Thirteen years ago, Noppadol Sangnil was just a young snooker player with bags of talent and almost empty pockets. And had it not been for a generous gesture by His Majesty the King, who passed away on Thursday, nothing much would have changed in his life.
Noppadol had already started making his presence felt on the local snooker scene when he reached the final of a national ranking tournament in Nakhon Ratchasima in 2003 for the first time in his career.
It was during the live TV coverage of Noppadol's 5-2 victory over Supoj Saenla that Thai snooker legend James Wattana, while commentating on the final, rued the absence of sponsorship that was denying the talented player a chance to compete professionally in Britain.
Noppadol had earned the right to compete in the 2003-2004 Challenge Tour through a keenly contested Asian qualifying school.
His Majesty, who was watching the match on TV, then awarded Noppadol a grant from his personal funds, helping the rising snooker star realise his dream of participating in the Challenge Tour that season.
"That was the turning point of not just my career, but my life as well," said Noppadol, who yesterday visited Bangkok's Royal Palace to pay his respect to the monarch, who was an ardent supporter of Thai sports throughout his life.
"Yesterday [Thursday], we lost the father figure of Thai sports," said Noppadol.
"His Majesty's gesture 13 years ago meant far more than anyone can ever realise. It gave me faith that hard work doesn't go unrewarded.
"I prayed for his health with the entire Thai nation and I am going now to pay my respect to him like everyone else.
"I will never be able to pay him back for the gesture as it changed my life in every possible way."
Noppadol wasn't able to perform well in his first year on the second-tier Challenge Tour but he didn't give in and returned a few years later to finish runner-up in one of the events.
He later qualified for the top-tier Main Tour and had a varying degree of success.
Noppadol has since captured the national titles in both 15- and 6-red snooker, won gold medal in the 2007 Nakhon Ratchasima SEA Games and represented the country in a number of high-profile international tournaments, including the Asian Games and 6-red world championships.
"Not much of it would have been possible without the help from His Majesty," admitted Noppadol.
"It was the most important endorsement of my talent and I had to prove myself from that point onwards.
"A scanned copy of the cheque that I received from palace officials is on display in the drawing room of my residence and it shall remain there forever."
Noppadol is now a successful businessman with a number of upscale restaurants across Bangkok.
"I owe it all to the fame that followed that generous and unforgettable gesture from the King," concluded Noppadol.