In a shocking announcement to fans, former '90s idol Tae Satawad Sethakorn, an international-looking singer known from the boy band Teen 8 grade A and a prominent actor who starred in early Taiwanese and Chinese films and series, posted on his personal social media that he is currently facing early-onset dementia. Accompanied by his wife "Jackie" and daughter "Nong Yadah," he opened up about his condition on the program "Toh Nu Mham" on Workpoint Channel 23.
Asked about the dementia symptoms he is currently experiencing, and how his body signaled warning signs?
Tae said, "I first started doubting myself at age 40; now I'm 43. At that time, I noticed my memory was less sharp than before. Before I suffered from depression, my memory was very good. I had been ill for five years, so my memory might have been around 85-90 percent."
"At 40, the symptoms became clearer, but they really became evident at 43 when I couldn’t remember people's names or their work. My wife began to notice that previously I could recall which projects people were involved in, but lately I’ve been less talkative, can’t recall, and don’t remember others’ works. I also started to have some speech stuttering."
"The clearest sign recently was when I was managing home renovations. Workers came over, and I scheduled them, but when they arrived, I was confused about who they were. Eventually, my wife told me I needed to get a health check and consult with a doctor."
Regarding his wife, where did she begin to notice signs of his dementia?
Jackie said, "Normally, Tae is quick-witted, very observant, and has excellent memory. We noticed he began mixing words together, like saying 'shom' instead of 'spoon' or 'fork'—words that were incorrect. He also started to stutter, which he never did before."
After seeing the doctor, at what stage did treatment begin?
Tae said, "Initially, the doctor conducted some tests. I feel very lucky my family noticed the symptoms early. During testing, my score wasn’t bad, but I was shocked by things I should know. For example, the doctor asked me to write numbers on a clock face, which is something familiar around us. I wrote numbers 1 to 11 but couldn’t remember number 12. This was a clear warning sign."