Former Model-Actor Becomes Monk After Realising He Had “A Very Unhealthy Lifestyle”

Model-actor Dom Petchthamrongchai was one of Thailand’s rising young model-actors before he shocked fans by entering monkhood in March this year.

Today, the 22-year-old is simply known by his monk’s name, Punnadhamm, and is dedicating his time to helping raise money for the city of Hervey Bay, Brisbane, to build their first Buddhist temple.

Born in Melbourne, he is the youngest of his siblings. He has shared on IG that his family supports his decision to take up the saffron robes.

Dom first caught everyone’s attention at the age of 16 as a contestant on The Face Men Thailand Season 2 in 2019. Despite being eliminated in episode six, he built a solid career as a model, even modelling for luxury fashion brand Louis Vuitton’s Fall-Winter 2022/2023 collection.

Dom also went on to star in a number of Thai dramas and was most recently seen in the BL love series, The Bangkok Boy, earlier this year.

In an interview with ABC Brisbane, Dom says he decided to step away from fame after realising he had drifted into “a very unhealthy lifestyle”.

“I used to be a very chaotic person, and I thought, 'This is it. If I become a monk, maybe I could find some answers that would enrich me to really understand what my purpose is in this world, and what my goals are',” he said.

“Now, I know what my goals are. It is just a matter of action,” Dom added.

However, his monkhood isn’t meant to be forever.

In an Instagram post on his birthday (Apr 1), Dom did not specify an exact date for his time as a monk, stating he intended to stay for as long as he could.

“I'm still not quite sure when exactly I'll leave the monkhood life, as I'm doing my best to stay as long as I can. I know one thing for sure is that the longer I stay, the more I will learn,” he wrote in an Instagram post.

Temporary ordination is a common Thai tradition, often done for weeks or months to gain merit, express gratitude to parents, and immerse in Buddhist teachings.

But whether Dom will return to the entertainment industry remains unclear. In an interview with MGR Online in June, he said that after monkhood, he hopes to further his studies with plans to pursue finance and law instead of stepping back into showbiz.

Photos: dompetch/IG