When Parkinson’s forced this Malaysian chef out of the kitchen

For years, Tan Leong Guan made his living in the heat and bustle of Bangkok kitchens, working as a chef and helping support his wife and four children.

Then Parkinson’s disease made the work increasingly difficult. At 61, Tan has had to step away from the kitchen, leaving his family to absorb not only the effects of his illness but the loss of a steady income.

His daughter had to put her university studies on hold to work and help support the household, while his wife has taken on housekeeping work. The family is also caring for Tan’s eldest son, who has an intellectual disability.

Tan had spent years living and working in Bangkok and was previously one of the main chefs at Seng Huat Bak Kut Teh in Ratchadaphisek.

Malaysian Association in Thailand (MAiT) president Ten Voon Teng said Tan was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease after the pandemic and had struggled to find stable work since.

The condition affects movement and can cause symptoms such as tremors, stiffness and slowness, all of which can make the pace and physical demands of a professional kitchen especially difficult to manage.

For Tan, losing his place in the kitchen meant more than giving up a profession: it also shifted financial and practical responsibilities across the household.

His daughter’s decision to pause university reflects how illness can alter plans far beyond the person receiving the diagnosis. With his wife also working to contribute to the household, the family has had to reorganise daily life around both Tan’s health and his reduced earning capacity.

Regular medical care has added another expense: Tan requires hospital visits and medication costing about 6,000 baht, or RM730, every 20 days. “This is a considerable expense for a family with limited income,” Ten said.

The family’s situation eventually came to the attention of members of the Malaysian community in Thailand, who recently visited Tan at home to better understand what kind of help was needed.

A fundraising effort organised through MAiT subsequently raised 115,000 baht, or about RM14,000, to help with medical expenses and ease some of the pressure on the household.

MAiT is a membership-based, non-profit organisation that connects Malaysians across Thailand through social gatherings, cultural events, sports and community service.

For Malaysians who have built lives overseas, serious illness can bring an additional layer of vulnerability, particularly when relatives and long-established support networks are far away.

For Tan, members of the Malaysian community in Thailand became part of that support system, stepping in at a time when his family was already making difficult compromises.

The assistance will not remove the realities of Parkinson’s or restore the career he had spent years building. But when it comes to juggling treatment costs, interrupted studies and the daily demands of care, it offers Tan and his loved ones some breathing room.

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