True AF 2026 The Series – Chapter 2: Hope

Competitions may have brought fame, fortune, and career breakthroughs to many, but for the two dream hunters “Moss-Baitong,” stepping onto the True AF 2026 stage meant pursuing something far more meaningful.

Chapter 3: AF001 Moss – Something Missing

In the early morning of March 21, 2026, in Chiang Mai, hundreds of hopeful individuals hurried to audition for True AF 2026. Among them, a 23-year-old barista stood quietly, watching the crowd pass by. Beneath his calm exterior, his heart was burning with urgency.

“Please, just extend the time a little longer,” Moss — Kanokpol Reungchak — prayed silently. He felt frustrated that on such an important day, he was stuck standing at work. With limited choices in life, he had no option but to set aside his own desires for the sake of basic survival.

The young man reflected on his past, sharing that he had loved singing since childhood. He learned through self-taught methods and later studied with a teacher who taught him how to break down songs. “For English songs, I couldn’t speak the language at all, but I focused on memorizing them,” Moss recalled with a smile. “If you asked if I knew a particular note, I wouldn’t — but I learned by doing.”

Whether it was talent or not, Moss traveled to competitions and reached the finals on multiple occasions. He also won championships in shows like Janthapandao Rong Sue Fun, a singing competition for scholarships, and many others. These experiences gradually filled his dream little by little.

“Moss once reached the finals of a show where the finalists would tour with a famous Thai T-Pop group. It felt incredibly fulfilling. I got to sing, perform in front of a large audience, and be myself on the Siam stage. I took the train from Chiang Mai, and when I arrived at Siam, the place was packed. Even though they came for the main act, they treated us well. That’s when I realized this was truly where I belonged.”

As time passed, the joy of chasing his dream began to fade. The vision of himself as an “artist” now seemed impossibly distant. “Dreams have a time limit,” Moss admitted. “Pursuing singing requires a lot of money.” He paused, then revealed the one hope he held onto tightly — the hope of filling something that was missing in his life.

“As I grew older, I had to divide my time between a real job and a dream that might have to be put on hold. My older sister moved abroad for work, leaving my father alone at home. My dream right now is to enter the AF house, win some challenges, and bring my sister and father together again — to have the whole family reunited one day.”

As if the heavens were watching, at four in the afternoon, just as he was about to finish work, Moss learned that the audition had been extended. With less than an hour remaining, he rushed to the venue with all his heart, submitted his application almost last, auditioned before the judges, and successfully advanced to the top 100 — fulfilling his wish.

Although he arrived at the audition with strong determination, the long hiatus from performing created overwhelming pressure. “It wasn’t the past experience that stressed me out, but the fact that I hadn’t sung in a very long time. On the first audition day, I was very happy. But on the piano round, seeing everyone who had been training for months — and being the last number — I felt crushed. The moment I stepped on stage, everything exploded. I ended up standing there crying.”

After receiving news that he had passed, the lump in his throat dissolved into overwhelming joy. He quickly bought a bus ticket home to tell his father the good news, unaware that this short journey would force him to confront the harsh reality of life.

“I was on the tour bus when they made me get off on the side of the road, claiming my ticket was for a different bus — even though it was the same one,” Moss said with a straight face, the frustration still evident. “I stood there alone on the roadside, asking myself if this was how uncertain my life was going to be. Even though I made it back to Chiang Mai that day, I didn’t want to live with this uncertainty anymore. If I want stability, I can’t come back to this point. I have to keep fighting. If I feel discouraged, I must do everything so I never end up here again.”

With that realization, Moss returned with renewed resolve. He trained intensively, controlled his diet, and exercised rigorously as advised. He lost 10 kilograms in less than a month and committed to taking care of himself regardless of the final audition results — because ultimately, the greatest benefit would be his own.

“Moss believes everyone has a chance. Don’t cut off your own opportunities by thinking ‘I can’t do it.’ If we hold onto our dreams and determination, the happiest person in the end will be ourselves. We did our best, we are happy, and we did it with heart. No one gains anything except us.”

Chapter 4: AF Baitong – A Heart That Never Gives Up

On the morning of April 3, the golden sun slowly rose above the horizon, casting light on an old Honda Wave motorcycle speeding along the Asian Highway toward Bangkok.

An 18-year-old slender young woman sat on the back, holding tightly to her boyfriend as he drove with focused determination. She carried a bag full of documents and dreams all the way from Phichit to submit her application for the final round of AF auditions.

Baitong — Chalita Srisang, a young woman with a background in mechanics — was another contestant determined to challenge herself and test how far her singing had progressed. She had loved singing since childhood, briefly studied piano with a Thai music teacher, and taught herself luk thung songs from the radio her grandmother played daily.

Once she had her own phone, she trained by watching YouTube, imitating powerful vocalists she admired — Pat from Klear, Da Endorphine, V Violet, Bkki Lion, and Jeff Satur. She would fall asleep every night practicing and singing along. She recalled one period when practicing the high notes for the song “Hod Nam Ta” caused her to lose her voice for three months. After a long break, she trained again until she could sing it — a major source of pride.

Baitong openly admitted she had never really known about AF before. Although she had heard of it in passing, she had no clear image of it until she accidentally saw an advertisement on her phone. Excited, she encouraged her boyfriend — a musician she had been dating for over three years — to apply together. “Hey, should we try? Win or lose, let’s just go for it.”

The fighter’s spirit surged once more. But when they opened their wallet, their sweet dream nearly shattered. “At that time, my boyfriend and I only had 1,000 baht combined,” Baitong shared candidly. “The owner of the Him Thong shop, who had given me opportunities to perform, found out and kindly added 2,000 baht, saying ‘Win or lose, it doesn’t matter. Consider it my support.’”

Perhaps due to excitement or the heat, after checking into the hotel in Bangkok, Baitong suddenly felt that life was empty. She invited her boyfriend to ride the motorcycle, carrying their beloved speaker, to busk at Lumphini Park.

“Since we were already in Bangkok, I had this little dream of singing for people in the capital. I had only ever performed in the provinces. Whether I earned money or not didn’t matter — I just wanted them to hear my voice,” Baitong said with genuine happiness.

The first audition went smoothly. Although hopeful, she had to console her worried boyfriend. They returned to their room and waited anxiously for the phone call.

One night passed with the phone remaining silent. Baitong lost hope and prepared to check out and return home. Then, as if destiny had written it, because she loved seafood, she suggested they ride to Bang Saen for oyster shots. They enjoyed the ride, but when they arrived, the shop was closed. They decided to head back to Bangkok and continue straight to Phichit.

Their plan hit another obstacle when the motorcycle broke down in the middle of the night on the way back to Bangkok. While they were struggling to fix it, a miracle occurred — the AF production team called to inform her that she had passed the audition round. Overjoyed, Baitong ran to hug her boyfriend and cried loudly, startling passersby. A passing mechanic saw the scene, offered to repair the motorcycle for free in exchange for one beautiful song from the young woman.

The next day, during the piano audition round, Baitong hid her nervousness and fought through it. One of the judges, Mai — Phakphum Romsaithong — praised her, saying he liked that she was straightforward and honest with herself. When he asked if she thought she was beautiful and she replied, “I think I am,” the hall burst into light laughter. “I was like, wait — am I not pretty?” she recalled with a laugh. After being selected, she walked out with teary eyes and jumped into her boyfriend’s arms.

Upon returning to Phichit, her bright smile faded once again. Baitong received bad news that her singing gigs had been indefinitely suspended. Her main source of income to support her dream vanished. The owner of Him Thong shop then proposed a fundraising campaign to send her to the final audition, on the condition that she isolate herself and take good care of her voice.

Baitong followed the advice strictly. She traveled to participate in the workshop and delivered a powerful performance of “Titanium” on the final audition stage. She confessed that if miracles truly exist, she would like to turn back time so her boyfriend could apply and join every workshop class with her. Their one shared dream is to stand on stage together. He is the only wind beneath her wings that has supported her through this extraordinary experience.

“I must thank P’Pae, P’Oy, and P’Prang from Him Thong shop, the mechanic that night, and everyone in Phichit Province who supported me,” Baitong said with deep emotion. She concluded, “My appearance may not compete with others, but one thing I can compete with is my heart — because I have never given up on anything.”

We invite you to comment on Facebook at TrueVisions or TrueAF Thailand to let us know whose “Dream Hunter’s Record” you would like to open next. Don’t forget to follow for the upcoming features on our website at truevisions.co.th/Showtime.

Do not miss it! Send your support to all 98 dream hunters and join in anticipating the announcement of the 12 who will advance in the live broadcast “Announcement of the 12 Dream Hunters of TRUE AF 2026” on Monday, May 11, starting at 17:00. Watch free on channel AF Reality (334) and via the TrueVisions Now app.