How did you become a fortuneteller?
My life is like a rollercoaster. I started working as an MC for car auctions which taught me to use a strong voice in my fortunetelling. I got married and broke up while I was pregnant. I was homeless and slept along Ladprao Road until I gave birth to my first child prematurely. Luckily, my family found out about me and took me back to live with them. The turning point came when a friend suggested I take a PR job with Mor Luck Fun Thong, the famous fortuneteller. After working with him for only six to seven months, he told me to quit the job and become a fortuneteller myself. He predicted that in no more than five years, I would be famous. I then studied all kinds of astrology. I made my first prophecy in 2005, and then started taking the job seriously the year after.

How did you start using chess for fortunetelling?
I realized that many fortunetellers were using the same methods, so I needed to come up with a new and unique way so that customers would get their money’s worth. One day at the market I saw people playing chess; the game is played in a very deliberate and attractive manner, sometimes smooth and sometimes rough, slow and fast. Later, I invented a way of fortunetelling using a chessboard set up to show the position of the stars in Thai-style astrology, as well as cards and feng shui, in which each star indicates your horoscope. The method was completed in 2010, and the first person I used it on was my husband.

Is it more accurate than other methods?
To be honest, it’s pretty much the same because I use all types of sciences to prophesize.

How much do you charge?
I charge many prices, starting at B1,000 and B1,500. A yearly membership is B6,000, meaning you can come see me whenever you please. Most of my customers are soldiers and police who want to know when they will be promoted. I also work as a co-host on horoscope shows on satellite and cable TV.

How can people ensure they’re not being duped?
People nowadays are tricked more easily because they are more distressed. They want something to hold on to, so they seek something to make them feel secure. But you need to do your research; find out if a fortuneteller has been on TV before or check their credentials with friends and family before you make a monetary commitment.

What are your future plans?
Fortunetelling is not a prosperous job; if you’re not famous, you earn very little. So I want to form a team of effective fortunetellers with the one main rule that we don’t deceive customers. In doing this, I hope we can improve the reputation of fortunetellers. I also want to do a fortunetelling TV show and give opportunities to new generations of fortunetellers.
 

Contact Ajarn Nong at www.facebook.com/nongpayakorn