The Debt Collector Ending Explained: Directed by Top Surapong Ploensang, Netflix’s Thai action drama คนเดือดทวงแค้น stars Nadech Kugimiya as Num, Daou Pittaya Saechua as Po, alongside Tob Chaiwat Thongsang as Kong, Nualprang Trichit as Pin, Jack Jonathan Holman as Joo, Japan Ploypaphas Fonkaewsiwaporn as Nid Noi and others.
The Debt Collector Ending Explained
Why Was Num Arrested in the First Place, and What Changed Him?
In the Thai film The Debt Collector, Num was the most reliable debt collector and intimidator for Madam Pin. His image had been made in terms of threats and violent actions that would never hesitate in getting rid of any person coming in their way. But despite being a cruel debt collector, there was always one thing in Num that he would never do to anyone: to harm innocent kids. He broke this one rule during one of the assignments where things got out of control and ended up killing not only the debtor but also his little girl.
Num was deeply disturbed by this because he knew that he killed an innocent soul, and unable to bear all the guilt, he did not try to escape. Life in prison was what changed Num’s life and helped him to become the person he is now. During his imprisonment, Num discovered that he had an incurable brain tumour, and he was given very little time to live. Death made Num realise that he was guilty of ruining a great number of people’s lives when he worked as a debt collector.
Num stopped wanting anything to do with violence or his life as a criminal. Num led a very peaceful life, living in a monastery and working as a delivery truck driver under the supervision of an abbot. Num just wanted to spend his last days peacefully and atone for his sins. Though Num was well aware of the fact that there was no way to change his past, he felt that doing something good during his last days would be his way to apologise to those people whom he wronged in his life.
Why Did Num Return to the World of Debt Collection?
As Num spent ten years in jail and found out he was dying of a terminal brain tumour, he did not want to come back to the violent life he used to lead. Therefore, he decided to live quietly and devoted his life to being a delivery truck driver at a monastery and making amends for his misdeeds until death. His quiet life changed dramatically as he met Grandma Lek and her granddaughter, Nio. It was hard for them to survive on their food stall; however, they were often intimidated by the debt collectors sent by Po for the debt.
Seeing the same violence he once committed made Num feel sorry about his past, and he decided to defend them. Initially, Num tried to solve the problem peacefully and even helped them report their harassment to the police. Nonetheless, Num’s past came back to haunt him, and Lek and Nio moved away when they found out about him. Everything started when Po took revenge on Num for interfering in his life by burning down Grandma Lek’s house and killing her, with a severe injury to Nio. Num felt guilty because every time he remembered the death of an innocent child, he could not ignore it.
Num made a decision to give up his former job as a debt collector because he understood that Po would continue to harm innocent people until someone stopped him. Num understood that his dream to die in peace would be impossible, since he had to return to the world of violence because he could not let other people suffer like he himself let people suffer.
What Made Kong Work for Pin?
Even though Kong was clothed in the policeman’s attire, the circumstances he found himself in rendered him open to manipulation by Madam Pin. This is attributed to the fact that he had incurred large amounts of debt as a result of gambling. Apart from that, Kong owed money to a fellow police officer who had passed the responsibility onto him. In addition to that, there was a need for Kong to have some money to cover the medical expenses of his child. Madam Pin knew about this problem; hence, she took advantage of it to manipulate Kong into agreeing to her demands. These included offering him four million baht for Num.
In actuality, Madame Pin did not intend to keep her promise to Kong. When Num arrived to be with her, she tossed both Kong and Num off the cliff, showing that Kong had been nothing but a pawn for her. This marked an important period in the life of Kong as he realised that there was no way in which he could continue helping criminals and corrupt individuals, as he would lose all of his integrity. This is why he decided to help Num eliminate Pin and Po.
What Happened to Madam Pin in the Ending of The Debt Collector?
After discovering that Po was in hiding, Num finally confronted Madam Pin in one last effort to find out where his son was. Instead of killing her on the spot, Num shot her in the leg to stop her from fleeing and asked her to tell him where Po was. At about this time, Kong called Madam Pin and let her know that he knew about her involvement in bribery in her dealings with Inspector Tong and the police officers under her control. Knowing that Kong wanted to arrest her and destroy her criminal organisation, Num took advantage of the opportunity.
He threatened to kill Madam Pin unless Kong told him where Po was. After he obtained the information he needed, Num kept his promise and decided to let Madam Pin live, realising his true target was always Po. Madam Pin did not allow Num to leave. In a desperate effort to save her own life and that of her son, she attacked him by surprise with the hairpin, which she always carried with her.
However, Num succeeded in dodging the attack, forcing Madam Pin to fall down and get into the water underneath the wooden pier from which she was standing; there, she was stabbed by a broken pillar. It was an accident caused by the fact that Madam Pin attempted to kill Num, who had spared her life. The tragic end of Madam Pin became an outcome of her attempts to betray Num and avoid going to trial for the crimes she committed.
Did Num Finally Get His Revenge on Po?
Yes, in Netflix The Debt Collector ending, Num did indeed succeed in his quest for revenge on Po. Num’s last fight was much more than just a way of taking his revenge on the one who wronged him. Num had to make his way past many armed individuals in order to get to Po, who hid himself in a deserted building. By this time, he was too tired both physically and mentally owing to the deadly disease that he was suffering from and injuries he had sustained during his journey.
Kong joined him to aid him, but she too got severely injured in the early stages of the battle, leaving Num alone to attend to Po and other gang members. The climax of the conflict is seen here as Po attacks a little girl in an attempt to make Num surrender to him by threatening to kill her. That one moment brought back to mind the memory of the little boy’s death that had been in his mind for all those years and how firmly he refused to repeat history.
Even as Po was attacking him with a knife, Num gathered his last strength and killed him, thus bringing an end to his terror. Although Num was able to get his revenge on Po, who killed Grandma Lek, and save others from the atrocities of Po, it has been at a great cost. It was not simply hatred that motivated Num to take revenge, but rather it was a form of responsibility to save others from the violence which he himself committed.
What Happened to Num at the End of The Debt Collector?
However, at the end of The Debt Collector, Num’s storyline concludes in an unfortunate but rather symbolic manner once the final confrontation between Num and Po is resolved. Num kills Po and ends the reign of the debt-collection enterprise that has ruined the lives of so many people. While he is able to live long enough to witness the death of Po, he is unable to stay alive due to the injuries he sustained and poor health.
Num died while holding the young girl’s hand, which signifies just how far he had strayed from the man he used to be. During his younger years, Num took the life of a young girl who was innocent, an act which he later on came to regret and thus confessed to the police. But even in his last few breaths, he was able to save one last kid from becoming a victim of the same fate. Although he could not wash away the stain on his hands or the pain he caused in the process, at least it made him use his remaining time protecting people instead of harming them.
After Num’s death, Kong was hailed as the one who put an end to the gang of criminals when, in reality, it was Num who should be given credit for it. Although Num did not have the opportunity to live in the world of peace that he wanted to give people, he died knowing that there is no Po who would ever harm anyone else again.
