My Favourite List (Thai Dramas / Lakorns) Part III

Welcome back! 

Have you been binge-watching lakorns and are back for more recommendations? Part III will be about period dramas, with the first two set around the 1960s and the third set in Ayutthaya Kingdom during the reign of King Narai (1656-1688).  

Neung Nai Suang (Only You in My Heart)

Yaya's character was raised by her aunt family as she lost both parents at a young age. Due to her chubbiness, she was bullied by James Ji during play dates between the two families. When they met again as adults upon James' return from Europe after completing his studies, Yaya remembered him and wanted nothing to do with him. James, on the other hand, couldn't recognise the beauty before him as a young girl who used to be bullied by him. So he was shocked when she refused to dance with him at a party and angry that she publicly embarrassed him - a popular dream guy for all the girls in town. The story follows them as he kept picking fights with Yaya.

My Favourite List (Thai Dramas / Lakorns) Part II

So how many dramas from my Part I review have you watched?

Shall we continue? This Part II is dedicated to one of my shipped couple Nadech-Yaya.

Rising Sun 2

As I didn't watch Rising Sun 1 with Mario and Taew, I was a bit confused in the first few episodes. Set in Japan, Nadech's character became the new Souryo of their Onitsuka family clan upon the death of his cousin.  To protect his betrothed Yaya (whom he also loves) during these uncertain times of leadership changes, Nadech distanced himself from Yaya for a few years. But of course, she didn't know the reason for his disappearance and thought he was just toying with her feelings.  

My Favourite List (Thai Dramas / Lakorns) Part I

Although diversity could be strength to explore creativity, I personally need romance, comedy, cute moments and happy endings in my dramas. If our tastes are the same, read on for my favourite list, which could be a gentle introduction for lakorn newbies.

Wanida 

Back in 2010, my Cambodian friend introduced me to my very first Thai drama called Wanida for their stunning outfits from 1940s/1950s. Aff's father is a loan shark who worries that his daughter won't be able to marry well due to his unfavourable reputation in society. Tik's noble family only has good name but no wealth to accompany it. When Tik's brother was unable to repay a large amount of money he owed to Aff's father, the latter demanded marriage to his daughter as a repayment. The drama followed Tik & Aff as they were forced into a contract marriage and slowly fell in love despite obstacles thrown at them by conniving ex-girlfriend and interfering mother-in-law.  Overreacting servants either provided comedic relief or cringe-inducing moments, depending on how you look at it. However, we witness how both Tik and Aff grew and matured through the the narrative. How a son's filial duty, a man's integrity as well as a woman's strong will and perseverance intertwined to create a story which  was cliche but nonetheless beautiful.

Due to lack of subbed Thai videos back then as well as the colossal success of Korean shows reignited by the popularity of Boys Over Flowers, I went back to the K-drama land. Fast forward to 2019, Korean shows available didn't quite capture my interest and I decided to watch highly acclaimed Thai movie Friend Zone. While the movie is by no means a standout with its own shortcomings in terms of story & character development, Baifern shines brightly with her charm. 

Food For Thought 8 [Rise of Thai Dramas]

Korea is out to challenge Hollywood's monopoly on the global entertainment market. Will there be anyone else to follow the meteoric rise of the Hallyu wave? Will Thailand (home of Blackpink's Lisa, 2PM's Nichkhun and GOT7's Bambam) rise to the occasion?

Even during my university days 10 years ago, Thai commercials form part of our case studies for marketing modules. After multiple trips to Thailand, I can also attest to the creativity of the people, as evident even in the souvenirs and snacks we bring back home.  Movies and dramas are putting effort to break out of the stereotype that their remarkable work is only in horror. Video-sharing platforms contributed to breaking down language barriers of non-Thai speaking fans.  Another unique aspect of the Thai entertainment industry is an abundance of mixed blood stars with their desirable, attractive features as well as the command of the English language to transcend communication barriers which allow them to easily connect with international fans. Social media is also helping stars to keep in touch with their fans directly. So, will we witness the rise of Thailand as Asia's next soft power?

Especially for international fans like me, when it comes to TV dramas, our focus is on Korean, Taiwanese and Japanese shows.  We don't have an inkling on what to make of Thai dramas or lakorns as they are called. Will the shows be too over the top with cartonnish characters? Are the storylines interesting enough to pull us in till the end? Will there be enough eye candies? Well, some dramas do have cartoonish characters and ear shattering screeches, especially from supporting cast. But there are a wide range of storylines to meet everyone's tastes.  As for eye candies, you have nothing to worry about in that department. If you don't believe me, just click on below links of my favourite actors / actresses. Some of them have sizzling chemistry that we couldn't help but wish for them to date in real life like James Ma-Kimmy, James Ji-Bella and Nadech-Yaya.

James Ma 
Kimmy 
James Ji 
Bella 
Nadech 
Yaya 
Mik 
Baifern 

My favourite shipped couple 1: James Ma & Kimmy

Food For Thought 7 [Asian Entertainment Industry & Its Soft Power]

With the current COVID19 situation, our daily lives have grounded to a halt, or at least slowed down to various extents. Travel plans were cancelled, non-essential services shut down, office workers were recommended to work from home and parents had to homeschool their children. But of course, this post is not about COVID19. We would actually like to escape from the barrage of virus-related news articles, bombarding us from various channels.

Personally, I no longer have to wake up early as my yoga studio is closed. Due to the mandate to work from home, there was no need to commute to and from office during peak hours.  House renovations were going at a turtle pace in order to avoid crowd of workers. In any case, government approval for our new house was taking longer than usual since workforce was cut down to around 50%. So, my weekend errands were cut down and you can imagine how much time I suddenly have at my disposal.

If left to my own devices, I probably would be in pyjamas all day, sitting on a couch, working on my macbook without regular meal times compared to being dictated by a more structured day in office. But fret not, I have my own guardian who ensured I wake up by 8am and get ready for the day as well as eat meals at proper times. 

Anyway, back with the issue of dealing with extra time, what do you guys do to occupy your day, especially if you do not have children or pets to take care of?  Other than working from home and doing yoga, I have been indulging myself by watching dramas! You thought wrong if I meant Korean dramas, as the current phase I am in means I can't get enough of Thai Lakorns (dramas / soap operas). 

When my hubby remarked on my change in taste, it got me thinking about Asian soft power.  Hollywood has always dominated entertainment industry. What about Asia with our vastly diverse yet nonetheless intriguing cultures? Culture has bearings on dramas, movies, songs and artists which are essentially products of entertainment industry, wielding soft power, not just domestically but internationally upon export.