`Chompoo` Araya Hargate

‘Chompoo’
Araya
Hargate:
Thai-British Actress
Araya A. Hargate, born on 28th June 1981, is a famous actress
in Thailand. She was born to a Thai-Lao mother and a British
father. Thus, she holds Thai and British nationality. At the
age of 17 she was discovered and became well-known after the
Misens Motor Show Contest. This was also the time when she was
a member of the Girl Power Group that organizes sports day.
She was the majorette at this Power Group. In fact, Araya is a
very sportive person and does yoga to keep her fit.
Chompoo Araya Hargate
Chompoo Araya
She was educated at Kanmanee School and later got a degree
from Badindecha school. Her teens where also the time when her
acting career started. Nevertheless, she also went to
university and got a Bachelor degree in English from Rangsit
University.
Today, she is known by her nickname Chompoo which means ‘pink’
in Thai which is also her favourite colour. She is an
accomplished and versatile actress who was in numerous Thai
lakorns, e.g. in Luk Mai Klai Ton, Plang Prai, Pee Pian Hotel.
Her role models are Thai actors like Chatchai Plengpanich and
Lalita Panyopas.
Thai-British actress Araya Hargate at Cannes
Film Festival
Thus, the movie that made her famous was Morlum Summer where
she starred as the character Anny. Apart from acting, Chompoo
is a model and singer who has been in many music videos. Thus
for instance in Lux Thailand’s ‘Soft touch with your love’.
What is more, She is know as a fashionista and High Fashion
Queen. Thus, she is also an ambassador for L’Oreal Paris. In
fact, she is a regular guest at International Fashion Weeks
and at the Cannes Film Festival where she stunns everyone with
her impreccable style annd stylistic command. She has had some
dramatic appearances wearing marvellous gowns on the red
carpet which added to her princess moments. She enjoys wearing
designer pieces by Channel, Burberry, Dior, Zac Posen and Ashi
Studio Couture.
Fashionista ‘Chompoo’ Araya
Up until today, she has received more than 50 awards, such as
FHM Sexiest Actress in Thailand Awards 2007 – 2010, W Style
Awards, Siam Dara Stars Awards, and The Best Actress Awards.
In 2015, Chompoo got married to the wealthy Thai business man
Nott Witsarut Rungsisingpipat which was a great media event.
Araya
Hargate
&
Nott
Witsarut Rungsisingpipat
Summing up we may say that Chompoo Araya Hargate is an
impressive woman and an accomplished artist. In addition, she
is also a great fashionista.
Yours, Sirinya
(all photos in this article: Araya A. Hargate, FB page)
Top 5 Posts: Nadech & Yaya
Are Number One
Do you like to know which are Sirinya’s Thailand Blog’s most
popular posts? Well, since I’ve been writing my blog for more
than nine months now, I think it’s time for a small review of
the Top 5 Posts.
Top 5 Posts: Nadech & Yaya Are
Number One
Can you guess who is the number one? Yeah, it does not come as
a surprise to me that it is Nadech & Yaya.
First among the Top 5 Posts: Nadech & Yaya (photo Nadech
& Yaya Vietnam Fanpage)
I think you all know this cute on-screen couple that is also
frequently paired for fashion shootings and TV commercials.
Both Nadech and Yaya are very talented young half-Thai actors
popular in Thailand but also in other Southeast Asian
countries like Vietnam. For instance, there is the charming
Nadech & Yaya Vietnam Fanpage that provides fans with the most
recent news about the two actors.
Nadech Kugimiya & Yaya Urassaya Sperbund in The Rising
Sun (photo: konchke.blogspot.com)
Not surprisingly either, my article about Yaya Urassaya
Sperbund is the second most viewed post on my blog. I think
Yaya is so famous and loved by her fans because she is very
lovely, playful, effortless charming but also a bit childish
sometimes which makes her particularly amiable.
Yaya Urassaya Sperbund (photo: Nadech & Yaya Vietnam
Fanpage)
Most recently, Yaya graduated from Chulalongkorn University.
Congrats, dear Yaya! You are very talented
Yaya Urassaya just graduated from
Chulalongkorn University (photo: Nadech &
Yaya Vietnam Fanpage)
Next follows an article about another young luk kreung actress
– do you guess who it is? It’s actress and model Mai Davika
Hoorne who became famous with her role as Mae Nak in the movie
‘Phi Mak Phra Khanong’. No wonder she is so popular – she is
not only lovely but her beauty is also classic. Thus, she has
been the cover girl on numerous glossy magazines like the
Vogue for instance.
Thai-Belgian actress Davika Hoorne (photo: Mai Davika
FB page)
This leads us to my number four post which is about ThaiGerman actor Mario Maurer. It seems that the most popular
posts on my blog are all about young actors. Well, Mario has
been in ‘Phi Mak Phra Khanong’ in the leading role alongside
Mai Davika. Apart from acting, Mario also does a lot of TV
commericals and has been advertising for TAT ( Tourism
Authority of Thailand), thus promoting different areas of
Thailand.
Mario Maurer (photo credit: TAT
Kunming)
Most recently, there has been a cute Mario Maurer doll (Funko
Pop). A must for all true Mario fans, I guess
Mario Maurer with his Funko Pop (photo:
Mario Maurer FB page)
Hence, last but not least, my fifth most popular post varies
from the rest since it is about the Thai Tradition of
Tattooing called Sak Yant. I can understand that this is a
subject of interest to many people since to some extent, Sak
Yant has also become popular in Western countries. What is
more, Sak Yant differs from ‘common’ tattoos because they are
supposed to have a magical meaning and power.
Tattooed monk of Wat Bang Pra (photo credit: sakyant.com)
Did you like this recap? And do you like the top four young
actors as much as I do? I think we all love Nadech & Yaya and
are thrilled by the Yadech-Factor
Thus, enjoy reading my
blog and getting to know more about Thai (popular) culture!
Yours, Sirinya
Paula Taylor:
Actress
Thai-British
Paula Taylor is a popular half-Thai actress, model and
presenter born in January 1983. Her real name is Punlapa
Margaret Taylor but in the entertainment industry she is known
as ‘Paula Taylor’. Her father is of British descent and her
mother is Thai-Chinese.
Paula Taylor
Paula Taylor, Thai-British actress*
She was born in Bangkok but then her family moved back to
Australia where she grew up in Perth until the age of nine.
Eventually her parents divorced and thus Paula moved to
Brisbane. She is very comfortable and happy with being a luk
kreung because she claims to have had the best of both worlds.
In her teens, Paula went to visit her family in Thailand. That
was when she got into contact with the Thai entertainment
industry. At the beginning of her career, she did some
modelling, appeared in TV commercials and acted in small Thai
movies.
Paula Taylor: Thai-British actress, model and
presenter*
After being discovered by TV producer Tanawat Wansom and
becoming a media personality, she also starred in the Thai
romance comedy film ‘Ruk Jung’ The Memory (2006) in the role
of Jaa. Thus, she became well-known not only as a TV hostess
but also as an actress.
Hence, in 2011 Paula had her Hollywood debut in the ThaiAmerican supernatural thriller ‘Hellgate’. She had the role of
Som Mathews starring next to William Hurt and Cary Elwes. What
is more, she was also in a number of music videos like for
instance ‘Mark mai’ by Bie the Star.
Before this Hollywood movie, she participated in ‘The Amazing
Race Asia 2’ thus gaining more popularity in other Southeast
Asian countries. Thus, for instance she has also appeared on
the Philippine TV Sunday variety show. In addition, today she
also produces videos giving some make up tips for a daily
look, for example.
Paula lives in Thailand now and still does Thai TV commercials
and television guest appearances. In 2010 she got married to
Edward Buttery who is of Anglo-Chinese descent. She has two
children, a daughter born in 2011 named Lyla Jane Buttery and
a son called Luca Christopher Buttery born in 2015.
Paula Taylor and her daugther Lyla Jane*
Hence, Paula has also done a few videos with her daughter.
Like this charming video, where she prepares cupcakes with the
little ones. It really seems fun and Paula is enjoying herself
in the role of a mother. What is more, today she also runs a
clothing line for children called ‘Paula and Baby’.
Finally, I think that Paula Taylor is an admirable,
successful half-Thai actress who is also a devoted mother.
What more could one want?
Yours, Sirinya
(*all photos in this post, credit: Paula Taylor FB page)
Nadech
Kugimiya:
Austrian Actor
Thai-
For some years now, half-Thai actor and model Nadech Kugimiya
has been a popular face in Thai media and the entertainment
industry. Hence, he is famous on Channel 3. I think there is
hardly any Thai teenager who does not know him. As a devoted
reader of my blog, you may know that I have dealt with him
shortly in my article about Nadech & Yaya. Nonetheless, there
is of course a lot more to say about him seen individually
Nadech Kugimiya
Nadech (photo credit:
Kugimiya FC, FB page)
Nadech
Nadech, nicknamed Barry, was born 1991 in Khonkaen and his
original name was Chonlathit Yodprathum. He is considered to
be of Thai-Chinese and Austrian descent. At the beginning of
his career there was some confusion about his origins and
background because people generally assumed that he must
be part-Japanese because of his last name ‘Kugimiya’. What is
more, he also has the appearance of a Japanese manga character
with his light complexion, thick eyebrows and doe eyes
However, Barry was brought up by his aunt Sundarat and her
husband, the Japanese Yoshio Kugimiya. Nadech adores his
Japanese foster father and this is the reason why he himself
claims to be half-Japanese, even though he is not. However,
Nadech does not know Japanese but speaks fluently in Thai and
Isan dialect.
‘Barry’ Nadech Kugimiya
women.sanook.com)
(photo
credit:
Barry was discovered at the age of 16 and has been working as
a model, actor and singer since then. Up until today, he has
been in numerous Thai commercials and on magazine covers. For
example, he was in commercials like Trident chewing gum with
actress Pachrapa Chaichua, Shokubutsu shower cream for Men,
Samsung Monte 3G, Yamaha Fino, Baoji shoes and Lays with ThaiNorwegian actress ‘Yaya’ Urassaya Sperbund.
What is more, he was the first brand ambassador and brand
presenter for Thai Air Asia. He was also a surprise guest
flight attendant serving snacks to the delighted passengers in
2014
Nevertheless, Barry is not only a ‘pretty face’ – he has been
studying Communication Arts at Rangsit University. Hence, most
recently he has presented his short film ‘Mr. Peter’s Project’
which is a work to complete his B.A. at Rangsit. The film
is concerned with the Nan’s forest conservation.
Hence, Barry’s aim is to raise an awareness of
deforestation. Here is the film, though only available in
Thai.
Nadech has been in numerous TV series and films since 2010
when he debuted in Ngaorak Luangjai. Furthermore, he gained
popularity with his work in the series 4 Hua Jai Haeng Khun
Khao (Duang Jai Akkanee or Akkanee’s Heart). He played the
character of Fai Akkanee Adisuan starring alongside Urassaya
Sperbund.
Nadech & Yaya in Akkanee’s Heart (photo
credit: iheartlakorns.com)
What is more, he was in Gamerai Gamerak or Love Game Evil Game
as “Saichon/Charles Makovich” and in The Rising Sun series
also starring alongside Yaya Urassaya. He had a very popular
role in Sunset at Chaophraya (Khu Kam, 2013) playing the
Japanese engineering officer Kobori who falls in love with a
nationalistic Thai beauty called Angsumalin. He also sang the
song to this movie.
Hence, it does not come as a surprise that he also won Best
Actor from Starpics Thai Film Award for his role of Kobori in
Sunset at Chaophraya. This is really well-deserved!
Finally, we may say that Nadech Kugimiya is certainly one of
the hottest luk kreung actors in Thailand at the moment. With
good reason, he can be called Mr. Everywhere because he is
frequently spotted on magazine covers, in television
commercials, billboards and soap operas. You cannot escape
Barry, thus you must love him
Yours, Sirinya
Luk
Kreung
and
the
Construction of Thainess
Cultural studies have explored the relationship between farang
and Thai national identities or Thainess. These studies put
forward that since the 1950s and the beginning of the 21st
century, foreign influences have intensified to intimate
levels of cultural and physical hybridization. Thus, in the
form of Thai-farang or luk kreung, foreign otherness seems
to have become an object of cultural intimacy in Thailand.
Luk kreung & Thainess
We may say that as a post-Vietnam War era phenomenon, cultural
intimacy between Thai and farang have increased, hence
exceeding the forms of cultural contact in previous
generations. Thus, interracial marriages have become a
widespread social phenomenon since then, although these kind
of unions, and hence luk kreung people, have been known since
the Ayutthaya period.
The half-Thai Prince Chula Chakrabongse & his
English wife Elizabeth Hunter (photo credit:
viola.bz)
In earlier times, i.e. prior to the later decades of the 20th
century, interracial marriages were generally limited to small
groups of people. These were persons who were in the main
cultural contact zones (e.g. Christians, Chinese) and
who worked closely with Europeans.
Ekaterina Desnitskaya, Prince Chakrabongse
Bhuvanath and son Chula (photo credit:
commons.wikimedia.org)
Nevertheless, there were some rare cases in which Thai and
European unions occurred among royals or the elite. For
instance, think of Prince Chakrabongse Bhuvanath (Prince of
Bisnulok) and his Ukranian wife Ekaterina ‘Katya’ Desnitskaya
and their half-Thai son Prince Chula Chakrabongse.
Prince Rangsit, his wife Elisabeth and their
three children (photo credit: songkran.eu)
Another prominent example is the racially mixed marriage
between Prince Rangsit Prayurasakdi and the German lady
Elisabeth Scharnberger. They had three children, two sons and
a daughter called Princess Charulaksana Kalyani Rangsit.
Princess Charulaksana Kalyani
Rangsit (born 7 August 1924)
(photo credit: Seissenshi,
wikimedia.org)
In fact, there were a few Thai men of royal descent who
married Western women at the beginning of the 20th century.
For instance, there was Lady Ludmilla Ivanovna Barsukova from
Russia who was married to General Mhomjao Thongtekhayu
Thongyai. They had four children together and stayed in Hua
Hin. Lady Ludmilla, who is probably of Russian royal
lineage, lived in Thailand until she died in 1980 at the age
of 90. Her Thai name was Mhom Mali.
Lady Ludmilla & Mhomjao Thongtekhayu Thongyai
with their four children in Hua Hin, 1921
(photo credit: returnthai.com)
Thai-farang relationships first became a common social
practice since the 1960s when American GIs were stationed at
the US military bases in upcountry Thailand. Hence, some of
them formed relationships to Thai women who mostly stemmed
from the countryside. As a consequence, a remarkable numer of
half-Thai people were born who also became a prominent topic
in novels, movies and TV series during the 1960s and 70s.
The most significant novels dealing with Thai attitudes to luk
kreung were Sifa’s ‘Khao nork na’ (1976, Wild Rice or
literally translated ‘Rice Outside the Paddy Field’) and
Botan’s ‘Phuying khon nan cheu Bunrort’ (‘That Woman’s Name Is
Bunrort’) which was published in 1981. You might recall my
previous article about ‘Luk kreung and Concepts of Mixed Race
in Thailand’, then you know that the luk kreung from the
Vietnam War era were not regarded as desirable.
The Siam Renaissance – luk kreung as
representatives of Thainess (photo credit:
viki.com)
However, this perception has changed since the 1980s.
Generally, it seems that Thailand has discovered Thai-farang
as representatives of a modern form of Thainess. For example,
the movie ‘The Siam Renaissance’, starring Thai-French
actress Florence Faivre, deals with this subject. The movie
reveals how the concept of the powerful West is stripped of
its foreignness in order to become part of modern Thai
identity.
The Thai-ization of the farang in the Siam
Renaissance (photo credit: 2g.pantip.com)
What is more, cultural anthropologist Jan R. Weisman argues
that the luk kreung boom reveals the Thai fascination
with half-Thai people, a phenomenon related to issues of
modernity, sexuality and race. In this way, Thai-farang is
presented as being cosmopolitan, thus being able to act on a
global stage. Hence, the general popularity of Eurasian luk
kreung have also strengthened the allure of farang in popular
culture that manifested first in the late 19th century with
the Siamese strive for ‘siwalai‘ or ‘civilized’ things.
Summing up, we may claim that the present popular cult of the
European-Thai luk kreung shows that they are very important in
constructing a modern Thai identity which is also referred to
as Thainess.
Yours, Sirinya
(Reference: Rachel V. Harrison & Peter Jackson eds. The
Ambiguous Allure of the West. Traces of the Colonial in
Thailand, 2010)
Kimberly Ann Voltemas – ThaiGerman Actress
Kimberly Ann Tiamsiri Voltemas, born in 1992, is a popular
half-Thai actress and model. She has a Thai mother who is from
Chiang Mai and a German father. She is the youngest of four
siblings, her sister is called Jennifer and her brothers
are Thomas and Daniel. She is nicknamed Kimmy Kimberly which
is also her stage name.
Kimmy Kimberly
Kimberly Ann Voltemas*
Kimberly entered the Thai entertainment industry as a teenager
in 2009. At first, she did some modelling and was featured in
several music videos. As an actress, she debuted in Channel
3’s most popular TV series called ‘4 Huajai Haeng Koon Kao’ (4
Hearts of the Mountains).
Kimmy Kimberly*
This TV series was aired in 2010 and Kim played the role of
Nam or Thipthara who is a warmhearted and compassionate
doctor. In this movie, she acted alongside other well-known
young luk kreung actors like Nadech Kugimiya and Urassaya
Sperbund.
Acting in the role of Nam is this series has gained Kim many
fans in Thailand and all over Asia. In addition, she has been
constantly improving her acting skills, thus becoming an
accomplished actress. Kim’s manager is Noom Piyachart and
together they have succeeded in establishing her a fine
reputation in the entertainment business.
In 2012, Kim acted alongside Prin ‘Mark’ Suparat in the roles
as Cha-Aim and Khun Tam in the remake of Punya Chon Kon Krua
2012. Hence, both actors became very popular as an onscreen
couple (‘koo jin’). Since then they have frequently been
paired in series and modelling
In fact, Kim has been much praised by her fellow
actors. Hence, she may be regarded as a young actress in high
demand. Even acclaimed actress Ann Thongprasom thinks highly
of Kimberly and her talents. Ann is of the opinion that Kim
might one day replace her as a princess of Thai entertainment.
Furthermore, she finds that Kim very much resembles herself
and thus can even identify with her. Consequently, Ann also
holds the view that Kim might reach same level of success as
herself. Great compliment!
Kimmy & Ananda Everingham*
Hence, Kim has already starred in the series ‘Ab Ruk Online’
in which actress Ann Thongprasom is also in. Further, this TV
series features her partner Prin ‘Mark’ Suparat and acclaimed
actor Peter Corp Dyrendal. In fact, up until now Kim is
the first and only younger generation actress who has been in
three out of five lakorns produced by Ann Thongprasom. These
are ‘Punya Chon Kon Krua 2012’, ‘Ab Ruk Online’ and ‘Piang
Chai Kon Nee Mai Chai Poo Wised’.
Furthermore, Kim has been the cover-girl of several magazines
and has also featured in a lot of TV commercials like this one
for United Almond, for instance.
Summing up, we may claim that Kimmy Kimberly is one of the
most aspiring and promising actresses of the younger
generation in Thai entertainment industry. She is not only
popular with her fans but also with her fellow actors
Yours, Sirinya
(*photo credit: Kimmy Kimberly, Official FB page)
Patrick Kronenberger: ThaiGerman Singer
Patrick Kronenberger is a Thai-German singer and songwriter.
Born in November 1988 in Hanau, Germany to a Thai mother and a
German father, he moved to Berlin in 2010 to dedicate his life
to making music. He also plays the piano since his childhood.
He writes, sings and produces all his songs himself.
Singer & songwriter Patrick Kronenberger,
photo by Marcel Gothow*
Patrick Kronenberger
Since he is a great fan of film music, Patrick calls his
musical genre ‘cinema pop’. The special feature of his
songs is that he combines classical and modern music in an
innovative manner. What is more, his songs are more than just
stories – in fact, his lyrics are similar to movie scripts and
they have a dramatical action.
Patrick’s songs are predominantly in German and he likes
German singers like Nena, Peter Maffay and Udo Jürgens.
However, he is already popular in Thailand since his English
single ‘Can You Hear Me’ has been well received there.
Patrick Kronenberger (photo credit: John
Aigner)*
In addition, when he was in Thailand for holiday last year, he
got together with one of the most renowned Thai music producer
and they translated his German song ‘Zurück Zu Dir’ into Thai.
Thus, the song is called ‘Cheewit ti lur’ (ชีวิต​ที่​เห​ลือ​)
in Thai. A record company was enthusiastic about the song.
Hence, they organized a spontaneous concert at the Hard Rock
Café in Bangkok. The concert was a sellout!
What is more, Patrick is the official cultural ambassador
for Germany/Thailand. Thus, he received the ‘Thainess Award’
by Princess Ubolratana Mahidol at the ITB 2015 in
Berlin (Internationale Tourismus-Börse). He wants to give Thai
as well as German people an understanding of each others
culture. Hence, he will collaborate with the Tourism Authority
of Thailand (TAT) this year and some projects are
already planned.
Patrick receives the Thainess Award by
Princess Ubolratana Mahidol in Berlin
(photo credit: burning-music.de)
Patrick prefers small concerts at clubs to playing for a big
audience at stadiums because he enjoys being close to his
audience. Nevertheless, he already performed at big
concerts alongside stars like Avril Lavigne and Kelly Rowland.
For his latest single ‘Für einen letzten Versuch’ (For a last
try), he went on tour with the US boyband ‘O-Town’.
Patrick’s music may best be described as modern, rocking but
also melancholic sometimes. He also wants to preserve old
values. Hence, his single
Be’) takes the audience on a
past, present and future. He
into people’s conscience and
of modern times.
‘Wie Früher’ (‘As It Used To
melancholy time journey combining
wants to bring inner values back
is against the fast moving nature
Finally, we may say that Patrick Kronenberger is a
thoroughbread musician with a laid-back style and an amiable
personality who takes the ideas for his songs from experiences
in real life. Thus, his motto is: ‘Life is like a movie, I
only write the soundtrack to it’.
‘Wie Früher’, photo by John Aigner*
For
more
information,
www.patrick-kronenberger.de
please
Yours, Sirinya
*photo credit: Patrick Kronenberger, FB page
check
out:
Mario
Actor
Maurer:
Thai-German
Mario Maurer was born 1988 in Bangkok to a Thai-Chinese mother
and a German father. He is also known as Nuttavut Maurer and
his nickname is ‘Oh’. He has an older brother called Marco
with whom he performed some Electro-Hip Hop music. They formed
a Hip-Hop Duo named “PsyCho & Lil’Mario” in 2007. You may
watch an example of their music here. However, even though
Mario has done some singing, he does not regard himself as a
singer.
Mario Maurer
Mario (photo credit: TAT
Kunming)
Mario was discovered as a fashion model at the age of 16 when
he was approached by a modelling agent at Siam Square. Since
then he has been working as a model for magazines, commercials
and videos. Today, he is a well-known luk kreung actor and
model in Thailand who has been also studying Communication
Arts at Ramkhamhaeng University.
He became renowned as an actor starring in the movie The Love
of Siam in 2007. This film, written and directed by Matthew
Chookiat Sakveerakul, became very popular. It is about a gay
romance between two teenage boys. This movie may be regarded
as a pioneering film on this subject. Mario was praised for
his dramatic abilities and considered a mature actor in his
role as a homosexual young man. Hence, in 2007 Mario won the
Best Actor award in Starpics Thai Films Awards and was also
nominated in Bangkok Critics Assembly and Star Entertainment
Awards.
Mario Maurer (photo credit: men.kapook.com)
Mario did not intend to become an actor but once he entered
the Thai entertainment industry, he gained popularity quickly.
Still, he has remained down-to-earth and surprised at this own
fame
Thus,
First
Thing
young
in 2010 he became even more famous starring in the movie
Love which is also known under the title Crazy Little
called Love. This is a charming romantic comedy about
people falling in love for the first time. This film has
become very popular because it deals with topics that nearly
everyone has experienced in his life and thus can identify
with the characters.
What is more, Mario has done a lot of acting in Thai drama
series. For instance, he was in The Rising Sun (Roy Fun Tawan
Deard, 2014), a series with a Japanese setting. In this drama
Mario (Onizuka Takeshi) starred alongside the young well-known
young actors Nadech Kugimiya and Yaya Sperbund.
Mario and Nadech in The
Rising Sun (photo credit:
asianfuse.net)
In particular, Mario became even more acknowledged as an actor
starring in the popular horror comedy Phi Mak Phra Khanong. In
the role of Phi Mak, Mario acted alongside the lovely actress
Mai Davika Hoorne as Mae Nak. In fact, they make a charming
film couple and have also done some modelling together.
Mario and Mai Davika on Volume
magazine 180 VOLUME WONDER 9 Cr.
Volume Magazine
Mario has had versatile roles. For instance, he had the
leading role in the erotic drama ‘Jan Dara the Beginning’
(2012) and ‘Jan Dara the Finale’ (2013). In these movies he is
Jan Dara, a boy whose mother died giving birth to him and who
is thus hated by his sadistic father Luang Wisnan. Growing
up with his Aunt Wad, his stepmother, he struggles to
reconcile his guilt and longing with different women in his
life. In the second part, Jan Dara wants to find out who his
real father is and wants to take revenge on him.
Most recently, Mario has been promoting Amazing Thailand with
TAT (Tourism Authority of Thailand). They have produced a
series of very nice clips that really makes you want to go to
Thailand immediately and try all the things that Mario does
Finally, we may say that Mario Maurer is a bright and
promising young half-Thai movie star. He has already starred
in a variety of different roles and I must say that he cuts
quite a figure in each role that he plays
I’m curious what
his future movies will be!
Yours, Sirinya
Ann Thongprasom – The Popular
Thai-Swedish Actress
Ann Thongprasom, born 1976 in Bangkok, is a well-known luk
kreung actress in Thailand. She was born to a Thai mother and
a Swedish father. Since her father died early, Ann grew up
with her grandmother in Thailand. Her mother raised Ann’s two
brothers and sent some money for her education now and then.
Even though Ann missed her parents, she lived happily with her
grandma and they took care of each other.
Ann Thongprasom
Ann Thongprasom (photo credit: sugardaily.com)
Today, Ann is considered the ‘Princess of Thai Entertainment’.
Starting her acting career in the early 1990s, she was the
leading actress in numerous Thai TV series in the 2000s. Apart
from acting, she has also been a hostess, producer and engaged
in some charity projects. For example, she has been appointed
as Youth Ambassador for UNICEF Thailand since 2009.
As a young teenager, Ann came into the entertainment industry.
A friend of her mother, who was a makeup artist for RS
Promotion, once invited her for a music video test. Hence, at
the age of 13 Ann featured in her first music video for the
singer Pisoot Supwijit.
However, it took a few years until she became a renowned
actress. The Lakorn ‘Song Naree’ (Two Women) brought her some
popularity and she was awarded the TV Gold award for the Best
Leading Actress. In this film, Ann acted out the personalities
of the opposing twins Neung and Song. These were demanding and
also ambitious roles for the young actress. However, it was
also her great chance to become successful.
A lovely actress (photo credit:
Ann Thongprasom, FB page)
Since then, she has been a very accomplished and experienced
actress winning several awards. For instance, she got another
TV Gold Award for Best Leading Actress in Jaosao ‘Prisanna’
and a Top Award in 2001 for her role in ‘Samee Tetra’. In
addition, Ann also received the Star Entertainment Award from
‘Raeng Gnao’. What is more, she got 6 awards for her
performance in the romantic melodrama ‘The Letter, Jod Mai
Rak’ (2004) starring alongside leading actor Num Attaporn.
Hence, her great achievements speak for themselves.
Ann also presented a popular TV Show called ‘English on Tour’
on Channel 3. The show focussed on teaching children a variety
of English words everyday for one minute. For ‘English on
Tour’ she travelled to different places and the show was a
great success although it only aired for 60 seconds. In
addition, she was also approved another show for children
called ‘Sanam Dek Len – Playground’.
The romantic comedy lakorn ‘Om Ruk’, in which Ann starred
alongside Ken Theeradeth, became a hit all over Thailand. It
is about a kind of love-hate relationship between the aspiring
model Napat (Ann) and the photographer Chen (Ken). The country
was in an “Oum Ruk Fever” and it lasted on even when this
lakorn finally ended. Since the series was a huge success,
Channel 3 produced a VCD and DVD box set for ‘Om Ruk’.
Furthermore, Ann was awarded ‘Best Actress in a Lakorn’.
In fact, Ann has been in numerous popular series and films so
far. Most recently, she starred alongside Thai-Danish actor
and singer Peter Corp Dyrendal in ‘Ab Ruk Online’ (2015). What
is more, she has also been in a number of commercials, for
instance for L’Oreal. In addition, she is not only famous
but legendary. Thus, I met her once at Madame Tussauds’ in
Bangkok
Ann as wax figure at Madame
Tussauds in Bangkok (photo
taken by myself)
Summing up, we can say that Ann Thongprasom has been an
extraordinary and admirable actress in Thai series and movies
for more than 20 years and she is still going strong
Yours, Sirinya
Peter Corp Dyrendal – ThaiDanish Singer, Model & Actor
Peter Corp Dyrendal was born on 1.January 1976 in Ishøj,
Denmark where he was raised. Being half-Thai, he often went to
Thailand as a kid where he would stay with his aunt in
Bangkok. He went there almost every year during
vacations. When Peter was 17 years old, his aunt pushed him to
go for a camera test with a modeling agency. The following
year, Peter was back in Bangkok and did some modelling jobs
which were at that time mostly for fun.
Peter Corp Dyrendal
Peter Corp Dyrendal*
However, when he was 19 he got a promising offer by a Thai
advertising agency. On this occasion, he was also discovered
as a singer and an artist: Peter was on a modelling job on a
beach in Thailand playing the guitar. That was when one of the
team members became aware of Peter’s potential as a musician.
Hence, he was invited to the Thai record company
GMM Grammy for a test.
Thus, Peter was encouraged to try a career as a singer and
began taking sinning lessons. A few months later, he signed
his contract with GMM Grammy and his debut album ‘Hin Pha Ga
Darb’ (1998) became a great success and made him a famous ‘luk
kreung’ singer in Thailand. However, the following albums were
not so successful. For this reason, he went behind the scenes
and worked for the production company Nebula.
Peter also went into acting in Thai TV series (Lakorn). Up
until now he starred in five TV dramas. For instance, in 2002
he acted alongside Marsha Vadhanapanich in ‘Sai Lom Kub Saeng
Dao’ (Wind and Starlight). In this drama, he played the role
of a water sport instructor of Thai-New Zealand descent. I
think the following clip is from this film
In 2012 he was in ‘Noom Baan Rai Khub Whan Jai Hiso’ (Farmer
boy and High-society sweetheart) with Thai-British
actress Araya A. Hargate. What is more, he also starred in the
2011 Thai movie Fabulous 30.
Lovely picture
with his cat*
of
Peter
There is also the drama ‘Narng Rai Sai Lub’ (Villain’s spy)
with Rasri Balenciaga and finally ‘Ab Ruk Online’ (Secret love
online) with the renowned Thai-Swedish actress Ann
Thongprasom. Here is a song from the latter drama ‘Ab Ruk
Online’ featuring Peter.
Today, Peter is still an actor and married to Ployphan
Taweerat since 2013. They have a little son called Panther,
his name is thus a mix of the parent’s names. A next son is
expected soon who should be called Puma. Hence, it seems that
Peter and his wife keep the ‘P’s and stick to the feline theme
as well
Peter, Ploy & son Panther (photo credit:
asianfuse.net)
By the way, Peter is the older brother of Michael Corp
Dyrendal who is an entrepreneur and who also has experience in
the Thai entertainment industry.
Summing up, we may say that even though Peter Corp Dyrendal
has been working for about 20 years in the entertainment
business, he is still going strong and we are curious to know
what he will come up with next.
Yours, Sirinya
*photo credit: Peter Corp FB page