Pete Thongjure - Sirinya`s Thailand

Pete Thongjure: Thai-American
Actor
Pete Puntakarn Thongjure was born in January 1968 in
California, USA. He is a famous half-Thai actor and model. His
family moved back to Thailand when he was six years old. He is
the eldest son of the famous actor and rally car driver Pinyoo
Thongjure.
Pete Thongjure
‘Pete’ Puntakarn Thongjure
(photo: SaReNIE, sharerice.com)
Thus, it does not come as a surprise that Pete started acting
early in his childhood. What is more, his three younger
siblings are also well-known in Thailand. Perhaps you’ve heard
of Saifar, NamThansod and NamPoung (Honey) Thongjure.
He first did some Thai TV commericals when he was a kid and
soon other opportunities arose. Thus, Pete also got into
acting and appeared in his first movie when he was only seven
and a half. Hence, at the age of nine he was already cohosting the show “Pao-ying-shoob”. At the age of 11, he was a
popular actor in TV series and movies. However, when he was
13, his parents sent him back to the US for his further
education. Today, Pete has been in the Thai entertainment
industry for over 30 years and he is still going strong.
Over 30 years in the entertainment industry:
Pete Thongjure (photo: dara.wirelessscale.com
He was in a number of popular movies and Thai TV series. His
first drama was the lakorn ‘Ubattihed’ with half-Thai
actress Katarina Glos.
For instance, he starred in the classic ghost story ‘Mae Nak’
(2000) on Channel 7 and he was in horror movies like ‘Bangkok
Haunted’ (2001), ‘Lizard Woman’ (2004) and ‘Fan Mai’ (2010)
starring alongside Thai movie star Ananda Everingham.
An interesting alternative movie produced by Pete Thongjure is
‘Province 77 Los Angeles’ (2003). He also starred in his movie
which is about Thai immigrants in Los Angeles. There is a
place called ‘Thai Town’ where most of these immigrants live –
hence, it is also referred to the Thai 77th province. The
movie draws a grim picture of a Thai family in LA whose
restaurant is in danger of being confiscated for unpaid taxes.
What is more, it seems hard to maintain traditional Thai
values in the environment where gangs rule but finally the
family unifies again. By the way, the soundtrack to the movies
is by the Thai rap band Thaitanium.
Province 77 movie starring halfThai actor Pete Thongjure (photo
tambon.blogspot.com)
Nevertheless, Pete maybe regarded as a rarity the showbusiness
being an actor who is introvert and does not like to talk much
about himself. He enjoys his privacy and loves quiet and
peace. In his view, keeping his privacy has been vital in
maintaining such a long career.
The racing driver and actor (photo:
Pete Thonchua Fanclub, FB page)
His proudest acting achievements are his action TV series whom
Pete enjoys very much. Nevertheless, he is a passionate racing
driver and loves fast cars like his father. Hence, he also has
a reality show about his racing career. He loves race driving
because it requires precision and concentration. Thus, racing
is like meditating since the mind has be stay focussed and
quiet.
Today, Pete is father of three children and a true family man.
His wife is Wilailak ‘Jeng’ Tongchua. Hence, we may say that
Pete Thongjure is truly a versatile actor with a long career
and also a popular racing driver.
Yours, Sirinya
Jay
Montonn
Jira:
ThaiAmerican Singer & Actor
Jay Montonn Jira is a Thai-American singer and actor. In fact,
he is also called a show business ‘allrounder’ with good
reason. Born in November 1981 in Hong Kong, he returned to
Thailand as a kid with his family and went to school there
until grade 11. Then he moved to California to complete high
school.
Jay Montonn Jira
Thai-American
Montonn Jira*
singer
&
actor
Jay
However, in his youth, he already won a talent competition at
the age of ten. Since then he has been working in the
Thai entertainment industry. By the age of 13, Jay was also
doing some modelling and a few years later when he was 17, he
was a lead actor in Thai TV series and movies.
However, Jay sees himself primarily as a musician and has been
pursuing his musical career for some years now. He recorded
his first album after completing high school and returning to
Thailand. The album is called ‘J’.
What is more, he is also a DJ, arranger, composer and
producer. Nevertheless, Jay acted in a number of Lakorns where
he played both good and bad guys. For instance, he was in the
drama ‘Sai Tarn Hua Jai’ with Ae Isariya Saisanan on Channel
7.
Jay Montonn Jira*
Another drama Jay was in is ‘Look Poo Chai Hua Jai Petch’
starring alongside singer Hugo Chakrabongse Levy and Namfon
Kullanat. In addition, Jay starred in the Thai movie ‘Pop
Star’ (2006). As far as films are concerned, Jay has also
written movie scores. For instance, he was an assitant editor
for the ‘Lion King’.
In fact, he studied music composition and electronic music
production in the US. In 2007 he was the musical director and
programmer for Neptune. Thus, he toured around the world
performing with international stars like Jusitin Timberlake
and Nelly Furtado. This was also when he performed at ‘Live
Earth’, a gigantic concert event in New Jersey.
Jay Montonn Jira*
However, he has also worked with Thai artists like Modern Dog,
Siam Secret Service and The Crub, for instance. Today, he has
his own music label called ‘Samut Prakarn Sound’. Most
recently, he is performing with Hanna L. Bengtsson producing
charming and beautiful songs like ‘The Way’ and ‘Be True’.
Finally, we may say that Jay Montonn Jira is an international
half-Thai artist. Even though he is a great actor, he sees
himself primarily as a musician with good reason and sings
both in English and in Thai.
Yours, Sirinya
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)
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
generations. Thus, interracial marriages have
previous
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
commons.wikimedia.org)
(photo
credit:
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)
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, in 2010 he became even more famous starring in the movie
First Love which is also known under the title Crazy Little
Thing called Love. This is a charming romantic comedy about
young 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
his future movies will be!
I’m curious what
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
‘Pearypie’ Amata Chittasenee
– Thai Makeup Artist
Amata
Chittasenee
is
a
young
Thai
Makeup
and
Theatrical Artist. Born 1988 in Thailand, she was raised in
Bangkok. Although I could not find confirmation, I guess
(judging from her appearance) that she might be half-Thai or
of mixed origin. Her nickname is ‘Pear’ and thus she is also
referred to as Pearypie.
Pearypie Amata Chittasenee
Pearypie makeup artist (photo
credit: bangkok.coconuts.co)
Pear’s mother is a well-known business woman and her family
belongs to Thailand’s high society. Pearypie studied six years
in the UK where she graduated in 2011 with a BA degree
in Performance and Practice at the University of Arts, London.
Before that she went to Central St. Martins representing the
college at V&A museum, the UK Design for Performance
exhibition in 2007.
Pear shows in makeup tutorials how
to transform oneself into a beauty
(photo credit: bangkok.coconuts.co)
Already in 2009-2010, she was engaged in performance
collaborations at Cochrane Theatre. At first she worked with
the Peter Williams Design for Dance and afterwards she also
took part in the Demonstration Demolition project.
Pear*
Pear has gained some multi-cultural experiences and combined
with her Thai background, she creates her own amazing style
and art. Generally, she is very much interested in and
concerned with the relationship between audience and
performer, preferring unusual settings. She also does Thai
make up styles that go with traditional Thai dresses
as illustrated in the following video clip. I very much like
this look and the video is elaborate and beautiful
Hence, Amata has become an accomplished makeup artist, even
though she has not attended makeup school. Since her teens,
Pear is in love with makeup, beauty secrets and experimenting
with how makeup can transform and beautify women. Her makeup
looks range from natural to classic and experimental. In this
clip, for instance, she creates a dramatic evening look.
Thus, today Pear is gaining a lots of fans on social media and
she is also a famous beauty guru on Youtube. She does a lot of
makeup tutorials, most of them are commercials for cosmetic
companies like Urban Decay, Maybelline, Illamasqua, Laneige
and many more.
Thai make up artist with creative looks*
For instance, she comes up with a bold and experimental makeup
style for Nikon which she calls ‘Dollypie’. The special
feature of this look is that it features pink eyebrows
This is certainly a very extravagant look revealing
Pear regards makeup as an art form and takes it beyond
given themes. I think this is what makes her so special
extraordinary. I have just subscribed to her YT channel
I’m really curious about her future projects.
how
the
and
and
versatile make up looks*
Finally, we may claim that Pearypie is an exceptional young
lady who is talented and versatile in creating makeup looks.
She is a great ‘Beauty Influencer’ and has the ability to
transform herself amazingly with the help of make up.
Yours, Sirinya
(*photo credit: Pearypie MakeUp/Theatrical Artist, FB page)