2025 Thai Watch Challenge

Starting off with a favourite discovery from last year. It takes its time to wander around the Northern landscape with no grand plot, just two people becoming friends and figuring their relationship out.

Oh, and ghosts. Because Thailand :)

I think I'm inclined to give it the benefit of the doubt regarding the many abbreviations it uses to tell this story in twelve hours because, in the end, it's very much a love story to history, culture, dance, a few whose names have survived and the many whose didn't.

Excellent documentary, told in a slice of life manner, about the consequences suffered by Karen people in Klity, Kanchanaburi 15 years on from lead contamination of the river they depend on for food and livelihoods. Beautifully filmed, gentle but powerful, well worth seeking out.

Sparse art film, more experience than narrative. Young theatre actors wandering through Kanchanaburi, hanging out near a lake and doing theatre things.
Maybe it was the black & white but it's spareness stripped it of a sense of place for me.

The familiar paradigm of a Thai ghost story where the first half explores the world they've created before it goes into poignancy. The poignancy is well done (for the most part) but the comedy world was loud and often stressful. Perfect for everyone except me.

As gentle as On Sale is loud. Deeper in its emotions too.

A "continuation" of sorts of the 1999 Nang Nak, except it's about the kid. The idea and the last ten minutes or so are good. The rest isn't. Lazy jokes dependent on cheap stereotypes. The emotions of the end deserve a better framing.

One of those Thai series which doesn't sit neatly in any genre but dances between several. Lakorn plot, series pacing, thriller-esque moments, serious issues at its core and a brush of comedy over it all. Casting was perfect for the central roles.

Brevity and familiarity weakened the poignancy and there were times the writing felt like it didn't quite know how to get where it was going in the time allotted (so likely editing). Jamie's character was difficult to shine in. The dual facets of Singto's gave him more to work with.

The first eight episodes are my favourite of the Channel 3 lakorns I've seen. Full of tropes but underpinned by strong statements on sexism, prejudice (Chinese against Thai, Thai against Chinese), privilege and how these affect people's lives. Excellent pacing.
And then it changes abruptly, at first seeming a well enough done too many wives revenge although lacking the balance needed for a good lakorn. It shifts again into a tale of the costs of revenge and a wealthy dysfunctional family dysfunctioning itself and ultimately turns out to be about the dignity of women.
This greater depth and emotion was ambitious and had some awkwardness but overall an excellent lakorn. I ended up loving both halves for very different reasons.

3 hour film, that's a bit long, can take a break or two. No, it's exactly how long it needs to be, with that refuses to be rushed pace I love in Thai movies and intertwining layers which aren't necessarily complicated in plot but rich in emotions.

Slice of life with what is age anyway casting. Really liked Santa's gentleness and caring, looking forward to his growth as an actor. Was not prepared for those last two episodes.

Their commitment to this nonsense is something. There isn't much plot but it doesn't slow down enough during the first hour for that to matter, which is how I ended up not finding something else to do. A lot of making fun of physical differences. I didn't find it funny so much as strange.

loved this even more a second time

Don't mind having ticked this one off the list but there are better. There are also worse. Ae Maneerat is a fav and she's nearly the only actor in the first story. I liked the creepy ultra-low budget claustrophia. The 2nd was a splatter-fest revenge fantasy around bullying, gore and violence. 3rd is a 5 years earlier outing of the quartet of friends from Pee Mak, same names even. Another fav actress, Ploy Laila, carries the 4th. This also made good use of a sense of trapped claustrophobia.

On a run of disappointing movies. Also, The Safari that I couldn't bring myself to put in the database.

Maybe on another day I would have liked this more. Sunny and Linn were good but while I tend to enjoy slow-paced Thai movies I found much of this one dull.

Low budget, but it's Nang Nak redone as modern coming of age so I'm here for it <3

What I loved most is something unexpected. If you've seen it, you'll likely know. They set it up well.

1st 1/3rd - Business practices like an underhanded Apprentice series, rivalry between families and within one, men who menace women to assert their dominance and get what they want, and a dense web of former, existing and potential relationships which invents new geometry. There's a love square with interconnected triangles and additional family and business betrayals and rivalries. Why am I watching this?
2nd 1/3rd - Things start to settle, Pa is a psychopathic arse but the rest of the men are behaving better and the main relationship is quite endearing. Happily rationing one episode per day so it doesn't end.
last 1/3rd - I am so glad I didn't drop this. Continues to shift and reveal new layers and depth. There were a few choices which keep me from giving it a 10, but the directing/writing to make this intertwined labyrinth of story lines come together is impressive.

Acting was good but the story line was more Netflix than Thai.

So much pain in this, much of it from hiding secrets and very little of it cradled in the way I've come to expect from Thai movies and series. Namtan and Film were fantastic but the score was overly synthesised. More Ciize and Earn, or fewer twists, would have helped ease it.

3rd time through, with five additional adaptations fresh in memory, and my predominant feeling is how much love there is in this. Not just the love between Nak and Mak but the love Thai film makers have for the legend.

90% emotions, 10% plot. Likely targeted to a young teen audience (say 13-16), including its call for change in one part of the idol industry. I'm not gotten on with others this sweet and I'm wondering if I liked it because it mostly kept the story simple and light but still heartfelt (rather than fluff with constant complications) or if everything else that's going on made this the right time to watch it.

I may have a new favourite film. So gentle, heartfelt, unrushed. A simple story line but told so very well.

Mixed bag. Some good, but a lot of pain in relationships without much happiness.

It's Baifern and Nine, low stakes comedy with two substantial and well done serious scenes, a tour of nine Asian countries and a lot of fun. Mostly though, it's Baifern and Nine and that was just right.

The story isn't much but Mild and Off going full tilt comedy is.

Maybe others could play Duchess, but Krathing had to have been written specifically for Off.

Some mystery, some substance, moments of slapstick, and a whole lot of violence. It does that Thai thing of grounding the far-fetched (autistic girl with lighting reflexes picks up muay thai from watching movies, playing video games and seeing others) in real emotions, whether they were shorthanding it via tropes or exploring it further through Zen's character.

Half way through and I'm still not sure what to makes of this with its controlling tsundere - delulu sunshine couple. It's clearly aware that the man is treating her badly, including a chorus of his friends who will say that to her but dissemble rather than confront him. She says "she's used to it." Contrast the wife trying to get free of her overtly abusive husband in another plot line.
Comedy lakorn so everything is exaggerated x 10 and it seems to be sending up rom com tropes while also embracing them. It seems to dip into, and back out of, role reversal at times, with the FL actively pursuing the ML.
Done. Finally.

Young people making young person mistakes and learning from them, older people learning from theirs as well, the importance of apologies regardless of age. Always good to see solid roles for young women too, was worried Piploy's character was just going to be someone to laugh at but they gave her a lot of growth.

Calmer lakorn with quiet depths in the nominally side stories. Reframe this as Pim's story rather than An's.

When this started, I thought I'd love it for several reasons. By the time it ended, I loved it even more and for ones I wasn't expecting.

It's one to just go with the flow as it takes us through its many twists, turns and surprises.

More substance than I was expecting, centered around Nontha.  (Reminder to myself to find more from March) https://kisskh.at/people/7669-pattarakampol-chutavuth Loved the end message of the people taking responsibility for environmental protection and teaching this to children too.

Not much story but a pleasant way to spend an hour.

Nostalgia, memory, aging, food and love - and a two hour road trip around central Thailand.

Part 2 of Thun Thai. Very gentle, very sweet 2 barely a story set amongst the Thai Lue people in Nan (Northern Thailand), as a young man and a photographer from Bangkok work together to bring more tourists in. As a travel enticement it worked, I want to live there now :D

Filling in the time gap in the original series, excellent. Playing into Nanon's smug side enough I'm wondering why Pat is still with Pran, why am I watching this?

"Magnificently fucked up" is the phrase which kept coming back to me during the early episodes. It is, but also powerfully written and delivered, from lakorn intensity to theatrical monologues to parallel structures and symbolism.

And to think I almost didn't watch this because of the reviews of people who couldn't see past their own needs.

3rd in the Thun Thai compilation. Often melancholy wee story of a young woman in search of the father she never knew. They ran out of story early, so there's a history tour of Sangkla Buri. For all the lovely scenery I think I would have liked this better as a short story.

Some of the lakorn-esque choices were over-egging the pudding IMO but where it focused on the way young actresses are treated by fans, managers, rich men in charge were quite good.
Small aside, they used Gigie's (old) last name for her character's.

Did all the things I like in Thai comedy horror and made the shifts well. First hour + is more about exploring the daft wee world they've created than developing a grand plot. They kept the nonsense moving without being rushed before bringing it altogether.

30 years ago I would have adored this. Today though, it just hurts. It's well done though. If you're able-bodied and a bit lost, it's a good one.

Mor lam, comedy that's both clever and very silly, plus women taking matters into their own hands. A lot to like in this.

Have dropped twice, then decided to at least see if Ch 3's habit of switching course about ep 8 held true. Mildly improved, but still without much substance beyond cliches. Tempted to make a joke about it being diet food, but that's the cattiness of some of the women characters rubbing off on me, not good.

It was engaging. I'm guessing those who've seen a lot in the genre will dismiss it, or complain about the melodrama, but it worked for me. The violence was at the edge of what I can handle.

So much of what I love in a sweet BL - relationship which develops from a strong friendship, good friend group, supportive family, good messaging on valuing yourself and emotions which felt real. Mork figuring out his feelings is everything.

Comments are disparaging but it worked for me.

There's a lot going on and sometimes it gets a bit too caught up in complicated plots, but when they ground this in the emotions it's really good.

Solid little youth series with good characterisation. Emma stands up for herself throughout, the seniors are clueless pranksters with everyone, and the het romance only progresses when Porsche gets a clue. Rome puts up with more, which isn't the best modeling but it is consistent with a young gay man happy for the attention. Puts clueless Pick in a difficult position as he struggles with feelings he doesn't understand or have the skills/insight to examine.

A red flag bully who acts out when he can't cope with his emotions and three love triangles - really didn't think I'd end up liking this as much as I did. It's not a romance, it's young people growing up and figuring their relationships out. There's a lot of depth in it and fantastic performances from many of the actors.
As much as I'd worry for Rome if this weren't fiction, Pick's not coping made more sense narratively and as a character than most red flag MLs. It was good writing and acting with that trope, but it's still modeling really poor behaviour, especially for a youth series.

Devastatingly good coming of age, often ambiguous, often understated, so full of emotion.

Exceptional. Maybe someday I'll find adequate words.

Very earnest. Young man finding himself in his father's culture. Really liked the shadow plays, especially the music and improvisational actor/singer. (Have skipped over number 4, Thui Ja)

Twenty hour lakorn compressed into two, with multiple family dramas. And a buffalo.

They did so well at hiding so much. It's all there. There's just so much it's hard to know which bits to hold as possibilities and what to discard. Suspense/thriller.

Mildly charming and fluffy.  Hardly bonkers, considering the premise. A world where gay is normal and they found another way to talk about being different. Great for found family.

Remake of a US film by a US corporation (Am*z*n) and that shows in the results. Follows the rhythms of 2 hour Thai movies but it all felt so obvious. I need a good ghost film now.

When I first saw this I didn't know what to make of it, enough I was somewhat swayed by MDL comments, enough I didn't rate it. 17 months, 16 lakorns, 60 some Thai movies and the deeply flawed SK original later - this is a magnificent film. Very Thai in the way it handles emotions and how they fixed the original's flaws. The immensity of its emotions are still difficult - this may be the best film I'll choose not to see again.

What am I saying? This has gotten in deep. The days after when my brain was demanding happy baby Ohm were entertaining (how about this more recent one you haven't seen yet? NO! Baby Ohm! Baby Mork? Maybe. First 3 episodes of He's Coming to Me? Brain never says no to that, but apparently it was more short trousers than actual age so it seems my brain has adapted quite well to Thai age signifiers :D :D). Anyway, a month later I'm still thinking about the film. I will watch it again and it will upset me again and I will hold these characters in my heart for a long long time.

Everything I love in Thai movies, and done so well. The space it gives to emotions, how unhurrid it is, the shift into its poignancy, the scenes with only the two leads. And the soundtrack.

I may have a new favourite Thai movie (part 3 :D :D :D).

Some 2 hour Thai movies take their time meandering around their world; this one careens chaotically from one bit of nonsense to another, creating a mad story of friendship, music and first love.

Club Friday - Inside the BL Industry (secret, they're all actually into men after all ::face palm::) which revels in the very things it purports to criticise.

This didn't quite hit right for me. The ML being a bit of jerk wasn't great but they eased up on that. Maybe it's more that many of the emotional beats felt unearned, especially the ending, like it was colouring by numbers instead of the, let's call it organic, or natural wholeness, or flow of similar Thai movies.

With this cast, surely they could have put more into the writing. Watched as a movie edit.

Slice of life, VERY local, religion, science, local customs, and a real life question. In no hurry to get to where it's going.

Very much a war movie, violent, sometimes brutally so, with vignettes of villagers and fighters, family life. Mix of intimate and epic. Don't know how my brain didn't check out for more of this and all in all it kept me engaged.

Educational comedy. Fun but repetitive in the second half. They could have gotten more creative to fill in the time.
I guessed the end but got the how of it wrong, they hid it in plain sight well.

It's a good film but it hurts.

About Thai classical music, of course, and fascinating for that alone, but also set against the backdrop of cultural "reform" and Japanese military presence in the 1940s. Worth seeking out.

very short (9 min) documentary about third gender people and the military draft

Past trauma art film. Sometimes less is more, and sometimes less is just confusing.

Long lakorn which did brilliantly well with its dizzying array of complicated, emotional truths, but went on too long and eventually throw in enough twists the wire holding it altogether snapped for me.

Young people maturing and figuring themselves, and love, out, understanding their mothers and struggling to get their mothers to understand them, looking for the good intentions, but also learning that good intentions aren't enough. Complicated mothers getting it wrong but trying and doing it all for love, even when they misunderstand what's best.
All told in via a structure of three stories, each told with a different style, some with parody. That complicated it but it has an enormous heart.

Wasn't worth the wait. So much of this was told, as in long monologues, and they tried to cram far too much into 5 episodes. Hard to believe this all over the place mess was from the same team as the fantastic and compact story-telling of the first Enigma.