Kong-Phiwit hugging special, Boy the cleaner, James Ruangsak shines

Kong, Phiwit

My God – not another hug!

I could barely watch gay lovers Kong and Phiwit last night. After a promising start, their one-on-one encounters are now predictable and tedious.

I lost count of how many times Kong rushed into Phiwit’s arms, one rib-crunching embrace after another. Kong’s family have discovered he is gay and that he and Phiwit like each other.

That probably wouldn’t matter so much, except that Phiwit is also brother-in-law to a woman who, six years before, killed Kong’s elder sister.

Kong’s surviving sister, Kaew, is appalled that he has knowingly struck up a relationship with Phiwit, given the family history.

The knowledge must be kept from their mother at all costs, she says, or Mum could take another dramatic star turn (encounter with hospital bed) for the worse.

Improbable secrets fuel this family drama. They keep us watching, though as the secrets unfold one by one, there’s precious little of interest to watch.

Kong and Phiwit are supporting players in the channel 5 drama, Tomorrow, I'll Still Love You, though were given a generous amount of screen time last night.

The highlight of silliness was a scene in the middle of a street where Phiwit has clasped Kong’s hand in a stand of gay unity. ‘He’s with me!’ he’s saying, as family members try to drag them apart.

We end up with a push-me-pull-you style tug-of-war, with Phiwit at one end being pulled by his family, and Kong at the other end being pulled in the opposite direction by his. Come on, people – this is embarrassing to watch!

Kong and Phiwit are separated. Kong sheds tears, as he does often these days. Phiwit turns up at his place to meet him. Kaew tries to force them apart again, and slaps Kong’s face. 

Tired of family squabbles getting in the way of true love, Kong leaves in Phiwit’s car. Having spurned their families, they are now gay lovers on the run. Back at Phiwit’s place, Kong collapses into his arms for yet another man hug.

In danger of being overlooked in all this Kong/Phiwit drama is the role played by excellent James Ruangsak.

He plays Phipat, the ratbag husband of the woman who killed Kong’s sister, and elder brother to the hapless Phiwit.

When Phiwit grabs Kong’s hand, Phipat looks askance at this appalling display of gay affection between Kong and his brother, as if he can’t believe his straight blinkered eyes. It was a classic moment, one of the best in the series so far.

The boys hold hands, Kaew, Phit look askance

For more of James, see below.
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Boy

If the Kong/Phiwit gay scenes look sterile, it’s because they are ‘cleaned’ first by Exact Entertainment head 'Boy' Takonkiat Weerawan, who directs the drama.

They are mere plot devices, designed to draw attention to the female lead.

They are not allowed to show gay body language, or draw too close, as director Boy won't allow it.

In Thai TV dramas, gays are usually portrayed as figures of fun. Were they to start looking too gay in the conventional sense, viewers might get turned off. They could also detract from the leads.

In an interview with Matichon newspaper, Boy sheds light on his thinking behind the characters in Tomorrow, I'll Still Love You (พรุ่งนี้ก็รักเธอ). The story is about leads Por and Kaew, a couple who loved each other, but who circumstances forced apart.

When they are reunited years later, one obstacle after another comes in the way of their love.

Kong and Phiwit are the supporting duo. Director Boy says he could have chosen a straight couple as the second leads, but went for a gay coupling, as they are rarely seen on Thai TV.

Kong falls in love with Phiwit, yes, but is really there to cause problems for female lead Kaew. His relationship with Phiwit, brother-in-law to the woman who killed her sister, causes her headaches.

‘Kong is there to draw sympathy to Kaew,’ he says. 'He also poses another obstacle for her to confront.'

Describing the gay relationship between Phiwit and Kong, the director says they start off as friends. In a playful way, Phiwit shows he is interested, while Kong fobs off his advances.

They end up falling for each other, but signs of gay love or affection between the two are kept to a minimum, as is any sign that gay matters might come before family.

Director Boy notes that in the closing episodes the pair end up pulling away from the embrace of their families, when their families indicate that they cannot accept their love.

He says he is not trying to send any messages about the way gays are treated by society, but notes that while straight couples swear and curse, and slap each other about, these two treat each other well.

Society dislikes gays, he reckons, and we will feel sorry for this couple by the end. However, we will also know that their love was the sweetest of the relationships portrayed in the series, he says. The Kong-Phiwit coupling emerges as the ‘cleanest’(seen in the most positive light) of all. The Matichon piece is here [link harvested - it died].
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James Ruangsak

Singer/actor James Ruangsak shines as the bad guy in Tomorrow, I’ll Still Love You.

Next up, he plays a ladyboy-mother in the gay stage show, La Cage Aux Folles, opening next year.

James, in La Cage Aux Foles

He appeared before the cameras yesterday as he performed in rehearsals the gay anthem, I Am What I Am.

I can barely tell it’s James. Later, he talks about his role as a ladyboy with a teenage child.

The director, he says, gives him advice on how to carry himself, and totter about in high-heels. The romantic comedy, in which he plays a stage diva, opens in May.