Thai BLs have gained enormous popularity not only in Thailand but internationally as well. It has emerged as a soft power and, thus catapulted Thai BL actors into the international limelight, having stolen hearts around the globe with their enticing looks and ‘boyfriend’ charms. While celebrities often maintain polished images, exhibit charming personalities, and appear inclusive, scandals can emerge that expose a stark contrast between their on-screen personas and their real-life choices and actions. And also indicate how overwhelming stardom can be. Here are the top 10 Thai BL actors who got into huge scandals:
1. Ohm Pawat Chittsawangdee
Ohm’s popularity boomed due to his role as Pat in the Bad Buddy Series in 2021 making him extremely popular. In 2022, Ohm faced backlash for his ‘hostile behavior’ towards his costar, Nanon, at an award ceremony where Ohm could not contain his anger towards him. In January 2023, bullying allegations against Ohm started surfacing, stating that he was responsible for bullying his autistic classmate, insulting girls, and dumping soda on a student’s head. His reputation took a huge hit, and he later issued an official apology, stating he was “truly sorry” for his actions.
2. Build Jakapan Puttha
The Kinnporsche star made headlines with perhaps the biggest and most controversial scandal ever when writer Poi accused him of verbal, physical, and financial abuse and forced abortion during their two-year relationship. Build was forced to resign from his company (BOC), and all his brand sponsorships were terminated. It was revealed that Poi had spread fake allegations. Months later, several leaked messages further got him into massive backlash as he was caught insulting not only his co-stars (Apo, Bible, Bas, JJ) but also K-pop idol Jackson Wang. Build has also made many homophobic, misogynistic, and racist comments. He apologized for everything and is now back on social media.
3. Toy Thanapat Thanachakulphisan
The chilling case that shook Thailand and the BL community was the murder of Chatsaran Suwannakit, the 25-year-old girlfriend of Toy (Zen in WHY R U? Series), who was found dead in her bedroom with more than 20 stab wounds on her chest and body. Toy claimed Chatsaran brought the knife to self-harm, and when he tried to help her, she got stabbed during the struggle over the blade. He later came clean to the police and confessed to murdering Chatsaran in a blind rage. He was denied bail on September 8.
4. Captain Cholatorn Kongyingyong
In 2022, Love Sick Series’ star Captain was embroiled in a massive scandal after his ex-girlfriend claimed to be pregnant with his baby. He received hate from the media and lost his job and sponsorships. His ex was later exposed, and had made up the pregnancy because she “loved him and did not want to lose him”. Captain was vindicated, but his image took a huge hit. He recently starred in the drama You Are My Universe as one of the main leads.
5. Mew Suppasit Jongcheveevat
Mew is known internationally for his role in Tharntype The Series and What the Duck Series. In 2017, his WTD costar, Art Juanchainat, accused Mew of sexual harassment in a tearful video, where he stated Mew kissed him without any consent. The controversy gained attention in 2021, and #mewsexualharassment started trending. Mew faced extreme backlash and cyberbullying online as he was accused of copying NCT’s Jaehyun’s MV style. The hate got so bad he had to hire a lawyer. In 2023, allegations of engaging in queer-baiting through an excessive use of fan service were made against him.
6. Krist Perawat Sangpotirat
Krist’s popularity boomed thanks to SOTUS as it became an iconic show. But all the love and adoration fans had towards him went down the drain as Krist was found making homophobic, transphobic jokes and comments; he also made SA remarks and joked about it on his live along with his SOTUS costar Singto. In 2023, he found himself embroiled in yet another controversy following his role in the BL drama "Be My Favorite." This came after he had previously expressed discomfort with participating in BL productions. Fans accused him of engaging in queer-baiting as a means to gain attention and fame.
7. Joong Archen Aydin
Joong is well known for his roles in 2 Moons 2 and Star and Sky Series. In 2018, he told his Turkish fans on Instagram that he wasn’t a queer person, which made some fans angry, but his exact words, “I’m a man in real life, not gay” made people think that he implied that gay men aren’t men and that he was being homophobic. His company reprimanded him and put him on probation.
8. Ta Nannakun Pakapatpornpob
Ta gained his popularity for playing Macau in Kinnporsche. He also took part in the Kinnporsche concert and talk shows. Ta amassed thousands of followers and is beloved among fans. In early 2023, he had to issue an apology letter for following Andrew Tate, a misogynistic content creator and criminal. Ta also followed the person who defended Tate. Fans were shocked by this, and some called him out for supporting an incel.
9. God Itthipat Thanit
God played his first main lead and BL role in 2 Moons and gained attention from it. He was captured wiping his lips after a kiss scene with his fellow costar, Bas, which resulted in a backlash against God, stating he was being disrespectful and homophobic. He faced accusations of leveraging BL dramas as a career stepping stone when he chose not to participate in any more BL projects. This decision left fans disheartened, particularly since there were two more seasons of "2 Moons" yet to be produced. Opinions among fans were divided, with some showing support for him while others continued to harbor resentment.
10. Bright Vachirawit Chivaaree
Bright is known as the most popular Thai celebrity and even debuted as the new face of Calvin Klein. The 2gether star quickly rose to fame in 2020 but got extreme backlash from Chinese netizens for liking and re-tweeting a picture describing Hong Kong as a separate nation. He apologized, but the scandal became more extensive when his then-girlfriend got accused of insulting Chinese people for re-tweeting a tweet alleging that COVID-19 had been created in Chinese labs. They felt offended and started boycotting Bright. Most of them still didn’t forgive him and told him to “get lost.”
