Like any other teenager, we all spend our quarantine time watching all dramas as much as we can. Thai Dramas are just as good, and sometimes and maybe even better than Korean dramas out there. Though the Thai industry is best known for its horror genre, we can confirm that their Rom-coms are entertaining and will fill your stomach with butterflies. Here are some Thai dramas that have divided critics worldwide.
1. Bangkok Traffic Love Story
Bangkok Traffic Love Story is a Thai rom-com released in October 2009. The story is about Mei Li, a thirty-year-old woman who is feeling desperate about being the last one of her friends to marry. She meets Loong, an engineer working for the Bangkok Transit System. For the first time, Mei is determined to go after her dream guy. The story starts to get interesting when her neighbor starts to take an interest in him as well. According to some critics, it focuses a lot on Mei Li’s daily life. The story however lacks precision, but still, its thematic value is quite good.
2. The Letter
The Letter is a Romance film released in 2004. It is a remake of the South Korean film, Pyeon Ji. It focuses on the long-distance relationship between Ton and Dew, a young computer programmer, who gets into a relationship after they meet in Chiang Mai. One day, however, a tragedy strikes when Dew’s best friend is murdered by a blind date. She leaves Chiang Mai to find comfort and happiness with Ton, but tragedy keeps following her. According to some critics, it is at times confusing and misleading.
3. I Fine…Thank You...Love you
I Fine...Thank you...Love You is a film released in 2014, starring Sora Ali, Preechaya Pongthananikorn, and Sunny Suwanmethanon. The story is about Kaya, a Japanese girl who dumps Yim, her Thai boyfriend, because he can’t speak English, while Kaya can’t speak Thai. Kaya leaves for America, and Yim is determined to find a way to win her heart by learning English. He starts to get a tutoring lecture from Ms. Pleng, who Yim doesn't know is Kaya's good friend. What will the future hold for them? The story felt unauthentic and incomplete. At times, it felt too bland.
4. One Day
One Day is a Thai drama released in 2016, starring Nittha Jirayungyurn and Chantavit Dhanasevi. The story is about Denchai, a 30-year-old IT employee, who is in love with Nui, his colleague in marketing, but doesn’t dare to express it. He however gets a chance during the company's trip to Hokkaido. He makes a wish under a legendary landmark which is said to bring love, and an ironic twist is when Nui somehow has a temporary loss disorder which will only last for a day. He uses this to his advantage and pretends to be her boyfriend. Some plots don't make the film work entirely, not to mention an unfulfilling and abrupt ending.
5. Hello Stranger
Hello Stranger is a Thai movie released in 2010, starring Neungthida Sophpn and Chantavit Dhanasevi. The film is set in Seoul, South Korea, where two strangers meet by coincidence on vacation. They decide to tour Korea together without revealing their names. The film dives into popular locations in Korea. They have fun, but when they fall in love, everything starts to change. Critics stated the story was meticulously pushed forward, lining up the elements to establish the plot. The storyline was filled with things that were not very realistic and inconsistent.
6. First Love (Crazy Little Thing Called Love)
The story is about Nam, an ordinary 14-year-old girl secretly in love with Chon, the school's popular boy. She tries various ways to catch his attention and get close to him. But will Chon notice her efforts? The sweet puppy love story will have all the viewers reflecting on their own life, making this coming-of-age story, quite a relatable one for many of us. Many critics pointed out massive issues around beauty standards and colorism. Even though it was cringy at times, it was still nostalgic.
7. Pee Mak
Pee Mak is a Thai film released in 2013. I is a perfect blend of romance, horror, and comedy. The story is about Mak, who leaves Nak, his pregnant wife, to join the war. After the war is over, he invites his new friends to meet Nak, who finds out that she passed away giving birth. They must figure out how to tell Mak that he is living with a ghost. Some critics found the film's plot boring and too slow. The plot felt like going around in circles, and the romance was ineffective.
8. Brother Of The Year
Brother of the Year is a Thai romantic film released in 2018. It covers both romantic and family love, making Brother of the Year, a hilarious flick which is ideal to watch with your family. Chad has always envied his younger sister, as she is perfect in front of everyone and seems always to be better, be it sports, academics, or physical attractiveness. The only area he can show off is as her elder brother when any guy hits on her. When he finds that she is secretly dating Moji, he uses this to his advantage. Critics pointed out that Chad was a lousy brother, making her life miserable.
9. Friend Zone
Friend Zone is a Thai rom-com that will get you hooked from the very beginning. For over ten years, Palm has been stuck in the Friendzone with Gina, his best friend. He tries to confess his feelings during high school, but Gink rejects him, saying that being friends is good enough. After many years, will these two finally realize what they both are missing? For some critics, the film was not well executed, and many would have preferred if the plot accompanied slow progress on how she realizes her feelings for him. However, their acting was superb.
10. Love Of Siam
Love of Siam is a film released in 2007, showcasing a story filled with friendship, love, and family. It follows the story of Mew and Tong, two young boys, who part ways when they are younger, but meet again when they grow older. Some critics found the film relatively slow, and the ending was terrible, with Tong not being his boyfriend. However, it was well received as gay romance was not quite common during that time, which initially caused controversy, but it was quite a success.
