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Year 2006
Year: 2006
Thai title: ก้านกล้วย
English title: Khan Kluay
Rating: 4/5
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Khan Kluay is the son of an elephant warrior. He has never seen his father (ลูกไม่มีพ่อ) but he has the same fighting spirit (อารมณ์นักสู้). He is living with his mum and friends. The elephant herd needs to migrate as human are coming close. His father was previously captured by humans. Khan Kluay wishes to free his father, Bupha. At night time, he enters in a soldier camp to find his father. Khan Kluay meets the King's son, the future King Naresuan. Khan Kluay flees and takes refuge in an elephant cemetery. He then meets Chaba Kaew, a young elephant female. Meanwhile his mum and the elephant herd have left. Chaba Kaew has no parents and has been educated by a human. Robbers always come to take food from the village but nobody is strong enough to face them. Chaba Kaew's father has built a training centre for elephants. Khan Kluay is trained and has now become a grown-up adult. So he helps to defeat the robbers. Ayuthaya now belongs to Thai kingdom again. King Naresuan (พระองค์ดำ), the new king, needs to select an elephant to go for war. He needs an exceptional elephant (ช้างทรงคู่บารมี). Khan Kluay is selected by the King. Khan Kluay's father was not a coward and died on battle field for the nation. Being reunited with his mother, Khan Kluay has to follow his duty. Following a final battle with Hongsawadee Burmese Kingdom, Khan Kluay defeats the red eyes powerful elephant (ช้างตาแดง). Khan Kluay rams the Burmese elephant into a sharp stick. This bright and colourful animation movie features a lot of Thainess such as Loy krathong festival and Thai history. Khan Kluay was the top-grosser in 2006 with 98 million baht. It was the first animated Thai feature to be released since 1979's The Adventure of Sudsakorn (สุดสาคร). This movie is part of 2000s decade spirit when many movies were highlighting a certain return to a Thai strong nationalism and pride.
Year: 2006
Thai title: 13 เกมสยอง
English title: 13 Beloved
Rating: 5/5
Director: Chookiat Sakweerakul
Main actor: Krissada Sukosol,Saranyu Wongkrachang
Main actress:
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Chit is a busy sales guy but his performance is not good. He cannot reimburse his car (his car plate has number 13) as his sales drop. One of his colleague, Pramee, steals his customers as Chit is too slow. His boss fires him as the company is going online so there is a need for less Sales people. Only a young lady called Tong is his friend in this company. Chit has debts. His mother is asking for money. He lies to his mum regarding his financial problems. He receives a phone call from an unknown number. It is a call regarding playing games to win big cash prize. As Chit has debts, he accepts to play but has to follow strict rules (he shall not disclose that he is playing a game). First game is easy. Just got 10 000 baht by crushing a fly with a newspaper (it is worth to note that there is Thaksin Shinawatra picture on the newspaper and his face is crashed against the wall!). Second game is to eat the fly to win 50 000 baht. The final prize is 100 millions baht but there are still 11 games to perform. If one game is lost then the whole money amount is lost. Next game is to make three children cry (the games are related to Chit's own childhood). Then Chit shall steal money from a beggar. Then Chit shall eat special food, i.e. shit, in a Chinese restaurant (he used to insult other people in the past - ฝรั่งขี้นก). Then he shall worship a crazy man. At 13:13 the crazy man announced God shall come (พระเจ้าจะมา) so Chit enters a bus arriving at that time. Chit has arguments with bus passengers regarding a mobile phone and gets beaten. He needs to pay respect (ไหว้) to a ruffian's feet to get it back so starts to lose self-esteem to accept such degrading act. It degenerates to a deadly and bloody fight as Chit almost kills one guy to get the phone. He is now under high stress and accepts to do anything. During next game, he needs to retrieve a dead elderly man, who falls in an indoor wishing well (In modern society people are neglecting their elder parents) and announce the bad news to his family. The relatives were living in a house close to the father but didn't visit him. He then meets his former girlfriend Maew, who wants to become a famous singer. She has a new boyfriend called Chaleum. For the 8th game Chit needs to beat somebody, who has number 8 on his vest. Chaleum has a number 8 on his vest... Due to jealousy over Maew, Chit beats deeply Chaleum. Realizing his acts, he hits again a taxi driver to bring Chaleum to hospital. Meanwhile his crazy actions are shown on TV news and a police inspector (สารวัตร)is chasing him (ผู้ร้าย). His friend Tong, puzzled by his behavior, finds a mysterious 13beloved.com website and starts to make the link with Chit's weird acts. He reaches the hospital, needs to find assistant and to avoid the police. He finds an old lady in room 805 then escapes as he removes glasses and pushes the old lady in wheelchair. He needs to follow up the old lady where she wishes to go. By helping the old lady, he puts a thread over a road causing the death of many teens, racing on their motorbike, through decapitation. Tong finds him and asks him to surrender (มอบตัว). He is already crazy. He needs to grab sword and decides to kill Tong or her dog to stop them interfering in the game. Still having a little bit of humanity, he only kills the dog. He continues the rampage by killing a cow and cutting her guts. He is still followed by Tong. Finally Tong discovers it is an online game encouraging people to forget reality and go beyond convenances. For the last game Chit needs to kill his father, who was brutal with him during his childhood. He now behaves same as his father now. Despite the hate between the father and the son, Chit prefers to lose (ยอมแพ้). The winner is the father who kills his son, Chit. This movie got many overseas awards. It emphazises modern societies where there is less morality and more egoism, self-centerism.
Year: 2006
Thai title: ไพรรีพินาศ ป่ามรณะ
English title: Vengeance
Rating: 3/5
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Two adults and one young boy are running inside the jungle. They are carrying a sacred talisman. They have to leave behind the injured father in the jungle as a mysterious threat is chasing them. Twenty years later, a robber (โจร) is captured by the police. His teammates decide to hide in a forest close to the Burmese border. Mot, who was the young boy, is now a new Police inspector (นายตำรวจมือใหม่). They get shelter in a Buddhist temple close to the forest. The abbot is supposed to know ways to master special powers (อำนาจพิเศษ ). At night time, the four robbers kill the abbot and steal the sacred talisman, which was under the abbot protection. The police chases them in the jungle forest. The villager guide refuses to enter the sacred forest. The policemen and a few villagers decide to continue but they face fantastic animals and spirits in the forest. Deadly flies kill two ruffians. Guardian spirits of the forest (เจ้าป่า), similar to Kinnaree (กินรี), try to seduce the men. One villager is killed. Two ladies, Sri On and her sister, come from nowhere to rescue them. Voracious small crocodiles kill some policemen and villagers. A giant snake (พยานาค) appears. Mot defeats the giant snake with a sacred knife given by the monk. They reach the village of the mysterious ethnicity from where Sri On and her sister are coming from. The villagers need to kill them as they are coming from the city (เมือง). Sri On decides to warn Mot and betrays (ทรยศ) her village. At night time the forest villagers become vampires. Another giant snake wipes the vampires away. This movie mixes so many kinds of supernatural creatures (deadly flies, vampires, voracious small crocodiles, giant snakes, guardian spirits of the forest) with intensive CGI. Finally the movie ends with a classical theme of going back in the past to change the future. Mot uses the sacred talisman to go back in the past to prevent all these deaths. He comes back when his father was running inside the jungle. While trying to take away the talisman, he stabs his father so causing his own disappearance. Future cannot be changed.
Year: 2006
Thai title: ไฉไล
English title: Chai Lai - Dangerous Flowers
Rating: 2/5
Director:
Main actor: Mum Jokmok
Main actress: Supaksorn Chaimongkol,Bongkoj Kongmalai
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The five Thai Charlie Angels are tasked with foiling a kidnapping and keeping a mysterious, powerful "Pearl of the Andaman" out of the hands of a crime syndicate.
Year: 2006
Thai title: ผีเสื้อสมุทร
English title: Ocean Butterfly
Rating: 3/5
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Wan is a girl born with the supernatural ability to stay underwater. While visiting Butterfly Island, Wan discovers her special ability to dive and stay under deep sea. She also meets Tan, a photographer who always helps her. She eventually falls in love with him. When going under water, Wan's body changes to become similar to a butterfly. A local mafia guy decides to catch the butterfly ladies. A battle erupts between the butterfly ladies and the tough guys with Wan and Tan in the middle.
Year: 2006
Thai title: สุดสาคร
English title: Legend of Sudsakorn
Rating: 3/5
Director:
Main actor: Suchao Pongwilai,Charlie Trairattana
Main actress:
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This film is based on a story from Phra Aphai Mani, an epic poem by Sunthorn Phu. "Sudsakorn" is one of the best-known parts of the classic Thai epic poem. It was written by Thai poet Sunthorn Phu in the 1800s. A young boy is the son of a mermaid. He is sent on a mystical quest to find his father. The story was previously adapted in a Thai animated fantasy film, The Adventure of Sudsakorn (สุดสาคร). Released in 1979, it was the first and only Thai animated film until 2006 when the movie Khan Kluay (ก้านกล้วย) was released. Sudsakorn is raised in the ancient traditions of magic by his grandfather. He never knew his father. His mother, a mermaid, sends him on a quest to find his father. Armed with his grandfather's magical stick, Sudsakorn enters into mysterious worlds riding a half dragon - half horse. Sudsakorn encounters dangerous ghost creatures, faces an hermit who cheats him and steals his magical stick, fights against deadly vampire butterfly creatures, helps to defeat an army and finds his father. The film uses the very latest in special effects and has cost more than Bt80 million to make.
Year: 2006
Thai title: นาค รักแท้ / วิญญาณ / ความตาย
English title: Ghost Of Mae Nak
Rating: 3/5
Director:
Main actor: Kowit Wattanakul
Main actress: Marasri Isarangkul
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Nak and mak are a young couple that love each other deeply. Their trueness of their love wakes up the ghost Mae Nak. Mae Nak has been buried only and never had any proper funeral ceremony. Through terrific apparitions, she needs their help to rest in peace. Anybody who try to hinder their love is killed (the greedy estate agent who sold them the old house, the burglars). Mak, following a circulation accident, falls in a deep coma. Nak needs Mae Nak help to cure him. But Nak needs to find Mae Nak's body first to make proper Buddhist ceremony so that she can rest in peace. She also needs to give her back an old brooch made of her bones. Nak has to finish her task before an exorcism (ไล่ผี) is done on Mak. This is a modern and refreshing version based on Mae Nak ghost story that has inspired more than 15 Thai movies. The two main actors are coming from the Thai soap opera TV series. The director is English and the photography direction is really good.
Year: 2006
Thai title: กระสือวาเลนไทน์
English title: Ghost of Valentine
Rating: 4/5
Director: Yuthlert Sippapak
Main actor:
Main actress: Wiyada Umarin
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A young nurse is transferred to an old hospital. Weird people are here including a physically disabled young man offering her a rose, a little girl trying to sell roses, the hospital director, a Buddhist nun patient, other nurses and helpers. At night time, the young nurse becomes an evil spirit called "PHI KRASEU" (ผีกระสือ) represented as a woman head with intestines. Due to an accident with the director, the disabled young man comes paralyzed. The nurse decides to take care about him. There is a strong bond between them due to a tragic event that has happened 60 years ago...
Year: 2006
Thai title: ล่า-ท้า-ผี
English title: Ghost game
Rating: 2/5
Director: Sarawut Wichiensarn
Main actor:
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11 contestants on a reality TV show must stay in an abandoned military prison where atrocities took place years before. The contestants must provoke the ghosts inhabiting the walls of the former prison where thousands suffered and died years before. The contestant who manages to endure the oppressing atmosphere the longest shall walk away with 5 millions Baht. The film was controversial because the setting closely matched that of Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, where the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia, tortured prisoners. The film outraged Cambodians and calls were made to ban all Thai products.
Year: 2006
Thai title: เดอะ เลตเตอร์เขียนเป็นส่งตาย
English title: The Letters of Death
Rating: 3/5
Director:
Main actor:
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A group of young adults are killed one by one following mysterious accidents. There were all classmates where they were young teens. One of them was a whipping boy. Due to a stupid game, he fell in the stairs and became physically disabled. All the classmates pretended it was an accident. Now being adults, the spirit of the disabled classmate is chasing them. They have to play hangman game. if they fail to answer, they die...
Year: 2006
Thai title: โคลิค เด็กเห็นผี
English title: Colic
Rating: 4/5
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Pregant Prae marries Pong. Pong was not in hurry to marry but he has no choice. They stay at Pong's mother home. Benn is Pong's sister but following the tragic death of her husband (burnt alive), she has lost part of her faculties. Tragically Benn dies also in a fire accident and Prae, shocked, has an earlier baby delivery. Their new son never stops crying up to the point the relationship between Prae and Ping gets tense. A doctor suggests a colic symptom but after three months the baby is still crying. A monk suggests to closely care about the baby until he is one year old. Mysterious events happen in the house. It looks like somebody else is living there also. It look like the baby is afraid of something but cannot speak. Can the baby see ghosts? Is the baby autist? Many possibilities are investigated by Prae. Prae escapes to a mortal accident thanks to the warning cries of the baby. Unfortunately Pong's mother dies in a traffic accident. The monk analyses that the baby fright is linked to his bad karma and to the very bad actions he has done in his previous life. The one year deadline is an important event to be reached. Serious accidents happen to Pong and Prae. On the first year birthday eve, spirits get wild to kill the baby. Finally the family stays safe and it is known that Benn's husband was an officer who is responsible of the death of 5 students hanged during the student street demonstrations. His spirit has been reborn into Pong and Prae's baby.
Year: 2006
Thai title: เปนชู้กับผี
English title: The Unseeable
Rating: 4/5
Director: Wisit Sasanatieng
Main actor:
Main actress: Tasawan Saneewong
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The action takes place around 1930's. Nuanchan is looking for her husband, who has disappeared one year ago following a business trip. She arrives in a old traditional Thai wooden house where he is supposed to have stayed. She is pregnant. The house supervisor, Somjit, allows her to stay but told her not to go in the main building house as it is forbidden as the house ruler, Run-juan, doesn't want to be disturbed. Choi, a domestic helper, mentions she has never seen the house ruler face. Every fifteen days, food is offered at the spirit shrine and she saw a hand grabbing food... Nobody dares going out at night time. There are also rumours about a lady with long hairs who hanged her-self in the garden. Nuanchan misses her husband but mysteriously his face is never shown. Nuanchan delivered the baby. Choi wants to bury the birth remains in the soil as there is an old belief that the spirit "Phi Kraseu" (ผีกระสือ) will eat such food at night time. The house ruler Run-juan has lost her husband and there are rumours she is bringing a lover at night time. The house ruler Run-juan wants to take care of the baby as she never had the occasion to have a baby before. Choi disappeared. One day Nuanchan finds her husband in the garden. He is not able to tell the whole truth but he is staying with the house ruler lady and asks Nuanchan to leave for her own safety. Finally truth is known. Chob is in fact the house ruler lady's husband, who had an infidelity with Nuanchan. So Nuanchan is the mistress! Afraid to loose him, the house ruler lady stabbed him to death. Somjit, seeing the event, fell from the stairs and died. Choi is also a ghost. All people are ghosts. Nuanchan also is a ghost as she hanged her-self before but she still refuses the truth so continues to come to the house to search for her husband. Even if the third movie of Wisit Sasanatien was not as colorful as two previous works, he received a lot of praise for the homage given to films of the 1930s.
Year: 2006
Thai title: ผีคนเป็น
English title: The victim
Rating: 2/5
Director:
Main actor:
Main actress: Penpak Sirikul
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Young woman Ting is learning acting. Police asks her to play a lady who is killed in an attempt to re-enact a crime scene. She is concerned to irritate spirits by playing dead people but police mentions it is for good purpose, i.e. catch the killer! She has to play Min, a lady who was recently killed. Ting visits Min's best close friend Fai. When playing Min, Ting has visions and discover that Fai is the one, who killed Min. Finally the movie stops and all the story was a movie inside the movie. The young lady is called Nong Mae. All the main participants involved in the movie shooting are killed one after another. Even Nong Mae behavior has started to change when she starts to wear a tiara given by an unknown person. She investigates what the spirit is looking from her. While on the set filming the movie and in real life, Nong Mae seems to be possessed by a spirit...
Year: 2006
Thai title: เด็กหอ
English title: Dorm
Rating: 5/5
Director: Songyos Sugmakanan
Main actor: Charlie Trairattana
Main actress: Jintara Sookkapat
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Chatree, young 7th grade pupil, is sent by his father in a dormitory in Chonburi. His father complains of his bad grades. Chatree doesn't want to go to the dormitory and be separated from his friends. The teacher Pranee (Jintara Sookkapat) welcomes him and emphasizes the strong rules to follow. Other pupils tell Chatree that the dorm is haunted as dogs howling can often be heard. Other students play jokes on him. Chatree refuses to answer to his father's phone calls. A few years ago a kid, called Vichien, drowned in the school's swimming pool. Chatree feels lonely and has only one friend Vichien. Only Chatree can see him as Vichien is a ghost. This week-end, his father cannot pick him up. He stays with his ghost friend Vichien. He escapes from school to assist to sport day and to meet the school cooker's daughter Pen. Chatree and Vichien have close relationship. At 6PM everyday Vichien jumps and drowns in the swimming pool. Vichien's father has been condemned for fraud and to 25 years of prison. Chatree wants to help Vichien to stop this infinite event and be able to rebirth again. The teacher Pranee feels bad as she believes she is responsable of Vichien's death. Vichien death was an accident. Chatree needs to risk and separates his spirit (วิญญาณ) from his body in order to be able to help his friend Vichien. Dorm movie has been nominated for 10 Thai Subhanahongsa awards. It got more than 50 millions baht revenue in Thai box office. It was directed by one of the 6 young directors from "แฟนฉัน" (My Girl).
Year: 2006
Thai title: ฅนไฟบิน
English title: Dynamite Warrior
Rating: 3/5
Director:
Main actor: Panna Rittikrai
Main actress:
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At the end of 19th century, Lord Waeng Sirikorn is capturing and stealing Buffalos. He is selling them to a slaughter house. The rarity of buffalos is boosting his business of steamed tractors. He is using criminals to kill cattle traders and steal their buffalos. Siang is a mysterious local Robin Woods stealing buffalos from dishonest traders in order to give them to poor people. Siang is skilled in martial arts and fireworks usage. He learnt those skills by being involved in firework assembly for the Isan yearly festival called "Bun Bang Fai" (ประเพณีบุญบั้งไฟ). Siang is looking for revenge against trader Sing as he believed Sing killed his parents before. Trader Sing is also a powerful wizard. Lord Waeng needs to get rid of trader Sing to get his buffalos. He asks support from Black wizard, who was a friend of Sing twenty years ago and by lying, he also convinced Siang to help him. By using the blood of a virgin, they make Sing loosing his power. Finally it was Black wizard who killed Siang's parents. Sing and Siang then unite to defeat Black wizard and lord Waeng. The movie uses some recipes from popular movie Ong Bak as the movie producer is Prachya Pinkaew, who directed Ong Bak. Sometimes the movie has some flavors of former Western spaghetti movies. The movie takes place in Isan, northeast area of Thailand.
Year: 2006
Thai title: มนุษย์เหล็กไหล
English title: Mercury man
Rating: 3/5
Director: Bandit Thongdee
Main actor:
Main actress: Metinee Kingpayome
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Ruffians are looking for powerful sacred amulets in Tibet. They succeed to steal them despite the opposition of a guardian lady called Purima. There are a cold and a hot amulet. In Thailand Charn is a fireman. He always tends to follow his own intuition instead of following orders from his boss. A corrupted prison guard lets the same ruffians enter a prison to free a dangerous inmate. Those ruffians use the amulets power to achieve their evil goal. Their intervention causes a fire inside the prison so firemen are called. Charn is injured by the ruffians. The inmate is a dangerous terrorist muslim that wishes to defy America. Charn realizes his body characteristics have changed following the injury he got from the ruffian using the amulets. He has now super powers. The lady guardian Purima finds Charn and explains to him how to control his powers. Charn's brother makes a Spiderman like superhero costume for him. Charn captures robbers, uncontrollable elephants, rapist, helps young beggar kid having issues with a drunken driver, college students fights. Those are many ills happening in modern Bangkok. The ruffians kidnap Charn's mother to exchange her versus the amulet but the amulet is inside Charn's body. The terrorists wish to explode an US boat containing chemical weapons as they believe Americans will use these weapons in the Middle East. They plan to blow the whole Sattahip area and they do not mind about children visiting navy boats on Children's day. Charn, his brother and Parima fight the ruffians to prevent the ship explosion. This movie is a well done movie with good fx compared to Thai standards. This martial arts action film is made by the same team, who did Ong Bak and Tom Yum Goong so it was a good candidate for movie export. Depicting muslims as the bad guys is certainly a very sensitive issue with current political situation in South of Thailand. Charn's brother is played by Nong Tum, whose real life was depicted in movie Beautiful boxer. Charn's brother (Nong Tum) is a katoey (กะเทย) with fighting skills and ironics repartees about his known condition.
Year: 2006
Thai title: พระ เสือ เด็ก ไก่ วอก
English title: The Magnificent Five
Rating: 3/5
Director: Bandit Ritthakol
Main actor: Jesdaporn Pholdee,Charoenporn Awnlamai,Note Chernyim,Somchai Sakdikul
Main actress: Paula Taylor
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One hundred years ago two robbers (a young lady and a comic character), a false doctor and a former monk flee the police. A foreigner (ฝรั่ง) in collusion with a corrupted village head takes away the farmers' children to use them as slaves. To get back their children they need to pay a big amount of money. Farmers have heard of a local Robin Hood called Seua (เสือ). They try to contact him but meet the above quatuor but not the real Seua. They go after the kidnapers. They finally meet the real Seua. The Magnificent Five are united. They go together to search for the children but spend more time to argue on the reward sharing. The group reaches their ruffians' camp. They use Trojan horse tactic but it fails and the young lady (Paula Taylor) escapes nearly to serious problems with the camp leader. They need to reach the sea before a boat takes away the children. A fight happens. The foreigner and his ruffians are deafeated so need to flee and sail away. The young lady then decide also to neutralize the camp leader to avoid anymore kidnapping to happen. Charoenporn Awnlamai plays the comic expert in explosives. In many modern Thai movies, foreigners are often the bad guys. In old movies, the bad guys were the Burmese or the communist threat. This movie is a blending of action and comedy. Could this movie be seen as as a criticism of the foreigners stealing the Thai youth?
Year: 2006
Thai title: แสบสนิท ศิษย์ส่ายหน้า
English title: Noodle boxer
Rating: 3/5
Director:
Main actor: Akom Preedakul,Jaturong Mokjok,Koeti Aramboy
Main actress:
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Thai movie แสบสนิท ศิษย์ส่ายหน้า (Noodle boxer) was released in year 2006. It lasts 1h36mn. A young man called Sanit is cooking in a noodle soup shop. He likes Thai boxing as his father was a former boxer (นักมวย). He is not able to fight properly. Akom Preedakul, Song (Koeti Aramboy) and Phi Saem (Jaturong Mokjok) are his friends and always coming for free soup. Akom recommends him to get some tattoos (ศักดิ์). Sanit loves secretly a young girl called Suey. Another real Thai boxer is also interested in Suey. Suey goes to see a doctor for eyes problems and is accompanied by Sanit. Suey's father complains Sanit is too weak (ขี้แพ้). Akom brings Sanit to a haunted house where a Thai boxer resided in order to get inspired. Sanit's friends encourage him to join Thai boxing contests to earn respect from Suey's father but he keeps losing. Suey is becoming blind. Sanit tries amulets (ของดี). Finally Saem, former champion, takes care of his training (ไม่ยอมแพ้). This time, Suey is really sick. His father needs to find 500 000 baht to cure her. Sanit, known as a looser, accepts to play a match for gaining that amount of money. His opponent is the other Thai boxing champion fond of Suey. Despite strong resistance and dreams of victory, Sanit is defeated again. Suey is cured as the Thai boxing champion gives the 500 000 baht having compassion for Sanit and Suey.
Year: 2006
Thai title: แสงศตวรรษ
English title: Syndromes and a Century
Rating: 4/5
Director: Apichatpong Weerasethakul
Main actor:
Main actress:
The film is a tribute to the Apichatpong Weerasethakul's parents and is divided into two parts. A new doctor is coming from the Army and apply for a position in a provincial hospital. Weirdly he is afraid of blood. Monks come for health tests also. One elder monk is having bad dreams about chicken. He tortured them when he was young. He wants to get medicine for the whole village and finally provide some natural herbs for the doctor. Another monk goes to dentist for the first time in his life. He wishes to be a DJ, the dentist wishes to be a country music singer. A special relationship happened between them. The monk plays guitar. Even the monk said he is an ordinary person. A shy doctor asks for engagement to a lady doctor Dr Toey. She doesn't say yes or no but narrates her own story with Noon, boss of an orchid farm, who is only interested in his flowers. Those relationships don't complete. The second part of the movie happens in an hospital inside the city. Same actors are playing but talks are different inside the city. The dental yard is like an industry. The dentist just focus on his work, there is no talk with the monk. Another relationship between a doctor and his girlfriend seems to go nowhere as he wants to stay in Bangkok but she wishes to work in Rayong inside an industrial park under development. Finally the movie ends up in Lumpini park, nature inside Bangkok city, where people do their evening aerobic dance together but they are dancing alone. Thai Censorship Board objected to depictions of monks and doctors in this movie. Cut scenes include a monk playing guitar, monks playing kite and a monk being treated by a dentist. Other cut scenes include four doctors drinking whisky in a hospital room, a scene of a male doctor kissing his girlfriend in the hospital's locker room and having an erection. Like all movies by Apichatpong Weerasethakul, people either like or dislike them. There are beautiful lengthy sequences characteristic of Apichatpong Weerasethakul's work.
Year: 2006
Thai title: เพื่อน...กูรักมึงว่ะ
English title: Bangkok Love Story
Rating: 4/5
Director: Poj Arnon
Main actor: Suchao Pongwilai
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Mek (เมฆ) is a solitary hitman with no friends and no love. He still has a brother and a sick mother. One day he kidnaps a young man denouncing corruption but refuses to execute him as the young man is not an evil guy (ฆ่าคนเลวไม่ฆ่าคนดี). Following arguments with his boss, a shooting happens and Mek flees with his victim. As Mek gets injured and loses blood, he receives help from the young man called Iht (อิฐ). Mek has a bad childhood. Iht then takes care of him, cleans his shack and wipes his body. A love story starts between the two men. It reminds Iht of his own past when his mother was sick and couldn't leave home. She died because some thugs hindered him to come back on time to give her medicine. He still feels ashamed as he couldn't help his mother on time. The ruffians still wish to eliminate them but the first attempt fails. Iht's girlfriend, Sai, starts to notice modifications in Iht's behavior. Love emerges between the two men. There is a delicate representation of homosexual love far away from the Thai ladyboy (กะเทย) usual style. Mek feels ashamed of himself and chases Iht. Iht still tries to meet Mek (ผมคิดถึงคุณ) but fails to locate him as Mek is too shy. Sai suffers as she knows she losts her love with Iht. Finally Iht and Mek find each other and declare their strong passion. It is seen by both Sai and Mek's brother. Iht helped Mek's brother, Mok (หมอก) who was always bullied by others as he is HIV positive. The mother knows also the truth about Mek. A tragedy happens as the two brothers argue. The mother hangs herself. While bringing the mother to hospital, ruffians try to kill Mek again. His mother is shot and dies. Meanwhile Sai decides to separate with Iht. Thinking about taking revenge, she finally doesn't shoot him. The two brothers decide to leave for the countryside. Before Mek decides to take revenge over the ruffians. Iht, alerted by the younger brother try to find Mek. Mek performs a rampage at the ruffians' place but is then captured at the train station by the police. Iht is injured into the eyes while trying to look for Mek at the ruffians' place. He is now blind. Mok dies from decease. In 2575, Mek is released from prison and Iht is waiting. The movie has a dark ending at Mek is shot down. This film won a Subhannahongsa Award for best screenplay and went on screen at many film festivals in Europe and Asia. The movie contains great action scenes including a shooting inside a Buddha factory.
Year: 2006
Thai title: มากับพระ
English title: The Golden Riders
Rating: 3/5
Director:
Main actor: Noppadol Duangporn
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One novice, one young man and one lady are in a train heading to Chiang Rai. The novice is going to famous Buddhist temple "Wat Tham Pa Archa Thong" where monks ride horses. The lady, called Tengmo, is heartbroken and goes back to her parent's home. She is the daughter of a local district officer. The young man called Phon has been laid off and is going for a break. The novice is from Bangkok has difficulty to get used to the life inside the temple. The abbot is very demanding. He is working with the two young people to teach local mountain people to get rid of debts but the local district officer doesn't appreciate their action. This comedy illustrates the decline of the role of Buddhist monks as sacred and unchallengeable in Thai movies. The abbot is still a model but his monks sometimes forget the Buddhist rules through a comic way. The local district officer combines with a former soldier, who claims he has hidden gold ingots inside the ground where the temple is now built. Pressure is done on abbot to move his temple to another location but finally no gold can be found. The gold was found previously by a monk and used to build a big Buddha statue (same story as Wat Traimit).
Year: 2006
Thai title: มอ๘
English title: Mor 8
Rating: 5/5
Director:
Main actor:
Main actress: Patcharasri Benjamas
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An old grandma recalls her past when she was a teacher in year 1957 (Buddhist era 2500). Two schools (โรงเรียน) are fusioning, i.e. an all-girl school and an all-boy school. The new name is Darunee Suksa School. Boys (นักเรียนชาย) shall study with girls (นักเรียนหญิง). So the school becomes a mixed school. Some male teachers are not happy about this. Girls (ดอกไม้เหล็ก) need to show that they can be stronger than boys. The headmaster (ครูใหญ่) has to accept two female modern teachers. Both are still single. There are teacher Sompat and teacher Kaeson. One is strong (ใช้อำนาจ) and one is sweet. The two teachers are close friends (เพื่อนรักตลอดไป). They have to change the school internal rules that use women as helpers only. Teacher Malee, who has Chinese ancestors, is used to bring coffee for the male teachers... There is a very good representation of 1950s decade with nice costume and scenes. The teachers introduce mixed seating with boys and girls to improve mutual knowledge and respect.Many love letters are sent for teacher Kaeson. Many male teachers are also single so during the temple fair (งานวัด), they try to court Kaeson. Teacher Sompat gets the responsibility of the whole school after male teachers do boxing with ruffians and headmaster is caught watching sexy girls. Male teachers are fed up with Sompat as she is too strict. She even forbids love letters so other teachers have to find tricks to send letters with invisible ink. She has no love so others shall have no love also. There is a competition between girls and boys, between female teacher and male teachers. Sexism atmosphere prevails. Sompat is convinced of girls superiority and very proud of herself also. She dedicates all her life to school (ครูทั้งชีวิต), teaching without love so she expects Kaeson to do same. Work and personal life (เรื่องส่วนตัว) are two separate matters. Sompat is inflexible (ห่วงเกินไป) and does not forgive mistakes (ครูใจร้าย, กฎเป็นกฎ). Boys fight to protect the girls during a fair but as fights are forbidden according to school rules, they are punished by Sompat and cannot join next exams session. Kaeson and other teachers cannot accept such decision. Finally teacher Sompat sacrifices her position for children to be able to pass the exams. The movie highlights teacher dedication and self sacrifice. Pupils shall keep respect to their teacher. Topics are love, duty, friendship but also needs for flexibility and understanding. The feminist ex-senator, whose well-known slogan is "One Husband, One Wife", Rabiebrat Pongpanit plays a small role as the school project director.
Year: 2006
Thai title: เพราะอากาศเปลี่ยนแปลงบ่อย
English title: Seasons change
Rating: 4/5
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Young man Chatree enters music university (โรงเรียนดนตรี) for three years studies. He is playing drums. He follows a young girl, Dao, expert in violin. He loves her secretly for three years. The movie is divided in three parts same as Thailand three seasons. Hot season. Chatree finds two other students to make a music group. Dao is from high society family so she never notices Chatree before. Chatree meets Aom, another young lady, whose parents know Chatree's parents. She promises not to disclose to his parents that he is studying music. Chatree’s parents are just worried that being a musician is not enough to earn a living. Chatree meets a weird Japanese teacher at the school but he is very helpful in order to have Chatree to play in same orchestra as Dao. Chatree discovers classical music as he needs to do the drums for the end of year concert featuring the four seasons of Vivaldi. Rainy season. His father still believes he is studying maths. Chatree considers Aom as a friend and younger sister but Aom starts to have feelings for Chatree. Chatree finally talks to Dao and realizes she will leave to Budapest if she succeeds her exams. Chatree wishes now to succeed his exams in order to be accepted to go to Budapest also. Aom now realizes Chatree’s love for Dao. Winter season. Chatree's parents are finally aware as the Japanese teacher tells them the truth. Chatree believes Aom is the one who disclosed the truth so is very upset with her. Finally Chatree learns that Japanese teacher told his parents but cannot find Aom to excuse himself. The Japanese teacher talk to Chatree’s parents and they finally understand that they cannot force their son to study something he doesn't like. Son and father reconcile. End of year concert happens. All proud parents watch their children. Chatree is accepted for Budapest studies. It is a difficult choice for Chatree between Dao and Aom. Chatree finally decides to stay in Thailand. It is a nice romantic teen movie mixing various kinds of music. There are great musical moments mixing classical music, Thai traditional music and modern music.
