"I think the popularity of "Khemjira the Series" shows that Thai society is not 100% completely open to BL series or diversity." - Namping (translated by @.mnxxionen)
▸13.10.2025 - NAMPING WITH CPDINSIDE #ClubPrideDayInsidexNamping
Interviewer: From your view of Thai society, which has a lot of GL (Girls' Love) and BL (Boys' Love), do you think these are fully accepted yet?
Namping: I think the popularity of "Khemjira the Series" shows that Thai society is not 100% completely open to BL series or diversity. When the series became popular, many "outsiders" asked why it didn't have a male-female protagonist. This was a common comment online during the early episodes, with remarks like, "Why isn't it male-female? If it were, I'd probably be more interested." As an actor who is dedicated to this series-and as someone who represents both those in front of and behind the camera-I must admit I felt slightly looked down upon for our efforts. The series is based on a BL novel, so it is inherently a BL story.
All I can do is give my best in the role I have. I hope Thai society can start to shift its perspective. There has been some change since the first episodes of Khemjira aired. More people are realizing that expecting a BL series to be a male-female one is an unreasonable way of thinking. While many people get this, I want to highlight that this idea has been part of Thai society for a long time, making it hard to change. There exists a mindset termed "homophobia," which involves an unwillingness to accept or understand homosexual love.
Interviewer: It's like an old framework.
Namping: Yes, it is like being stuck in an old framework. We need more time, but if you ask if there is hope, I would say yes, there is hope. I see people who still hold these old views, but I also see others who challenge them, saying things like, "Hey! Please don't think that way," and explaining why. I believe Khemjira offers more than just entertainment or exciting ghost or romantic scenes; it encourages society to reflect and question issues like these. I'm eager to see what kind of society we will create in the future.
For now, I am glad that the characters, Phor Khru and Nong Khem, are helping people see that a BL series isn't very different from any other series with male-female characters. And people can choose to watch it or not; we never force anyone to watch the BL series. If someone prefers a male-female series, there are plenty of options available, and it is important to support these series because the Thai entertainment industry offers a wide variety of choices.
But if you choose to watch BL series, I hope that audiences can truly open their hearts. There is so much beautiful diversity in the world-not just BL, but also GL. The market for these series is growing and driving our country's economy. I want many Thais to give it a chance and embrace this diversity.
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🕯️Khemjira Must Know - a post that you might need - EP 1 🕯️
A collaboration project between Ella (moonrabbit1702) and me to research and compile details about Thai culture and beliefs shown in both Khemjira the novel and Khemjira the series! If you see a similar thread out there on X, this is an extended version of it.
Shout out to @visualtaehyun and her language posts that also helped inspired this idea 💖
EP 2 , EP 3 here!
Disclaimer: Since both of us are not Thai & English native speakers, this is done in a more learning & sharing spirit. We have no intentions to spread misinformation or state ours as facts and we make sure to have a source for anything we present. If there are any mistakes, we sincerely apologize. We welcome everyone to correct any wrong information and contribute new ones as we’re sure that we might have missed as interfans! Let’s make the experience of watching Khemjira both fun and informative together.
The information in orange is from the official English translation of the novel. Any media or Tumblr post will be linked directly while other sources can be found in this References Google Docs.
🕯️A short introduction on Isan.
Northeast Thailand or Isan (อีสาน) (also as Isaan, Isarn, Issarn, Issan, Esan, Esarn) borders with Laos and Cambodia, consists of 20 provinces with a population of 22 million [1].
Map of Thailand showing the regions and provinces (redrawn after FAO 2008) [2, p. 10].
More info about all Thai regions can be read from this blog post: “Info for writer in Thai series fandom: Cultural differences in
each area .” of @recentadultburnout [3]. I also found this photo from there. Please also check out their "Thai language and culture" index, it's really helpful and informative.
Isan is Thailand's largest region and takes up almost a third of Thailand’s land mass, yet, many of its provinces are still in poverty, have limited access to water and education [4]. Agriculture is the main sector of Isan’s economy [5].
The people of Isan are a mixture of Lao, Vietnamese, Khmer, Mon, Cham, and other Tai groups. It is also the origin of classic dishes like som tum (green papaya salad) and larb (ground meat salad) [6]. Isan is also famous for the production of the Queen of Thai silk - phrae wa (แพรวา) silk of the Phu Tai community [7]. More on phrae wa here.
In Isan, there are 12 Heet -14 Kong or Heet 12 - Kong 14. Heet 12 refers to the 12 traditional festivals or cultural practices followed each lunar month, reflecting Isan people’s belief in Buddhism, ancestors, and protective spirits. Kong 14 refers to 14 social norms that Isan people are expected to observe and be punished if violated (not through legal system from what I understand). It is important to note that some of the 12 Heet are celebrated all around Thailand, not limited to Isan only [8, p. 97–98].
The 12 Heet (ฮีตสิบสอง) are summarized [53][54] in this table by me, inspired by the table from “Heet-Kong Isaan (Isaan Tradition and Government): Problems and Potential of Natural Resources and Environment, Economy, Society and Local Wisdom of Isaan, Thailand” [56, p.4397]:
The 14 Kong are divided into 3 types depending on social statuses: (1) Administrators, Prince, Kings; (2) Buddhist monks; (3) Ordinary citizens. The 14 Kong for ordinary citizens, quote directly from “An Application of Isan Local Indigenous Knowledge in Suppression of Social Disputes” [55, p. 183], are:
1. Crops and foods after harvest should not be consumed immediately. The harvest should first be offered to the Buddhist Monks to make merit.
2. Do not be greedy and avid. Do not commit fraud, be selfish or be rude.
3. The community should build temple walls together and help each other build walls for each house. Towers of worship should be built on all four corners of the village and at each household.
4. A person's feet should be cleaned before entering the house.
5. When it is a Buddhist Sabbath day which is on the lunar calendar of 7-8-14-15 day, the people must pay homage to the house's Khon Sao (furnace), ladder and door.
6. A person's body and feed should be cleaned, bathed and properly dressed before sleep.
7. When it is Buddhist Sabbath day, the people should make offerings of flowers and incense to Buddhist monks. Wives should pay respect to their husbands.
8. When it is the 15th day of the lunar calendar, the people should invite Buddhist monks to their house to perform merit ceremony and receive food offerings from the host.
9. When providing food offerings to Buddhist Monks, the people should not keep the monks in waiting. During offerings the people should not be wearing shoes or sandles, should not be carrying umbrellas or wear head cloths. They should not be carrying children or carry any types of weapons or touch the monk's food vessel.
10. When Buddhist are confined to temples and monestary's during resentment period, the people should provide offerings of flowers, incense and candles.
11. When Buddhist monk's are about to pass, the people should kneel and pay their respects and homage before engaging in conversation
12. Do not step on the shadows of Buddhist monks.
13. Do not provide leftovers to Buddhist Monks and to husbands. If this crime is committed, then the guilty will be committing great sin in this life and the next.
14. When it is Buddhist Lent day, Oog Pansa, Songran, the people should refrain from intercourse or else their children will become stubborn and hard to teach.
The 4 major cities of Isan are Khorat, Khon Kaen, Udon Thani and Ubon Ratchathani - the setting of the story.
🕯️Khatha
They are all incanting khatha.
Khatha (คาถา) is sacred Pali prayers, mantras and other magical incantations. Tham script is said to be what khatha is written and spoken in [9, p. 34].
Three major traditional scripts in Isan are: Tham, Thainoi, and Khom.
The Khom script: from the ancient Khmer script, primarily used in stone inscriptions and Buddhist texts.
The Tham script: the script of Dharma - Buddha’s teachings, from the ancient Mon script; is used to inscribe Buddhist texts.
The Thainoi script: from the Sukhothai script, administrative texts and secular literature.
[10, p. 63-64]
🕯️Por Kru
The series chose to translate the title Por Kru as Grand Master.
Por Kru (พ่อครู) is a title given to a magic master. Por (พ่อ) is father [11] and Kru (ครู) is teacher [12].
The concept of kru in Thailand is not really straightforward as just teachers, especially in Isan where village culture remains prominent. In “Village Life Culture and Transition in Thailand's Northeast”, before modern schooling systems were built in these villages, boys were educated at temples. They learnt to write and read in Tham script, khatha, magic, and even expertise like carpentry, crafting,...from abbots and monks [9, p. 33-38]. This paragraph really summarized kru hundreds times better than we can.
“Khru is an essential concept in traditional village culture. [...] a khru is not simply a person who has passed knowledge to his disciples. Rather, a khru personifies the whole process of the passing of wisdom, knowledge and skills th[r]ough the generations. Before performing any important act, villagers will remind themselves of their khru in an act of recognition and gratitude, and with a declaration of faith in the values received. The khru symbolises the line of life and the spirit of tradition. People who are khru not only 'teach', in the modern sense of the word, telling, advising and explaining to their disciple, and providing knowhow, but also disseminate a 'spirit', a knowledge incorporating values and spirit, life, energy, and other forces. In fact, everything that the khru has and is, is given to the disciple. One might say that khru give their 'life' to their acolytes.” [9, p. 58]
>> Updated: Por can be understood as a gender indicator.
🕯️Khemjira’s name
Khemjira means "to forever be safe".
Khem (เขม) means เกษม “happiness” [13], ความสบายใจ "comfortableness" [14] and ความพ้นภัย - being out of danger [15][16]. It comes from the Pali khema and Sanskrit kṣema (क्षेम) [17, p. 383].
Jira (จิรา) is from Pali cira [17, p. 418] "lasting long" [18] and Sanskrit cira (चिर) "lasting a long time" [19].
We could not figure out why it’s a girl’s name. However, we think it’s related to the Buddhist bhikkhuni (nun) Khema, with the same Pali and Sanskrit root as Khem (เขม), and was one of the top female disciples of the Buddha [20]. Also the meaning of the name is happiness, safety, which maybe could be typically for girls rather than for boys in Thai culture, that’s just a guess.
🕯️Takrut (Khem)
In the series, they referred to it as amulets, there are many types of Thai amulets and Khem’s is a takrut. In the novel, it is specifically a tiger leather takrut.
Takrut (ตะกรุด) is a type of tubular amulet that originated from Thailand.
A long hollow cylinder with varying length and thickness, made from metal like gold, red gold, silver, copper, tin or lead, inscribed on the metal itself or a small piece of paper with Yantra (ยันต์). It can be worn with a gold or silver chain, usually as a necklace, a chain over the right shoulder, an armlet or a girdle [21][22][23]. There are 4 classes of magical amulets in Thai culture and takrut belongs to the class kruang pluk sek (เครื่องปลุกุเสก เครื่องปลุกเสก) - pluk sek means “to arouse the potency of a person or an object by the use of a spell or incantation”, in a sense “a consecration, a blessedness” [23].
🕯️Amulets (Villagers)
The amulet Chai is using here, I believe it’s khruang rang.
Thailand charms and amulets are called khong khlang (ของขลัง) - “sacred, potent objects or talismans” [23, p. 171-172] and can be divided into 4 major types or classes [51]:
(1) Khruang rang (เครื่องราง): Material substances turned into stone or copper charms. For protection. Usually wear on the body or mouth.
(2) Phra khruang (พระเครื่อง): Small Buddha figurines either by clay, votive tablets, casting or carving. Protection for people or homes or to fulfill a vow.
(3) Khruang pluk sek (เครื่องปลุกุเสก): Extremely powerful charms activated through spells or incantations.
(4) Wan ya (ว่านยา): Folk medicine. Medicinal plants and roots used by shamans to treat illness or heal and protect against spirits.
🕯️Yantra (ยันต์)
Yantra (ยันต์) is a sacred geometrical, animal, and deity design accompanied by Pali phrases that are said to offer the bearer power, protection, fortune, charisma, and other benefits. It is often written on cloth and also adorns the human body in the shape of spiritual tattoos known as sak yant or yantra tattoos [24].
I could not find any source on this scene so this is my personal interpretation: The talisman Jet gave Khem might be a piece of cloth or a paper with yantra on it. It burned, not necessarily because the ghost burned it, more like its power was spent protecting Khem.
>> Correction: It is ผ้ายันต์ /phaa yan/ = Yantra cloth
🕯️Luang Por
Both Jet and Khem referred to Khem’s father as Luang Por.
Luang Por (หลวงพ่อ) is a title given to a Thai male monk whose age is around that of the speaker's father. Luang (หลวง) could mean "royal; of the court; superior; official; great" [25]. Por (พ่อ) is father [11]. It refers to a Buddhist Monk and can be understood as 'venerable monk' ‘Reverend Father’, or ‘Main Father’ [26][27].
🕯️Khemjira prostrated to the floor before leaving his father.
In the novel, Khemjira was also described to be prostrating on the floor 3 times when meeting his father. We think this is the krap (กราบ) where one has to kneel down and bowing to the floor in reverence.
It can be described as kneeling with your heels under you, hands in a “budding lotus.” Lift them to your forehead, then place your right hand on the floor, then the left, leaving space between. Bow your forehead to the gap, return, and repeat three times slowly. Another way is to place both palms down at once [28, p. 14-18]. This is a free book published by the Fine Arts Department of Thailand on not just the krap but the wai, and their description, variations, meanings and even cultural significance in Thai, accompanied with images.
This is a video of someone doing the krap paying respect to Buddha [29].
🕯️Holy thread & Holy water
When Jet came to Paran, he was in the middle of a ritual where he was chanting khatha and pouring water on a woman with a white thread on her head.
Holy thread, or sai sin (สายสิญจน์), is a long white thread that monks hold while praying and chanting prayers. People believe it can protect against dangers, e.g., ghosts, spirits, demons and is auspicious [30]. It is used in many ceremonies in Thailand like weddings and funerals or as bracelets [31].
In a Monk Blessing Ceremony (Tor Ar Yu), a length of cotton thread is held by nine monks, connected with the congregation through ceremonial candles, a Buddhist altar, and a golden bowl of holy water. The prayers and ceremony last about thirty minutes. Afterward, the holy thread is then left with the family as the monks leave and the elders in the group cut pieces of the thread to make string bracelets [32].
Holy water (น้ำมนต์ / น้ำมนตร์) is combined of Water (น้ำม) and Mantra/ Incantation/ Magic (มนต์/มนตร์) [33] and the making of holy water in Thailand is originated from Buddhism [34, p. 313-314]. Holy water can be used for blessing; purifying; cure people from evil forces, black magic or illness; massage women during difficult childbirth, etc… [9, p. 26].
There are different ways to make holy water.
Seri Phongphit and Kevin Hewison described how a Maw nam mon (holy water healers) in Northeast Thailand’s villages make holy water: They prepare a bowl of clean water (usually rain water), a pair of candles and incense sticks, a pair of flowers, a small sum of money. The Maw lights a candle, chants khatha, and lets the candle wax fall into the water [9, p. 61-62].
"close up of Buddhist monk's hand pouring melt candle tears to the water for making blessing water in Thai wedd." - 📷: Gunnerleng
Holy items like magical substances or amulets can also empower water. If immersing amulets in Holy water while chanting, both the Holy water and the amulet are said to be even more powerful. Another method is to let magic candles drop wax into the water and “using the ritual knife (mitmor), or ritual dagger (Grich/Keris), to stir the water whilst performing incantations” [35].
Suggesting holy water for Ice Bucket Challenge, Banthoon Lamsam - the Kasikornbank Chairman and CEO - said true holy water should have candle wax floating on it [36]. (It's not like he is a holy water expert, I just find the thought of using holy water for this is so funny so I have to share LOL)
🕯️Karmic enemy
Technically, what he said here is “karmic enemy”.
Karmic enemy (เจ้ากรรมนายเวร) is a vengeful spirit whom a person hurt in the previous life; as a consequence, it is seeking revenge in the person's current life.
From เจ้า (jâao, “chief, lord, master; owner”) + กรรม (gam, “karma; retribution; sin”) + นาย (naai, “chief, lord, master”) + เวร (ween, “sin; revenge, vengeance”) [37]. It could also in the present life, as in the past, you may have done something bad to someone and they want to seek revenge now or in the future. It could be a person or animal, not necessarily a spirit [38].
It can also be used to “refer to people who we don't like but keep having to meet and interact with” i.e Pat calls Pran in Bad Buddy, from “Info for writer in Thai series fandom: Superstitions, beliefs and ghosts.” [39].
🕯️Kumanthong
The 2 little mischievous boys on Paran’s altar are called kumanthong.
Kuman thong (กุมารทอง) means “golden little boy”, originated from ancient Thai manuscripts of black magic, where the practitioner took still born fetuses, performed rituals to invite the child’s spirit and coated them with a gold leaf lacquer. This kind of method is illegal in Thailand, yet, there was a reported case in 2012. [40]
Nowadays, Kuman thong often exists in the shape of a child, like statues, dolls, almost like amulets [41]. People adopted and raised Kuman thong as their children, including taking care of them, feeding them, and worshipping them. They can bring luck, wealth or cause harm, depending on the worshipper’s request. They can protect the owner and their family from harm, support business, provide warnings of danger, guard the home, watching for thieves or enemies and prevent them from entering. [42]
🕯️Anguished spirit - Phi tai hong
The tunnel that bus was stuck in is full of Phi tai hong (ผีตายโหง).
It is the vengeful and restless spirit of a person who suddenly suffered a violent or cruel death. Tai hong means "to die an unnatural and violent death, such as being murdered or drowning" and Phi tai hong means the ghost of a person who died in such a manner.
This is also how all the male descendants before Khem died before their 21st birthday.
🕯️Paran’s tattoo
● Yantra Tattooing / Sak Yant (สักยันต์)
With sak (สัก) means “to tattoo”, sak yant could be understood as “magical or sacred tattoo” protect the bearer from various kinds of harm such as knives, swords and bullets [43]. It was originally used by warriors to protect themselves from arrows in the battlefield [42]. While tattooing, the master “murmurs Buddhist chants to imbue the tattoo with special powers [...] the person receiving the tattoo should say prayers, which will add to the powers of the tattoo.” [44, p. 5]
These tattoos are normally given by a Buddhist Monk or Brahmin Priest but can also be performed by a layman, traditionally using a long bamboo stick with a split sharpened point like a quill (mai sak) or a long metal spike (khem sak) [45]. Angelina Jolie came to Thailand to get her sak yant [46].
Sak yant can also be made from plant oils and it will be invisible after healing [39], which is how the series is going to present Paran’s chest tattoo. According to the author Cali, it will only be visible when he is using his power [47].
● Sarika Kuu Dok Bua tattoo
It is described in Chapter 6 of the novel that Paran got a Sarika Kuu Dok Bua tattoo from his chest to Adam’s apple. You can see it glowed up on the screenshot above.
It is a tattoo helps with love life and popularity. It consists of 2 elements: Salika Birds (นกสาลิกา/สาลิกา) and Lotus (Dok Bua).
Salika (สาลิกา) could means either magpie (Corvinae family) or myna/ mynah (Sturnidae family) [48]. In Thai folktales, it is able to imitate sounds and sweet-talk [49], and as a pair of love birds, bring mystical power of love, attraction and improving relationships [50]. A salika is a tiny takrut that can be kept between the teeth and will allow the user to become a very persuasive talker [51].
📷: เกื้อกูล ปลีหะจินดา [52]
Addition info and corrections (updated) by Bella 💖.
"This ongoing discussion is vital for society, and it will undoubtedly help drive genuine social development." - Namping Napatsakorn
▸04.11.2025 - WeTV ALWAYS MORE 2026 Interview
Disclaimer: Long post. Not a native Thai speaker and not fluent in Thai so I welcome every corrections 🙏🏻After writing this, I realized it touches on a lot of topics that can be split into multiple in-depth dicussions with nuances and different perspectives etc. I feel like I'm not qualified to go into details, so I will express some of my opinions here and there but generally center more on Namping. But he is not the only one affected by this of course!
To fully appreciate Namping's answers, I think I should lay out some background where these questions came from and what happened on Twitter days before. I apologize but I blocked some of these accounts and I refused to go back in and link them so you have to take my words for it. I will link the original tweet that sparked these Since OP seemingly deleted it, you can verify in the quotes on your own if needed via this link. (It's Twitter search result of "url:last 19 digits of OP's deleted tweet's link", it shows all the quotes)
After Oat's incident, Thai netizens re-started the age-old BL discourse about fan service, queer baiting of koojin and how BL industry exploit the LGBTQ+ community for profits (I believe that real people cannot queerbait, I'm just using the words they're using). And someone named DMD outright in their quoted tweet. OP deleted it but they essentially were implying that DMD was doing extreme fan service and making money from the community. Ironic enough, OP was / is (?) a 2Mii aka JimmyTommy shipper :v
From that tweet, multiple criticisms, or even hateful remarks, were made towards DMD and their actors. I have summarized the main points which were discussed widely and / or most viral on Twitter.
(1) DMD & their actors are doing extreme fanservice to fuel Sao Y's fantasy, including answering ambiguously about koojin's relationships, addressing each other using pronouns that can be used for lovers, kissing cheeks, kissing, sitting on lap,...
-> (1.1) DMD staffs and ARs also take part in this by recording "moments" and posting online. A person even accused them acting and following the same script with every CPs.
-> (1.2) DMD didn't let their actors switch / act with another actors. One said DMD forced Zee and Nunew's characters to be a pair on Zomvivor for fanservice, a take that I can't verify because I haven't watched it yet but multiple ZeeNunew fans pointed out it was false. Also wrong about switch partners, see: Keng in The Paradise of Thorns, Zee in One Night Stand.
-> (1.3) TleFirstone also got some flaks for their Songkran shenanigans and their "too much fanservice". This is funny because later that night (Nov 3-Nov 4) Tle livestreamed in his hotel room with FirstOne was sneakily next to him and basically gave us even more sweet moments LOL. Unbothered kings.
(2) DMD forced / groomed (กรูม) their actors into being beautiful, cute and feminine ukes to pair with masculine seme, again, to promote their koojins and do fanservice. They cited these actors' pre-debut / pre-DMD photos as proofs. @singto-prachaya posted about this and some more tweets briefly here.
Google Translate: "And then groom the kids to be all the same sweet bottoms (this is ke/ uke / เคะ). Everyone has their own unique identity that can be sold by being themselves. But I want all the girls to be all of them."
At 11:39 PM Nov 4, this tweet has 4M views, 7.3k reposts and 3.8k likes.
-> Note: uke & seme here are the actual words Thai people uses. And I will use it to address them in this post if neccessary. Uke for the actors on the right of their ship name and seme for the ones on the left.
-> (2.1) Someone quoted and implied Namping, without naming names, mainly to dismiss his words and say he's fake and pretending.
Google Translate: "I'll be accused of hating a sissy (i think เคะออกสาว is feminine uke, rather than sissy). But let's just say that pre-debut wasn't like this. I just happened to be in DMM and became a sweet, brown-haired, dolly-like uke who dares to express himself. He's a cute, innocent bully with a strange name. It's the same pattern all over. I can't help but wonder if this community is a coincidence or intentional." (for Khemjira, Namping had had brown hair for a long time, and he is well-known for his "dolly eyes" makeup and even nicknamed "dolly eyes" + this OP has tweeted something similar before about Namping)
-> This topic has been brought up multiple times. When I first read the "masc for money" post from @maybe-boys-do-love, I immediately thought about DMD being constantly accused of femninized their ukes. I even drafted a post about this but I thought I don't have to finish it after Namping's talking about it but apparently people never truly care to begin with :)
(I find this so ironic considering how PoohPavel are being harrassed for having "muscular uke" and not being a traditional pairing and here we got people going bonkers because DMD has "too many" traditional seme x uke pairings. You can never please these people.)
Namping often found himself in heated discussions around his gender expression before and after joining DMD - "lost his idenity". He addressed it before Khemjira, he addressed it recently and now he has to address it again, more on that below.
📝11.07.2024 - Namping TikTok Live - translated by Ella
🐰: "Oh you used to look like that?" "You've grown up to look like this?" "You're in the BL industry so you have to act feminine, right?" or something like that. But as I grow up, I started to explore and discover myself trying different things until I become who I am today. [...]
📝08.10.2025 - Interview cut from onebunterng - translated and subbed by Ella
-> (2.2) When being confronted by the idea that people can grow and change over time, some brought up why did everyone in DMD went through the same changes and all becomes more femnine after joining. They said it's too many to be coincidences.
-> (2.3) Because DMD pairs are all traditional pairings, people said they can see the uke & seme of GMMTV and BOC switch but not DMD's.
This topic raises some interesting questions and valid concerns about representations and LGBTQ+ community and allies in the industry etc. Some made good points about how kathoey actors are not getting the support that they deserve. And I get it, we need more diverse media presentatives and it sucks to see "straight" people you think are only "in it for the money" take up all the space of queer people.
But it also became a safe place for people to trash talking DMD actors, dismiss their words and invalidate their gender expressions as well as dunking on fangirls for being stupid or being a creep obssessed with BL because they have "DMD doing queer baiting" as their shield and reasons. Basically they got a free pass and a bunch of supporters to be femmephobic and misogynistic.
So, back to Namping, here's his full answers that can basically covered almost all of these points, yet didn't specify anyone or have to disclose his personal business. He spoke for his labelmates as well but not claiming anything for them, instead welcoming everyone to be more kind, open-minded and even urge them to use their own critical thinking to engage online. He expressed what's on my mind but more politely than I could ever.
It also helps me reflecting on myself because like Namping said, these discussion brought toxicity, but it also can be informative, thought provoking and eye opening, especially for young open-minded people. Not every netizens out there was coming to get DMD and Namping, there were also queer people defend them, GL/BL as a whole. Some offered their perspectives and opininons in a calm and well-intentioned way. Some talked about femmephobia and policing gender expressions. Thus, it CAN bring more social development.
Translate by: @.mnxxionen - Full interview video: MayaTV
Transcripts & some related posts linked below.
Interviewer: Now that you've started gaining fame and popularity, drama has often followed. I'm sure some of you have seen this before. How did you feel about it?
Jimmy: Regarding the shipping, we've divided it into two parts: us as actors, and our fans. We believe that what we do should come from what makes us happy. To be honest, the work we do brings joy to our fans, and there are many people who like and love us. Therefore, we focus on what makes us happy. We always give each other consent and communicate openly, asking for permission before posting anything we want to share. So, it's not something that worries us.
Interviewer: So it's about spreading joy beyond just the series.
Namping: Yes, I encourage everyone to be open-minded. Within our company, no one has ever pressured or forced us to do anything. The company culture - from the first generation to the present - has always emphasized cherishing one another like family. Because our family is still growing and we aren't a massive corporation with hundreds or thousands of artists, we genuinely know everyone here. When we work with our partners, we become very close. Most importantly, consent is key. Whenever anything is posted, the people involved always approach us first to ask for permission, and we're all happy to give it. We haven't misbehaved, caused trouble, or acted in any way that negatively affects society or others - and that's an important point. We haven't harmed anyone; we're happy in our own space, and we bring happiness to those who choose to share that space with us. If both sides are happy, I don't see it as a problem.
Interviewer: When there are people who focus on this issue rather than on your good work and what you give back to the audience, do you feel stressed about it?
Namping: Actually, we aren't all that stressed. We do talk to each other, but we communicate like mature adults. To be honest, when the drama first began, we were flooded with comments from various places, many of which were anonymous - we don't even know who's behind those keyboards. Because of that, we've learned not to give them too much importance. For us, everyone in the company knows the truth about the situation and about our relationships. We know that everything we give is sincere and genuine. For example, Phi Tho truly took good care of Kong, and Jimmy and Ohm have their own unique ways of showing their affection. Ultimately, we want everyone to keep an open mind about DoMunDi. We hope people will focus on our acting skills and all the other talents we're continually working to improve. We'd prefer that attention shift away from this issue and toward the bigger picture - like our chemistry when we're together. Do you enjoy it? Do you want to keep supporting us? That's entirely up to each individual. Whether you view it as fan service or not is a topic open to debate. We aren't forcing anyone to adopt a single viewpoint; it depends on each person's perspective. We simply don't want this issue to cause any further drama.
Interviewer: I believe there are more people who love you than those who don't.
Some related posts:
Namping: There are times when certain issues arise and have the potential to spread widely. However, the most important thing is that I don't want everyone to be carried away by the current narrative. Sometimes, these issues originate from something very small and then snowball, spreading to involve other artists, the company,
or even creating broad stereotypes - like the idea that actors from this company must fit a certain mold or follow a specific pattern. The question is: how can people claim to have these "insights"? They are, at the end of the day, just opinions. And often, those opinions are generated and amplified by a small group of people who want the public to see us and the company only through their perspective. Therefore, we ask everyone to exercise discretion and critical thinking when consuming media. Instead of focusing on those narratives, please look deeper - into our relationships, our genuine work, our abilities, and the things we're actively doing. Don't underestimate our determination, regardless of factors like gender identity or expression. I truly want everyone to see the bigger picture. As I've mentioned before, Thai society may not have fully opened up to diversity yet - and that might be true. We're still questioned for things like having "dolly eyes" on a male actor. Sometimes, "Nong Kong" might want to look cute, while "Nong Ohm" might want to look cool. These situations bring us back to the core question of identity. Right now, that debate is ongoing, and I believe it will lead to important social progress. It will raise awareness that BL actors can embrace and express themselves however they wish. They shouldn't be confined to a rigid box where, as male actors, they must conform to society's narrow views - that they must be "blue" and not "pink." This ongoing discussion is vital for society, and it will undoubtedly help drive genuine social development.
Kru Den - Khemjira's director - shared some of his old photos back in school vs. now and expressed the fun of experimenting as a queer man.
A few hours before this interview was live, Nunew also shared his thoughts on this (Translations). Kim and Namping reposted it.
Aof - DMD founder - also (once again) insisted that he did not force anyone to do anything and wished everyone to respect DMD actors' personal growth.
I want to form some of my disorganized thoughts into words about Ramphueng's curse here. Let's see if it makes sense. This is strictly about the series because I think it's fairer to judge it independently, without using the novel to explain things.
Quick note: the word karmic enemy (เจ้ากรรมนายเวร) can also be translated as karmic creditor - which can both refer to Ramphueng in this case.
1. The Curse
"I place my curse upon you all. May your line be struck with misfortune, with no sons to carry your name."
→ It's safe to assume that the Lord and the Madam did not have any son after Ramphueng's death. And they probably went through a tons of misfortune, probably died in a fire.
Some fans also interpreted this as because they killed people, they have to be burnt in hell until they pay back all their negative karma. I took a quick search and at Wikipedia of Naraka (Buddhism) - referred in English as "hell", "hell realm" or "purgatory" - stated: "A being is born into naraka as a direct result of its accumulated actions (karma) and resides there for a finite period of time until that karma has achieved its full result." Maybe the fans are referring to this or from the novel.
→ Lady Kakanang of course also suffered misfortune, probably death or illness. I couldn't imagine her guilt and pain. And I wonder if she witnessed her daughter also suffered.
Since the Lord didn't have son and the curse is on the family of Khem's mother, does that means Krongkhwan might have a child? Then, both Krongkhwan and Lady Kakanang keep being reborn as a member of her family or their own descendants? And they keep being mother and son / daughter?
"If you die, may you be reborn, and I shall claim my vengeance."
→ The Lord and Madam maybe be reborn, maybe not, they didn't show it. Krongkhwan and mom were reborn so Ramphueng's curse were in full effect.
"Should you be reborn as a women, may you suffer separation from your beloved, either by being parted or by death, as I was parted from my son. And should you be reborn a man, may death claim you at twenty-one, as it now claims me."
Krongkhwan was separated from her lover. In the second life, young man got hit by a train. Third life, she was imprisoned, again, be isolated from everyone you love. Fourth life, Khemmika had heart disease and was separated from Pawat by death.
We didn't see all Lady Kakanang's lives but in this life, she was being parted from her husband and son by death too.
2. The Conversation
"Look around you. They've all paid for what they did to me in every lifetime. All have faced their karma, except you. You're the last one."
I think she is not targeting Khem specifically, it's just Khem and his mom are being showed reborn as human and others are not LOL. I do wish they made it more clearly here like in the novel.
As she said, she has revenged all of the other people involving in her death. Again, they have their reasons but no matter what, their actions contributed to Ramphueng's death and that made them the subject of her curse. That's their karma.
"Only then will my hatred finally fade."
I have seen people talk about how this implied that after this life, no one is being reborn after death anymore because the curse said "If you die, may you be reborn, and I shall claim my vengeance." Hence Ramphueng stops. It's an interesting theory. Personally, I think because they have paid their due, the curse will lose its effect, ending this revenge cycle. (I need someone who is well versed in Buddhism to watch Khemjira plz it is so complicated) Or that's just how Ramphueng thinks. That if all her "enemies" pay their price, she will finally be happy and at peace.
3. The Revenge
I think the "villain origin story" of Ramphueng is so tragic in so many different ways.
Only when she was dead, did she gain the power to take revenge. This is a really common theme in Asian stories involving injustice - human using the supernatural power to get revenge and punish the perpetrators / their oppressors or just simply to clear their names and prove innocence. "The Injustice to Dou E", in which a woman swore 3 unnatural occurrences happen after her death to prove her innocence come to mind when writing this.
Even then, it's at the cost of Ramphueng's next life and even many more lives. Losing any happiness. Roaming this world in her battered and tortured death state. Everyday for hundreds years being drown in anger and resentment while her "enemies" have been reborn multiple times and maybe has had many more happy memories than she had ever had. Sure, they will died under her hands eventually, but at the end of the day, they can still live, love and be loved, just like Khemmika and Khemjira.
But Ramphueng can't. At least until she makes Khemjira pay. But what guarantee that she won't hunt for his next life or just go on a rampage when the subjects of her curse are all gone. She doesn't forgive. Her grievance and resentment are still there. She is a powerful spirit that can harm people unrelated to Khemjira and doesn't hesitate to wreck havoc to get what she wants and do what she thinks it's right.
From Rae-Worn to the 3 students in the forest. Even Charn and Uncle Chai almost got burnt and Charn wasn't trying to help Khem then. Hurting innocent people will also result in her own karma.
Ultimately, killing Khemjira is not what will help her find peace and help her hatred fade. It never will.
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These are DMD's top 5 CPs they announced in DMD Lineup 2026 and 3.5 of them are from Gen 3! I have had the same thought on DMD's top CPs for a long time and it's great that they confirmed it. (I don't know if this was in order because KengNamping was said to be no. 1 but TleFirstOne was said to be no. 3. EDIT: they were last year, so this is not in order. thanks lovely @/moeblobmegane in the replies)
To think about it, they kick-started DMD Friendship. Your Sky marked DMD's unexpected success after a long time, Khemjira and Duang With You are back-to-back hit series.
