People might see Boy [Takonkiet Viravan, the director of Banlang Mek] as a man with a hot temper. But the only thing he gets angry about is work—it’s never personal. If a task isn’t done the way he thinks it should be, I think it’s normal that he raises his voice. After the work is done, though, and it’s all over, he’s nice and friendly again.

Some people are afraid to talk or argue to him, but in fact Boy is open to opinions. I like this quality he has. It allows colleagues to exchange ideas.

Stage plays are tougher than anything in the world. Really. But it’s hard work that can benefit you. Stage performance is the basis for all performing arts; you can later on adapt your skills to TV dramas or movies.

Actors need to think, think and think. When you do something, you need to know why you are doing it and what feeling drives you to act this way. It’s not just raising your hand or walking as you are choreographed.

Mistakes happen. But these are the challenges a good actor faces; you have to cover up your mistakes, so that the audience doesn’t know about them. These problems happen every day, but the show must go on.

But mistakes shouldn’t happen often. That’s why we practice so hard. 

I’m not a professional singer, I’m a professional actor.

I cried and cried when I started singing for the first Banlang Mek. I wanted to quit every day for the first two months. I can sing, but I don’t know why I was so afraid of singing. Maybe because I thought to sing, you must sound like Nantida.

Boy helped me out. He told me, “I chose you because I want an actor who can sing. I don’t want a singer because what is important for this production is good acting.” He encouraged me to feel like every note I pronounced was dialogue, and part of the acting.

Now I’m happy when I sing, because I don’t feel pressured that I don’t have a beautiful or powerful voice. I can’t sing as nice as Pat [Suthasinee], but I can act.

Whatever you want to do, you have to put love in it. When you love doing something, you will have the passion to learn and try. I believe we can do anything if we love it.

I watched Jintara in Luk Khunluang and I want to be like that. I want to try different kinds of plays, not just musicals. Stage plays have no boundaries; there’s no age or image limit like on TV. On TV, if you are a villain, you are always a villain; or if you are a heroine, you have to retain the heroine image.

I am thrilled and very proud every time I come out for a final bow, I feel like I’ve done a great job for the last three hours. I always wait for that moment, anxious to see whether the audience will stand up and clap with enthusiasm.

My lifestyle is not nine-to-five like other moms. I can’t pick my children up from school every day or that sort of thing. That’s why I try to be flexible and let them do what they want, even though I’m quite strict.

I read magazines from time to time, but I don’t read the gossips. I really don’t like them, partly because I know what’s true and what’s not, partly because it’s not my business and especially because I don’t want to see my story in there.

Being an actor is like walking under the limelight all the time, and that’s bad enough already. Now I have to worry whether anyone will take my photo with a mobile phone when I go out. I always feel afraid. I don’t want to feel like I’m being preyed on.

I feel that the entertainment business doesn’t give enough due to people who are doing great things. Compared to gossip news, we don’t talk about good shows or good people very much.