The Fallen Leaf

​ปลิดปลิว เคว้งคว้าง
Blown away, flustered,
ชิวิตฉันดั่งใบไม้ที่หลุดลอย
My life is a falling leaf;
น้ำตาฉันเป็นลำธาร
Like a stream, my tears flowed, 
อาบรักที่ผิดหวังในตัวเธอ
Showering me in a love disappointed by you.

The above is my (perhaps abortive) attempt at translating the theme song of Bai Mai Tee Plid Plew ใบไม้ที่ปลิดปลิว, also known as “The Fallen Leaf” or “The Leaves”. In my second year studying Thai I decided to watch some la korn (Thai series) over the break to consolidate my language skills, and this became my single favorite Southeast Asian TV series of all time. Anyone could watch this for free on YouTube and it comes with English subtitles.

​Unable to get enough of the series after watching the finale, I tried looking for discussions about it online. Strangely enough, I realized there are not many English reviews out there. One of the main actresses, Nida Patcharaveerapong who played Aunt Rungrong, passed away after a boat accident on 24 February 2022. And so I finally decided to write this review, in part to commemorate her.
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Plot

​Bai Mai Tee Plid Plew is inspired by a 1988 novel of the same title, written by Tom Yantee ทมยันตี. Like the book, this series uncovers the struggles of the trans community in Thailand.

This is a story about pain, hatred, and vengeance. Born as a boy, the protagonist Nira had just completed a sex reassignment surgery when her mother died in a car crash. Returning to Thailand with a new identity, Nira started a career as a makeup artist but would eventually be entangled with the old family she left behind. A few encounters by chance brought Nira together with her uncle-in-law Chatchavee, who did not know her original identity. This incestuous relationship would eventually brew into a tragedy.
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​The decision to star Pimchanok Luevisadpaibul พิมพ์ชนก ลือวิเศษไพบูลย์ was controversial. Some questioned why the producers did not cast a real transexual actress instead, but I see this as a smart move - not because her nickname “fern leaf” Baifern ใบเฟิร์น somewhat matches with the title, but because she could carry the whole series single-handedly with her superb acting. I knew about her from the movie FRIEND ZONE (which was, by the way, released in the same year) and now after Bai Mai Tee Plid Plew I am officially a fan. In addition to tapping into Baifern’s large fanbase, casting this diva also made such a topic of taboo more palatable to the audience.

As with reading José Rizal, you don’t ever get an easy time watching this series; it is meant to sting, moments of bliss are short-lived and it keeps you feeling as if you were on the edge. I find this melancholy much more meaningful than those popular “BL” series from Thailand. Some have commended Bai Mai Tee Plid Plew for bringing to light the transgender and transexual communities, a salient topic in Thailand. More so than advocacy for LGBT+, however, to me what Bai Mai Tee Plid Plew stands for is this desire to turn over a new leaf. Despite all the suffering she had endured before her return to Thailand, Nira did not actively seek to hurt anyone. Even though there was much hatred in her heart, eventually Nira simply wanted to be left alone - she was even willing to let go of Chatchavee. To me this is resemblant of the characters under Rizal’s pen. Like Ibarra after his father’s death, and like Basilio after his brother was killed and mother went insane, Nira was willing to let the past go and start afresh. But a series of incidents pushed her into a corner and resulted in the tragedy that ensued.
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​Soundtrack

Apart from the cast and the storyline, I believed the music itself deserved a section of its own despite the fact that this series did not have its own original soundtrack. The theme song is a rearrangement of the classic Thai song Rak Tee Yaak Leum รักที่อยากลืม, covered by Jiew Piyanut จิ๋ว ปิยนุช. The original style remains widely popular, but I prefer the new version more.

​Nira and Chatchavee’s multiple encounters early on in the series revolved around a record player. Nira bought a vinyl of Loong Rak ลองรัก by Srisalai Suchatwut ศรีไศล สุชาตวุฒิ, and this song would continue to permeate throughout the rest of the series, along with the record player from Chatchavee. 

ลองรัก translates to “trying to love” in English, and it mark Nira’s transformation throughout the series. From the first episode when she could hardly control her anger, Nira gradually learnt to become independent and moved out of the doctor’s house. She was learning to hate less and try to love.

Although Gam Wichayanee แก้ม วิชญาณี’s Bai Mai ใบไม้ appeared only once in the series, the lyrics made it my favorite out of the three: beautiful, poignant, and melancholic.

ไม่มีวันไหนที่ฉันไม่เสียน้ำตาให้เธอ
Not a single day goes by without me shedding tears for you;
ไม่เคยได้มองท้องฟ้า แล้วยิ้มได้อย่างใครใคร
I have never looked up at the sky and smile like everyone else,
ไม่มีเสียงหัวเราะเหมือนคนทั่วไป
Never laughed like anyone else,
มีแต่รอยน้ำตา ที่ร่วงลงไป
All that exists are traces of tears that have dropped.
เหมือนกับต้นไม้ปลิดใบ
Like a tree, withered,
ให้หลุดร่วงจนไม่เหลือสักใบ
Let all the leaves fall, till nothing remains.
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Even the background instrumentals were nothing short of impressive. I wished there could be an album released with all of the lyrical and instrumental music included, like those Korean dramas.

Conclusion

​The hardest part of exploring a new genre is finding where to start. While I have not viewed enough Thai la korns to be able to make a definite judgment, I definitely liked Bai Mai Tee Plid Plew and would recommend it. There will be many more la korns to come, but I am confident that Bai Mai Tee Plid Plew would remain to be a timeless masterpiece. I shall continue to work on my Thai, and when I am proficient enough I would definitely read the original novel.