Thai World: Meet First and Khaotung

First and Khaotung. Probably known to be the spearhead of GMMTV. This power couple has become one of the symbols of Thai entertainment worldwide thanks to their undeniable chemistry.

Khaothung Thanawat debuted in 2018 in a series called You Are My Boy. Despite being just a support role, his ability to portray different emotions on the screen paved the way for his first role as a leading actor in 2020 in Tonhon Chocolate. A few years before 2016, First Kanaphan Puitrakul debuted in a movie, The Assassins. After coming fourth in Cool Man Good Man and working with Kazz Magazine, he started his career at GMMTV with the drama Wake Up Ladies.

Despite being part of the industry for years, we see them becoming a couple on-screen only in 2022 when they got the roles of Akk and Ayan in The Eclipse. As the title said, something incredible happened to First and Khaotung: it's the beginning of a new chapter in which both actors play a lead role. Since then, we have seen them in Our Sky (a spin-off of The Eclipse series), in Moonlight Chicken, and finally in Only Friends, where they play the roles of Ray and Sand.

Panorama.it spoke with the duo in an exclusive interview.

Nice to meet you. Can you please introduce yourself to our readers?

Both: Nice to meet you; my name is Khaotung, and my name is First. We play the leading roles in the Only Friends series.

Can you also introduce us to your characters in Only Friends? I would like to hear about them from your point of view.

Khaotung: I play as Ray. My character is quite a lonely guy; he loves to drink. We can say he's quite an alcoholic, and he's rich. That's why he sees money as a way to do and get everything he wants.

First: I play as Sand. His background is different from Ray's. He's not poor, but he has to work in order to live. Sand is a dreamer; he wants to travel the world, so his main purpose in life is to work to achieve his dreams.

In Only Friends, you share the screen time with other main leads: Force and Book, Neo and Mark. How's working on the set all together?

Khaotung: We have worked together with the crew and the other main leads and are close. For Force and Book, it's our first time sharing screen time and working together, and I was pretty impressed because their personality is very similar to mine: they are chilling but also hard workers.

First: Since everybody has the same age in the group, it feels like working with friends, and it was very comfortable to be on the set together because we share the same mindset.

This is definitely not your first project together, so I'm curious to know how your relationship evolved. How was it when you first met?

Khaotung: Since we have been working together, we feel very comfortable and have a lot of trust in each other. We actually became friends, so everything is very smooth and comfy.

First: We met each other at acting classes, and since then, we found out we have matching lifestyles. So our friendship started there. Now we are very close, and this is a benefit when we work together because since we have been friends for a long time, everything goes as smoothly as silk when we do projects together.

Do you have some fun stories connected to your first meeting?

First: When we first met, Khaotung seemed a little bit of an introvert. I thought he was someone who is very calm, doesn't talk much, and, let's say, is not very friendly. Basically, someone who was acting cool all the time, but just that. But after that, when we started talking, his "acting cool stuff" totally disappeared in front of me. It was like the bad vibes collapsed, and we started talking so much and became best friends.

Khaotung: First is a very talkative person. So when we first met, I was like: "Whaaat? Why are you talking so much all the time?"

They both started laughing a lot pointing at each other and leaning to the camera while having so much fun. Their laugh was so contagious we couldn't keep it and join them.

What changed between your first work together and Only Friends?

Khaotung: In terms of working, we feel we have grown a lot. Compared to last year, this year, we feel like we are more adult, and we can now handle a lot of stuff.

Except from Only Friends, which was your most memorable role together and why?

Khaotung: Definitely the roles we played in Eclipse. It was our first series together, and it was a big opportunity that led to other opportunities.

First nods, agreeing with Khao.

Walking this path together, if you could give one another some advice, which would it be?

Khaotung: We talk a lot about it, but if I have to give First some advice, it would probably be "Be happy every day".

First: We talk a lot, I agree with Khaotung. But if I have to say something to him, it's more a recommendation, something that he should keep in mind: "Every action has consequences so before you do something you have to think first".

And if you had to define the other with one word, which one would you use?

Khaotung: Comfort person. Being with him is very comfortable.

First: Before, I would have used the same word, but right now, I will say "good vibe" because he's very positive, and even if you are from afar, you can see this positive aura coming from him.

I also would like to know how you would define yourself in one word?

First: Cool guy.

They both start laughing again. Khaotung takes some time to answer... so First pitch in: "Sexy huy" - he says. Khaotung laughs, shaking his head and saying, "Noo".

Khaotung: Cute guy.

What's coming next for you?

First: Right now, the series Only Friends that's airing right now.

Khaotung: And then we will have fan meetings. We will travel to four countries: Vietnam, Japan, Bangkok, and Brazil.