Positive thinking

Baitoei wants to run her own business selling popcorn.

By Suwitcha Chaiyong
Photos by Varuth Hirunyatheb
and courtesy of True4You

The popular new TV series, LOL Cheevit Kid Buak (Positive Outlook on Life), is about a club formed by a teacher named Davich (played by Boat from indie band The Yers). With the club, Davich tries to help students avoid making the same mistakes that he made in the past.

Award-winning 19-year-old actor Jirayu La-Ongmanee (Kao) plays popular basketball player Pun, who doesn’t get along with Davich because of the teacher’s unusual personality and teaching methods. Actress Zuvapit Traipornworakit (Baitoei), 22, plays a student named Praew who has a crush on Pun.

Student Weekly recently met up with Kao and Baitoei at Siam Discovery after a press conference for the TV series. The young stars told us about their student lives and their new TV drama.

Student Weekly: Baitoei, has your experience studying performing arts at university helped you with your acting work?

Baitoei: I learned some acting techniques, but once I was on a set I had to learn things from scratch like everybody else. I’ve been in TV commercials, music videos and one movie. Those experiences helped me to not feel nervous in front of a camera. Positive Outlook on Life was a good opportunity to develop my TV acting skills.

Student Weekly: Kao, as an experienced actor, do you have an advantage at university studying acting and directing?

Kao: No. When I’m acting, I just follow my instincts. At university, I’ve learned more about technical terms. I’ve also learned a lot from my friends who are really into movies.

Student Weekly: Did you prefer your life in high school or at university?

Baitoei: I preferred high school. I have a lot of friends that I grew up with and we know one another well. Even when we haven’t seen one another for a long time, we still can connect well.

Kao: I like university because there are lots of beautiful girls there! [Laughs.]

Student Weekly: How did you feel about playing high school students?

Kao: It was like turning back time. It was a good experience because I’ll be too old to wear a school uniform in a couple of years’ time.

Baitoei: I was worried about whether I could look like a high school student again. But once I put on the school uniform and wore less make-up I was OK.

Student Weekly: Have you ever consulted a guidance counsellor about your future careers?

Baitoei: No. I was on the student committee, and I participated in many activities. That was how I found out that I liked acting.

Kao: I started acting when I was 6 years old. I felt like my life was destined for this. I didn’t choose to be an actor, but I’m happy with it and I enjoy it.

Student Weekly: What do you usually do when you encounter a problem?

Kao: I try to figure out how I can solve the problem. Sometimes consult with an older person, but I don’t necessarily believe everything they say. Everybody needs support when they have problems.

Baitoei: I sometimes get it off my chest by talking to my friends, but I usually try to solve problems by myself.

Student Weekly: Kao, what was it like meeting your Indonesian fans at a mall in Jakarta last year?

Kao: It was my first time meeting them. It felt similar to meeting my fans in the countryside. I felt so excited. I tried to communicate with them in English, even though I can’t speak it fluently. I had a great time.

Student Weekly: What makes Positive Outlook on Life different from other shows?

Baitoei: It can help people who might have similar problems to the characters in the series.

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