Tayme time

Rising star acts up

By Suwitcha Chaiyong
Photos by Varuth Hirunyatheb

Born and raised in London, 23-year-old contestant Maethi Thapthimthong (Tayme) caught the attention of viewers of Academy Fantasia with his likeable and natural personality. Tayme won second prize on the show, gained great fan support and set himself up for a bright future in showbiz.

Since then, Tayme has been busy working on his debut single and auditioning for an acting role with the national TV channel.

Student Weekly recently met up Tayme at a studio where he was taking part in a fashion shoot with fellow AF10 contestants. Tayme told us about life after AF and about his past experiences.

Student Weekly: When did you first realise that you were interested in acting?

Tayme: I became interested in acting when I started watching films at the age of 16. By the time I was 18, I realised that liked it enough to study acting at university. But I never really thought about making it my career. Before I studied performing arts, I was recruited into the commandos and I intended to work with the state military.

Student Weekly: What attracted you to acting?

Tayme: I feel comfortable becoming a different character. It seems strange, but I like having a new identity. It’s interesting for me.

Student Weekly: Can you tell us about your experience working as a security guard at a London nightclub?

Tayme: I was the youngest security guard on the team. Whenever something happened at the cub, I was always the first to run in and try to calm the situation down or separate people who were fighting. But it was a great team to work with and a good way to learn how to deal with different people.

Student Weekly: What did you want to do most after leaving the AF house?

Tayme: I just wanted to enjoy being alone in my own room with no television cameras! In the AF house, everything we used was provided by the sponsors, so I was happy to be able to use my own toothbrush and toothpaste again. It was a pleasant feeling to go home.

Student Weekly: What were your expectations from taking part in AF?

Tayme: I didn’t expect much because I’d never watched AF before. I came to Thailand and wanted to be an actor, so somebody suggested that I participate in the show. I didn’t expect anybody to vote for me, so I couldn’t believe it when I won second place.

Student Weekly: What was the best advice you received from being on the show?

Tayme: Just to be myself. That’s the advice that the trainers gave everybody. A lot of people might find it hard to be themselves when there are always cameras around. But I had no idea what the show was like, and I didn’t know where the cameras were.

Student Weekly: How did you feel about Koo Jin, or the imaginary couple idea on the show?

Tayme: I thought that fans would think of an imaginary couple in terms of a boyfriend and girlfriend. I didn’t expect my imaginary couple to be with a guy. Our relationship is more like brothers, but it’s nice that people recognised that we’re close.

Student Weekly: Why did you decide to mention that you have a girlfriend, unlike most of the other participants?

Tayme: I didn’t know that people didn’t talk about that. [Laughs.] I was just being natural. She’s my best friend who helped me out while I was at university. Without her, I wouldn’t have made it to this point in my life.

Student Weekly: What do you miss most about living in London?

Tayme: I miss it as home, because I lived there for 23 years. I miss the atmosphere in London where I liked to walk around. I also miss wearing a big jacket when it’s cold, as well going up to Scotland to climb mountains and walk in the forest.

Student Weekly: What kind of role would you like to play in a movie?

Tayme: I really like complex characters that use their eyes to express emotions. I enjoy characters like the Joker in the movie, The Dark Knight. That character was so dramatic, dark and psycho!

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