Say hello to 'Buppha Arigato'

Buppha Arigato is meant to send a chill down the spines of the audience, but it also did that for the cast and crew. On location in Japan, the temperature was well below freezing as they went about filming a scene on a ski slope.

"The temperature was about -8C," said Supatsara Thanachat, aka Kao Hormones, one of the stars. "I remember we only had half an hour to rehearse before filming. Our time was very limited due to the location's availability and the extreme weather. It's absolutely uncontrollable when it comes to snow, so everything was tough. The crew needed to throw their gloves away in order to handle the cameras, so their hands got stiff from that."

Kao, 21, stars as the ghost in the sequel-reboot to the Buppha Rahtree hit horror-comedy franchise from director and creator Yuthlert Sippapark. The first film came out in 2003 and seven years have passed since the last.

While there's been no shortage of ghost movies in the series' absence, Yuthlert has taken a fresh approach with an all-new cast. The location has been switched from the sordid Oscar Apartment in downtown Bangkok to the snowy village of Niseko in Japan, where Buppha finds herself bumping into the cast from the movie Fan Chan.

Kao, who has become a familiar face thanks to her role in the hit TV series Hormones, takes the title role of the knife-wielding Buppha from Chermarn "Ploy" Boonyasak, who has lately made more appearances in gossip columns than on the big screen.

"This film is still Buppha at its core, but the story elements get entirely re-imagined," Kao said.

"The franchise was fun to watch growing up. The way P'Tom [Yuthlert] tells his stories and intertwines the horror with romance and humour is, in my opinion, what really separates this franchise of horror movies from the others.

"For me, I was obviously too young to ever see it when it first came out in cinemas, but it was one of those DVD movies that I saw when I was a teenager. And it's a pretty solid movie. Not really dated at all."

Charlie "Nack" Trairat and his co-stars from the beloved 2003 coming-of-age film Fan Chan are back, but in very different roles and very different circumstances.

"I play myself, which is quite easy to pull off, not in a random, shallow self-indulgent kind of way though, but because I really identify with the script," said Nack, still best known for his turn as the little boy-next-door Jeab in Fan Chan.

"Since I'm not much of an active figure in this industry, I'm happy that they have given me this great opportunity. Not to mention that it was an even better experience when you make a film with your long-time friends," he smiled. "We [the Fan Chan cast] have known each other for years, so everything went really smoothly. We supported each other both on and off screen and had a lot of fun together."

But it was Nack's first time working with Kao, who he called "a fantastic actor".

"I admire her discipline and professionalism. On top of that, I find her acting very natural," he said.

Nack did disagree about the difficulty of working in the snow, however. "For me, the >> >> freezing weather was the fun part. I personally love cold and snow so there wasn't any single moment that I felt exhausted or shaking.

"There was a scene where all of the Fan Chan gang, including me, had to walk in the snow with bare feet and no clothes on. Turns out I was the only one who actually enjoyed it," he joked. "So you're not going to feel like this film is really intense or dark because there's a lot of humour in it as well."

Although Buppha Arigato marks her second venture on the big screen, Kao is far from a newcomer. For the past few years the actress has made a name for herself with television series, sitcoms, music videos and a number of endorsements. None have fanned her fame more than her role as Sprite, a bold, flirtatious high school girl who, despite a notorious reputation with men, promotes safe sex, in the highly acclaimed teen drama Hormones.

Being cast as Buppha was exciting, but there was also the pressure of living up to expectations in what has been a juggernaut in Thai cinema for more than a decade.

"I don't think I was intimidated coming into it, but I was definitely worried about the result," she said.

"It's a sequel, but at the same time it's also a reboot, so I figured the film-makers were going to be pretty serious this time.

"I didn't know what to expect, so I let go of expectations and just went into it thinking, 'I hope I have fun, and I hope we make a good movie.' And I think that's what happened, so I'm really happy. It's a very cool movie and a fun thing to be a part of."

Inevitably, there will be comparisons with the previous films and Ploy's performance. But Kao hinted we may not have seen the last of the original ghost.

"I believe the audience is used to seeing the original Buppha, which is absolutely inimitable. I hope the audience doesn't see my acting as an attempt to copy her, but rather as a whole new character. After all, no one is going to replace anyone because, well, the old Buppha is still not going anywhere."

Kao has played a vengeful ghost before, in last year's horror-thriller Fark Wai Nai Kai Ter. But the young actress laughed off suggestions she will become Thai cinema's new scream queen.

"No, no. It's just the opportunities that I have been given. I admit that somehow these kinds of roles intrigue me as an actor because I find them challenging, but this is an honest coincidence. You know, it would be great if my next project is a rom-com. I love doing rom-coms, too."

For Nack, the film marks a return after the controversy surrounding the monks behaving badly drama Arbat (which was banned but eventually released after being edited and retitled Arpat). After filming wrapped, the Dutch-Thai star took a break from the industry and his studies and indulged in his passion for music.

"It was quite a burst of inspiration. Admittedly, I haven't mastered anything in particular yet, but I studied every day," Nack said.

Nack has released two self-penned ballads -- Ter Yar Keb Aow Wai (Don't keep it to yourself) and Ruang Lao Kong Chan (My Story) -- which are gaining fairly positive feedback even without a record label or much in the way of promotion. His passion project will no doubt receive a boost from his contribution to the Buppha Arigato soundtrack, to which he lends his smooth, distinctive voice.

"During the first three months after I got into music, I was oblivious to everything that was happening in the world and was immersed only in making songs. I got my hands on every instrument possible and I also learned how to compose and write lyrics," he said.

"It'd be nice if people take a listen to it and like it. I've been recording stuff at home for so long, just playing it for myself and people I know. Now I'm planning to release a few more singles and I'm looking forward to playing them live."

Kao is juggling the dual life of a celebrity and student, a balancing act she admits is difficult. "It takes some time for me to manage myself and deal with new schedules," she said. "And the issue is that I don't want to compromise any of them."

At one point during the peak of the hype around Hormones, Kao chose to sidestep stardom for education because she couldn't handle both at the same time.

"My priority is to fulfil my parents' dream of seeing their child receiving a degree," she explained. "I've been taught since I was a child that I couldn't just put my focus on superficial things, like physical appearance or fame. You know statements like, 'A lady is not just about having a pretty face, but also intellect and the ability to survive in society.' Or something along those lines, that's what I hear from my family all the time."

Celebrity still leaves her conflicted. "My feelings change every day. One day I am extremely hyped up and the next day I feel tired," she said. "Still, I also see my status at the moment as an incredible opportunity, like a special gift I've been given that I shouldn't take for granted. As I am introduced to so many new things, new thoughts, new people and new environments every day through the industry, this job is slowly getting better."

And the Hormones tag is never far away.

"People put Hormones after my name all the time," Kao shrugged. "Don't get me wrong, I do think it's a great thing, you know, just like my co-stars from the Fan Chan gang embraced the movie title that made a name for them for more than a decade now. I think that's amazing. It's great to know that your work gets recognised and imprinted in the audience's memory no matter how much time has passed. It's just I imagine it would be a bit strange if people are still calling me Kao Hormones when I am in my thirties."

Nack said the public often gets a misconception of celebrities based on their work and image. He may seem like a bad boy, but he said he is in fact the "total opposite".

"Blame it on the look, but I'm definitely not a bad boy," he said. "No one believes it when I say I don't drink or smoke or party. I'm an absolute homebody. I love being with my family and pets. Only people who are close to me would know that I don't touch even chocolate that has alcohol in it, and whenever possible I'd teach children not to indulge in these vices. People don't seem to know this, but I'm quite a serious guy."

Unlike many of his celebrity peers, he also stays well away from social media. "Like everyone else, I use the internet from time to time to check out stuff that I'm interested in. I just don't find it necessary to put my life in the spotlight that is social media."

Kao also lives a different life away from the cameras.

"I love adventures. You can literally take me anywhere and you will not hear me complain. I like going on outdoor trips. It's more fun that way than just getting all dolled up and being self-conscious about your looks all the time. And I don't have any coquettish charm like those characters I play in dramas and movies. It's definitely not my thing."