Are we defined by what we watch? | Bangkok Post: Arts & Culture

THINK BOX

Once in blue moon one can be pleasantly surprised by a soap opera on local TV. I'm referring to a period drama called Taat Rak (Slave of Love), the last episode of which was aired on Wednesday.

It revolved around a princess named Ayavadee who hails from an unspecified neighbouring country. To protect him from assassins, her brother has been sent to Siam. But then he disappears. So the princess disguises herself as a slave and sets out to find him.

After entering Siam she is kidnapped and sold to a brothel where she not only manages to somehow avoid being deflowered, but also inspires the other prostitutes to seek a better life for themselves. Along the way she discovers that her brother has died in some plague. The script pushes various moral lessons, portrays Ayavadee as having the qualities of a true and decent leader and ends with a message about love and forgiveness.