Pae and Esther pretend to be relatives

When a family member gets sick, we do whatever we can to help. But sometimes we go too far. In True4U’s new drama My Girl Sip Paed Mongkut Sood Thee Rak (My Girl Thailand), a young man tells a white lie to try and help his sick grandfather. But his little lie soon leads to big problems.

My Girl Thailand stars Arak Amornsupasiri (Pae) as Purith, a wealthy businessman who tries to grant his grandfather’s dying wish. To pose as a long-lost granddaughter, he hires a pretty con artist called Linin, played by Esther Supreeleela. But his good intentions lead to conflict in the family, especially when Purith and Linin start a romantic relationship while everybody still believes they’re related.

S Weekly caught up with 33-year-old Pae and 24-year-old Esther to talk about the Thai remake of the 2005 Korean hit.

How would you describe your character?

Pae: Purith is sincere and dedicated to the people he loves. This is the first time that he’s lied to his family, but he does it because he loves his grandfather so much.

Esther: Linin has a good heart and doesn’t want to cheat and lie, but she needs to make money to help her father pay his gambling debts.

What are the differences between My Girl Thailand and the Korean original?

Pae: In My Girl Thailand, Purith is quite childish but he tries to hide it because he has to run a big corporation. In the Korean version, the character is a perfectionist.

Esther: And the locations are different, of course. The Korean version was filmed in Jeju, but we filmed in Pattaya and Chiang Mai. I really like the vineyard at Silverlake in Pattaya.

Esther, is it true that you've been a fan of Pae since you were 13 years old?

Esther: Yes. I was a fan of his band Slur. Their songs are very catchy. And when he acts, he’s very charismatic. I’m pleased that I’ve finally been given the chance to work with him. He’s so friendly.

Pae, how does it feel to know that Esther has been your fan for so long?

Pae: I first found out during an interview after filming the show. I was surprised but also excited and happy at the same time. It’s my first time working with a fan.

What did you do to try and create chemistry between your characters?

Pae: Esther has chemistry with everybody she acts with. She’s very talented. And I tried to make it as easy as possible by talking to her as much as I could during the acting workshops.

Pae, can you tell us about the song you sing on the soundtrack?

Pae: I wrote a song last year about a liar. Then the producer said that Purith should write a song for Linin. So, I brought the one I’d written to the songwriter Jeab Wattana and we rewrote it. But we still can’t think of a name for the song!

Why should viewers check out the show?

Pae: It’s quite extreme. It’s both very funny and very sad. Esther was hilarious. And I cried a lot as well.

Esther: The story is adorable and viewers of all ages can relate to it.

You both have a lot of international fans. What are some of your most memorable moments with them?

Pae: I met some Chinese fans in Shanghai and some of them had brought my CDs for me to autograph. I was touched because even in Thailand, the CDs are difficult to find.

Esther: Recently, some Turkish fans sent me a video they’d made. It was adorable. I enjoy every moment with my fans. They encourage me to continue working.

Video from: https://www.youtube.com/user/true4utv