Petchara Chaowarat (

Thai Thai or THAI may refer to: * Of or from Thailand, a country in Southeast Asia ** Thai people, the dominant ethnic group of Thailand ** Thai language, a Tai-Kadai language spoken mainly in and around Thailand *** Thai script *** Thai (Unicode block ...

: เพชรา เชาวราษฎร์; born 19 January 1943 in

Rayong Province Rayong province ( th, ระยอง, ) is one of seventy-six provinces (''changwat'') lies in eastern Thailand. Neighboring provinces are (from west clockwise) Chonburi, and Chanthaburi. To the south is the Gulf of Thailand. , per capita ea ...

Thailand Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is b ...

) is a

actress who starred in around 300 films from 1961 to 1979. An icon of the "Golden Age" of

Thai cinema The cinema of Thailand dates back to the early days of filmmaking, when King Chulalongkorn's 1897 visit to Bern, Switzerland was recorded by François-Henri Lavancy-Clarke. The film was then brought to Bangkok, where it was exhibited. This sparke ...

, she was known for her round, pool-like eyes and elaborate hairstyles. Petchara was named a

National Artist National Artist is an honorary title issued by some states as a highest recognition of artists for their significant contributions to the cultural heritage of the nation. An equivalent title, People's Artist, has been known in countries of the f ...

of Thailand in 2018.

Career

Her first film and starring role was in ''Banthuk Rak Pimchawee'' ('Love Diary of Pimchawee'), in 1961. She co-starred with popular leading man,

Mitr Chaibancha Mitr Chaibancha ( Thai มิตร ชัยบัญชาpronunciation, 28 January 1934 in Phetchaburi, Thailand - 8 October 1970) was a Thai film actor who acted 266 films from 1956 to 1970. He died on 8 October 1970 at Dongtan Beach, Jomt ...

, and they proved to be popular pair, starring together in more than 150 films. One of their most popular films was 1970's ''

Monrak luk thung ''Mon Rak Luk Thung'' ( th, มนต์รักลูกทุ่ง, or ''Magical Love in the Countryside'' or ''Wonder of Luk Thung'') is a 1970 musical-comedy-romance film directed by Rungsri Tassanapuk and starring Mitr Chaibancha and Pet ...

'' ( th, มนต์รักลูกทุ่ง, or 'Magical Love of the Countryside'), a musical rhapsodizing Thai rural life. In 1964, Petchara was named best actress by the

Thailand National Film Awards The Suphannahong National Film Awards ( th, รางวัลภาพยนตร์แห่งชาติ สุพรรณหงส์, also known as the Thailand National Film Association Awards) is the primary film award of the Thai film ...

committee for her role in ''Nok Noi'', and received the award from

King Bhumibol Bhumibol Adulyadej ( th, ภูมิพลอดุลยเดช; ; ; (Sanskrit: ''bhūmi·bala atulya·teja'' - "might of the land, unparalleled brilliance"); 5 December 192713 October 2016), conferred with the title King Bhumibol the Great ...

. After Mitr Chaibancha's accidental death on the set of '' Insee tong'' in 1970, Petchara continued to act in films. She starred in the 1971 musical comedy ''Ai Tui'' ('Mr. Tui'), in which she co-starred with

Sombat Metanee Sombat Metanee (; 26 June 1937 – 18 August 2022) was a Thai actor and film director, who was honored as National Artist in the performing arts branch (movies-television drama) in 2016. At one time, he held the Guinness World Record for mo ...

, who became a popular leading man after Mitr's death. Her last film was ''Ai Khuntong'', which was released in 1979. Her public appearances have dwindled over the years, attributed to her near blindness, thought to have been caused from her many hours of working in front of the bright lights on film sets.The fame game–Ten heroes and villains who riveted the nation this year
4 December 2009, ''

The Bangkok Post The ''Bangkok Post'' is an English-language daily newspaper published in Bangkok, Thailand. It is published in broadsheet and digital formats. The first issue was sold on 1 August 1946. It had four pages and cost one baht, a considerable amount ...

''A star is reborn–Petchara Chaowarat returns to the spotlight after a 30-year hiatus
, 27 October 2009, ''Bangkok Post'' In 2004,

performance artist Performance art is an artwork or art exhibition created through actions executed by the artist or other participants. It may be witnessed live or through documentation, spontaneously developed or written, and is traditionally presented to a pu ...

Michael Shaowanasai Michael Shaowanasai ( th, ไมเคิล เชาวนาศัย) (born 1964) is a Thai-American artist and actor who lives in Bangkok, Thailand. His works includes performance art, photography, video, film and installations. Openly gay ...

co-directed and starred in the film, '' The Adventure of Iron Pussy'', in which he portrayed a

transvestite Transvestism is the practice of dressing in a manner traditionally associated with the opposite sex. In some cultures, transvestism is practiced for religious, traditional, or ceremonial reasons. The term is considered outdated in Western ...

secret agent. The character's hairstyle, clothing and demeanor were based on Petchara. The film was co-directed by

Apichatpong Weerasethakul Apichatpong Weerasethakul ( th, อภิชาติพงศ์ วีระเศรษฐกุล; ; ) is a Thai independent film director, screenwriter, and film producer. Working outside the strict confines of the Thai film studio system ...

. More Petchara homage came in 2005, with the film ''

Yam Yasothon ''Yam Yasothon'' ( Thai: แหยม ยโสธร, English title: ''Hello Yasothon'') is a 2005 Thai musical romantic comedy film, written, directed by, and starring Petchtai Wongkamlao. Plot The story is set in 1967 in Yasothon Province, T ...

'' ('Hello Yasothon'), a musical-comedy directed by comedian-actor

Petchtai Wongkamlao Petchtai Wongkamlao, ( th, เพ็ชรทาย วงษ์คำเหลา, , ; born on June 24, 1965, in Yasothon province, Thailand, is a Thai comedian, actor and film director. He is best known in Thailand by his stage name, Mum Jokm ...

that was set in the 1960s and captured much of the colorful spirit of the Mitr-Petchara era.

Career

References

Further reading