''OK Baytong'' ( th, โอเค เบตง) is a

2003 File:2003 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The crew of STS-107 perished when the Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated during reentry into Earth's atmosphere; SARS became an epidemic in China, and was a precursor to SARS-CoV-2; A ...

Thai

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super- ...

about

Buddhist Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...

Muslim Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abrah ...

relations in

southern Thailand Southern Thailand, Southern Siam or Tambralinga is a southernmost cultural region of Thailand, separated from Central Thailand region by the Kra Isthmus. Geography Southern Thailand is on the Malay Peninsula, with an area of around , bounde ...

. It is written and directed by

Nonzee Nimibutr Nonzee Nimibutr ( th, นนทรีย์ นิมิบุตร, ; born in 1962 in Nonthaburi Province, Thailand) is a Thai film director, film producer and screenwriter. Best known for his ghost thriller, '' Nang Nak'', he is generally cred ...

Plot

Tum is a young man who has been a monk living in a

temple in Thailand since he was 5 years old. But after hearing that his sister has been killed in an attack on a

train In rail transport, a train (from Old French , from Latin , "to pull, to draw") is a series of connected vehicles that run along a railway track and transport people or freight. Trains are typically pulled or pushed by locomotives (often ...

insurgents An insurgency is a violent, armed rebellion against authority waged by small, lightly armed bands who practice guerrilla warfare from primarily rural base areas. The key descriptive feature of insurgency is its asymmetric nature: small irr ...

, he decides to leave the monastery and make his way to

where his sister ran a beauty salon in a town called Betong in a

district A district is a type of administrative division that, in some countries, is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or counties, several municipalities, subdivision ...

in Yala Province on the border with

Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federal constitutional monarchy consists of thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two regions: Peninsular Malaysia and Borneo's East Mal ...

. In looking to put his sister's affairs in order, Tum finds himself conflicted. Should he take over his sister's business? His sister has a daughter, by a

man who lives on the Malaysian side of the border. Should Tum try to take a greater role in the raising of the child? But first, Tum must figure out how to zip up his trousers without hurting himself. It's only one of the many new things to the young man, who has worn a Buddhist monk's robes for most of his life. He also encounters romantic and sexual feelings when he develops a relationship with a neighbor lady, who was a friend of his sister. And, Tum must reconcile the feelings of hate and rage that sometimes come into his head when he thinks about Muslim people and the insurgents who were responsible for his sister's death.

Cast

* Phoovarit Phumpuang as Tum * Jeeranan Manojam as Lynn * Saranya Kruengsai

Film festivals

OK Baytong was shown at many film festivals worldwide in 2004, including: * Bangkok International Film Festival *

Berlin Film Festival The Berlin International Film Festival (german: Internationale Filmfestspiele Berlin), usually called the Berlinale (), is a major international film festival held annually in Berlin, Germany. Founded in 1951 and originally run in June, the fest ...

Hawaii International Film Festival The Hawai'i International Film Festival (HIFF) is an annual film festival held in the United States state of Hawaii. HIFF has a focus on Asian-Pacific cinema, education, and the work of new and emerging filmmakers. HIFF’s primary festival is ...

Hong Kong International Film Festival The Hong Kong International Film Festival (HKIFF), is one of Asia’s oldest international film festivals. Founded in 1976, the festival features different movies, filmmakers from different countries in Hong Kong. HKIFF screens around 230 films ...

* New York Asian Film Festival *

Pusan International Film Festival The Busan International Film Festival (BIFF, previously Pusan International Film Festival, PIFF), held annually in Haeundae-gu, Busan (''also'' Pusan), South Korea, is one of the most significant film festivals in Asia. The first fest ...

Seattle International Film Festival The Seattle International Film Festival (SIFF), held annually in Seattle, Washington since 1976, is among the top film festivals in North America. Audiences have grown steadily; the 2006 festival had 160,000 attendees. The SIFF runs for more th ...

Vancouver International Film Festival The Vancouver International Film Festival (VIFF) is an annual film festival held in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, for two weeks in late September and early October. The festival is operated by the Greater Vancouver International Film Fest ...

External links

Official page at Cinemasia
* {{Nonzee Nimibutr 2003 films Thai drama films Thai-language films 2003 drama films Films about Buddhism Sahamongkol Film International films Films set in Yala