Pleng Rak Talay Tai

Ban Talay Tai, a small village in Nakhon Si Thammarat Province, holds a grand annual merit-making festival called Bun Duean Sip (the Tenth Lunar Month merit festival). It is also an important holy day when villagers from all directions come to pay respect to Phra Noi, an ancient Buddha image from the Srivijaya period that serves as a spiritual anchor for everyone.
At the Bun Duean Sip festival, there is not only the traditional “Ching Pret” ritual, but also a fierce romantic rivalry. Nakhon (Cee Siwat Chotchaicharin), a hot-blooded, sharp-featured young man with unwavering devotion, tries to win the love of Suay (Oon Priyanuj Asanajinda), the village beauty, by forming a music band and playing courtship songs, creating a lively atmosphere at the festival. But Suay keeps him in suspense and never gives him a clear answer. Nakhon follows her everywhere, only to be blocked by Village Headman Khom (Piya Trakulrat), who does not want a poor rubber-tapper as his son-in-law. Instead, he supports Mac (Dan Danai Samutkojorn), a charming, fair-skinned young man, the beloved only son of Je Eiad (Ampa Phusit), the wealthy and influential owner of a rubber and seafood trading business in the district. Suay herself also seems to encourage Mac. Unable to bear it any longer, Nakhon punches Mac in the face in the middle of the festival. His friends join the brawl, including Thep (Ko Tee), an eighth-year Ramkhamhaeng law student with a crafty knowledge of legal loopholes who has just returned from Bangkok, and Uncle Khai (Weerachai Hattakowit), a school janitor and reformed former thug nicknamed “Khai Dam.”
Teacher Santi (Oo Phanu Suwanno), a handsome and rugged PE teacher, steps in to stop the fight and helps Mac, making Nakhon dislike him and assume he is on Mac’s side. Nakhon is ready to start another fight with Santi, until Luang Pu Serm (Supak Pititham), the abbot of Wat Phra Noi and Nakhon’s grandfather, intervenes and scolds him severely. The village headman adds insult to injury by saying Nakhon is nothing but a violent troublemaker, and Suay appears to side fully with Mac. Heartbroken, discouraged, and wounded, Nakhon retreats to sit beneath a rubber tree behind the hill.
Nakhon takes out his mouth organ and sings of his love for Suay. Someone approaches him, and he happily assumes it is Suay, but it is actually Sao (Benz Punyaporn Poolpipat), Suay’s younger sister, a sharp-eyed, long-haired girl. Seeing Nakhon heartbroken, Sao feels pain too, because deep down she is secretly in love with him. She first tries to encourage him in her own way—by scolding him to stir his fighting spirit—but Nakhon drives her away. Sao then mocks and challenges him, saying he is useless and will never amount to more than what the village headman has said.
Nakhon decides to enter the district’s traditional drum competition. Sao’s team becomes his main rival, along with teams from other villages, but it soon turns into a heated clash mainly between Nakhon’s team and Sao’s. Neither side gives in, and even their supporters compete fiercely. Among them are Duangjai (Som Thanyasinee Promsut), a beautiful, lovable but very fierce nurse who likes scolding patients, hates people in uniform and hates rich people, yet somehow always ends up with the very things she dislikes; and Chomngam (Chompoonuch Klinjampa), the daughter of the local grocery shop owner and a member of the village coffee-circle, dark-skinned but dreaming of becoming a star. She believes she was born to outshine superstar Aum Patcharapa. Chomngam is always bickering with Thep. Santi joins Sao’s cheering squad because he wants to get closer to Duangjai, but Duangjai constantly drives him away for being a Bangkok man, not a southerner like them.
When the results are announced, Nakhon’s team wins the prize. He hopes to use the money to buy engagement gifts for Suay. Meanwhile, Mac grows closer to Suay, and she is taken in by his sweet talk and her own ambition of having a rich boyfriend rather than being stuck in a rubber plantation life. Je Eiad supports her son openly, while no one realizes that things are not what they seem. Santi also gets closer to Duangjai and cheers for Sao, though Duangjai remains annoyed by him. Santi pretends to disappear from Duangjai’s sight, but in truth, Teacher Santi is actually Inspector Santi, going after a smuggling gang secretly trading illegal fuel during the festival. He fails to reach the kingpin, finding only heartbreaking evidence, so he must remain undercover in the area to continue investigating. He is also assigned a new mission from his superiors: there is a major antiquities smuggling operation in the area.
Suay runs away to Bangkok with Mac because he promises to get her work in the entertainment industry. The village headman is ashamed that his daughter eloped and storms off to confront Je Eiad, who denies responsibility. Nakhon is devastated again when he learns Suay has run away with Mac. He buries his pain and turns it into tearful songs beneath the tall rubber trees in the rain. Sao comforts him and urges him to love someone who truly loves him back, but Nakhon refuses to listen. Determined once more, he gathers his companions, led by Thep, and heads to Bangkok to win Suay back, ignoring everyone’s warnings.
Sao then assembles her own group to go to Bangkok and bring Suay home, fearing Mac is deceiving her. Duangjai seizes the chance to attend training in Bangkok so she can help Sao. Santi claims he is going to visit his parents and asks to come too, though the real reason is that he must report back to headquarters on his operation. Duangjai refuses to let him join, but Chomngam buys him a train ticket anyway because she thinks he is stylish and wants him to guide them and take them to stay near Ramkhamhaeng, hoping a talent scout might discover her there.
Thep takes Nakhon and Uncle Khai to stay with Luang Ar at Wat Ratchathiwat while searching for Suay. Nakhon asks Thep and Uncle Khai to help him enroll at Ramkhamhaeng University, believing that while he searches for his heart, he should also fill his mind with knowledge. Sao does the same, persuading Chomngam to enroll too, hoping to gain knowledge to develop their village.
Nakhon prays to Pho Khun, asking to finally find the heart he has been chasing. At the same time, Sao prays to find Suay, to complete her studies so she can return and improve her hometown, and for Nakhon to finally understand her feelings. Thep tries to earn money by leading the group to perform “songs for life.” Everyone hopes they will get to perform in a major pub in the city, and they practice earnestly. But their dream shatters when the “major pub” turns out to be a roadside barbecue restaurant. Although disappointed by the venue, Nakhon and the team perform passionately, far beyond their pay.
That same night, Santi brings Sao, Duangjai, and Chomngam to eat at the same barbecue place. Nakhon is delighted to see familiar faces and plays music to please his fellow southerners. Some drunk young customers begin harassing Sao, and Nakhon steps in, sparking another fight. He runs off with Sao, while Santi protects Duangjai and gets injured. Sao scolds Nakhon for tarnishing the reputation of southerners, but Nakhon argues back: should they just let others harass someone from their hometown? This secretly impresses Sao. Then both Sao and Nakhon spot Mac driving past in a convertible with Suay by his side. Sao calls out and runs after them, but they are too late.
Duangjai helps tend Santi’s wounds at the dormitory and then takes a taxi with everyone to drop him off at the slum where he claims to live. But once the taxi leaves, Santi crosses the street and calls another ride back to his mansion. He hides his true status because he knows Duangjai is prejudiced against rich people.
The next morning, both Nakhon and Sao rush off separately in search of Mac’s car. Eventually, both groups meet at Mac’s restaurant, where Suay is scheduled to do a magazine photoshoot. Nakhon clings to Suay, but she cuts him off completely. Sao tries to persuade Suay to come home, but Suay refuses because she believes she is about to enter show business. She has no idea that Mac is not sincere and only wants to take advantage of her.
What Suay also discovers is that Mac already has Carrie (Sirilapas Kongtrakarn), a sexy student pretty girl working at his restaurant, hidden away as another lover. Carrie openly sees Suay as an enemy, with her nasty pretty-girl friends Kung King (Wannaporn Siriangkul) and Momo (Wansiri Ong-ampai) helping her bully Suay whenever they can. Suay refuses to submit, which only makes Carrie more determined to eliminate her as a rival, because Carrie wants to be Mac’s number one—unaware that Kung King and Momo are also Mac’s lovers.
Sao urges Nakhon to give up on Suay once and for all, but Nakhon insists on continuing to pursue her heart. He vows to become a famous “song for life” artist so that his status will match the woman he loves, while also studying in the Faculty of Humanities, Mass Communication, believing it will open a path into the entertainment industry. Sao chooses political science instead, intending to use that knowledge to improve her hometown and one day become a female village head.
Nakhon forces himself to act cheerful to hide his sadness. Sao knows he is hurting, which makes her hurt just as much, though she too pretends to be cheerful. Their friends can see through both of them, so they come up with activities at a volunteer camp to heal their hearts. Through many situations, Nakhon and Sao grow closer and develop a deepening bond of love, though both remain stubborn and hide their feelings. At the same time, Thep, Uncle Khai, and Chomngam work to reconcile Duangjai and Santi, and before long Duangjai softens.
Mac looks for a chance to seduce Suay completely, but Suay still resists, demanding he fulfill his promises to make her famous and marry her. Mac no longer wants to waste time. He rapes Suay and abandons her. Carrie seizes the chance to mock and humiliate Suay in every way. Suay is shattered when she learns Mac’s true nature. She becomes pregnant with Mac’s child, but Mac takes no interest in her. With nowhere else to turn, she drifts back to her hometown. Suay then gets Nakhon drunk and tries to make him take responsibility for her and the baby. Nakhon does not believe he did anything with Suay, and by now he loves Sao, but out of pity he decides to sacrifice his own heart, leave Sao, and build a family with Suay.
The village headman is furious that Suay has been abused by Mac. He confronts Je Eiad and demands that Mac take responsibility. Je Eiad, angry at Mac’s recklessness, stalls for time and summons him home immediately. She orders Mac to be patient and pretend to treat Suay well so that he can trick her into finding out from the village headman where Phra Noi is hidden. After that, Mac can neglect Suay however he likes. Mac reluctantly complies and goes back to reconcile with Suay. Suay softens and decides to break up with Nakhon to be with Mac. But the village headman overhears Je Eiad and Mac discussing the plan. Je Eiad orders her men to kill him at once and cover up the crime. Sao, Suay, and everyone else are devastated by the loss of their beloved father. At the funeral, Sao publicly vows to drag the murderer to justice.
Santi receives word that the antiquities smuggling ring is about to steal Phra Noi, so he begins lurking around the temple. Nakhon misunderstands and thinks Santi is trying to uncover the hiding place of the Buddha image. Santi finally reveals the truth: he is an undercover police officer investigating an antiquities trafficking case. Nakhon apologizes for having misunderstood him and promises to help protect the village’s sacred Buddha image. Suay is threatened by Mac and forced to pry the secret out of Nakhon, but he does not give anything away. Furious at her failure, Mac brutally beats Suay nearly to death. Sao arrives and tries to help her, but Mac takes Suay hostage and orders Sao to get the information from Nakhon—or he will kill Suay. At that moment, everyone learns the truth: Je Eiad and Mac are the masterminds behind the village headman’s murder and are major antiquities traffickers.
Sao begs Nakhon for help. He agrees and secretly informs Santi. Nakhon takes Suay to the place where the Buddha image is hidden, with Mac and his henchmen secretly following them until they find Phra Noi. Mac is about to kill Nakhon and Sao there in the Buddha chamber, but Santi arrives with the police and surrounds them. Je Eiad, now in police custody, begs them not to hurt her son and tells Mac to surrender. He refuses, grabs Sao as a hostage, and runs.
Nakhon, Santi, Suay, and everyone else chase after them. Sao breaks free and runs into the rubber plantation. Mac fires at her, but Suay leaps in front of the bullet to save Sao. She apologizes for all her mistakes and dies in Sao’s arms.
After everything is over, Duangjai learns that Santi is really a police officer and becomes even angrier that he deceived her again, despite promising to tell the truth. So Santi asks Thep and Uncle Khai to teach him to sing in a southern accent so he can confess his love sincerely, knowing Duangjai is weak to music. In the end, it works just as he hoped, and Duangjai and Santi marry happily.
Sao is grief-stricken over Suay’s death. Nakhon comforts her and asks once more for her answer: “Do you love me too?” Sao walks away, then turns back and sings that if someone loves her, they must love her sincerely and formally come to ask for her hand; she is ready to give her heart to someone who truly loves her. Overjoyed, Nakhon runs to hug her and plants a big kiss on her cheek, only to be punched in return for taking liberties before properly asking her mother. Then all the friends who had been secretly hiding pop out to celebrate joyfully together.
Follow the drama “Pleng Rak Talay Tai” (Southern Sea Love Song) every Monday–Sunday at 6:45 PM on Channel 7.