Mr. Baan Na

Jimmy (Kantadon Akasan) is a half-Thai/Isan, half-American young man. His mother, Wandee (Sunaree Ratchasima), fell in love with his father while working as a waitress on Khao San Road. Jimmy has never seen his father’s face; he only knows that his name is Bob (Ron Smoorenburg), an American tourist. Wandee brought Bob to live with her in her hometown in Khon Kaen, but after only a year, Bob left Wandee to return to his country, promising to arrange for a permanent move to Thailand. However, he never returned. When Wandee contacted the US address Bob gave her, she found he had already moved away. Despite being ridiculed by others for being "dumped by a foreigner," Wandee returned to rice farming to raise her son, refusing to go back to being a waitress, hoping that one day her foreign husband would return.
Jimmy grew up amidst rice fields and the authentic Isan way of life. He loves playing the Khaen (bamboo mouth organ) and singing Mor Lam folk songs with all his heart, supported by Kru Kitcha (Thanom Samthon). Kru Kitcha has feelings for Wandee, but she ignores everyone, waiting only for Bob. After Jimmy finishes high school, Wandee sells her rice fields and buffaloes to send Jimmy to Bangkok to find his father. He lives as a temple boy with Luang Pi (Yong Luk Yee), his biological uncle, while enrolling in university and working as a waiter to support himself. Jimmy is fluent in English, having practiced since childhood in hopes of communicating with his father when they meet. Whenever he meets foreign customers, he shows them his father's photo, asking if anyone knows him, but no one ever has. At the temple, Jimmy meets Tossapol (Jazz Chuanchuen), a fellow Isan native, and they quickly become best friends.
On Jimmy’s first day at university, he is nearly hit by a sports car driven by Roj (Puchisa Supatanaphat). Roj is the boyfriend of Kat (Kewalin Sriwanna), a high-society girl who has transferred universities multiple times without graduating. This is her first day here as well. Thinking Jimmy is a foreigner, Kat scolds him in English for walking without looking. Jimmy argues back fluently in English, pretending to be hurt and threatening to sue her. Embarrassed, Kat pays him off and speeds away.
Later in class, Kat and her gang arrive. Jimmy schemes with Tossapol to speak English, leading Kat to believe Jimmy is an exchange student who doesn't understand Thai. She gossips about him in Thai with Tina (Passakorn Ponlaboon), her tomboy friend, though Orawan (Ariyada Pringsakul), another friend, tries to stop them. Pretending not to understand Thai, Jimmy learns that Kat stole his lecture notes to prank him. He counter-pranks her by announcing she is a thief, humiliating her in front of the class. Kat realizes Jimmy is actually a half-Isan boy, not the foreigner she thought, and they become sworn enemies.
One day, while playing Takraw with friends, Jimmy accidentally kicks the ball into Roj. Thinking it was intentional, Kat berates him. Even though Jimmy apologizes, Roj punches him, but Jimmy doesn't fight back. From then on, Kat constantly tries to prank Jimmy, but he always outwits her. One evening, Kat dines at the restaurant where Jimmy works. She intentionally orders confusing dishes to get him in trouble, leading to him being scolded by the manager. Jimmy quits to find a new job. Meanwhile, Tossapol pursues Orawan, liking her old-fashioned modesty, but Orawan secretly likes Jimmy. Kat enrolls in a dance school run by Jay Jon (Janet Keaw).
While wandering Khao San Road late at night looking for work, Jimmy sees Manop (Parin Wikran) being attacked by thieves. Jimmy saves him, takes him to the hospital, and drives him home. At Manop’s house, he meets Kat again. Misunderstanding the situation, she accuses Jimmy of hurting her father and chases him away until Manop explains that Jimmy saved him. Kat begins to understand but is too stubborn to apologize. Jimmy realizes that despite her sharp tongue, Kat loves her father deeply.
Grateful for Jimmy’s good character, Manop hires him at his company, despite the objection of Ratsamee (Krongthong Rachatawan), Kat’s mother, who despises Jimmy. Manop asks Jimmy to tutor Kat. Jimmy agrees, viewing Manop as a father figure he never had.
Jimmy joins the university’s folk song club, playing the Khaen and becoming the lead singer due to his outstanding voice. He forms a Mor Lam band with Tossapol and Prapan (Wichai Jongprasitporn). They perform at temple fairs, gaining popularity and getting hired for more events. Kat looks down on Jimmy as an old-fashioned country bumpkin. She often sarcastically asks if he has found his father yet, making Jimmy sad and miss his mother. He reminds Kat to study hard because she is lucky to have had a father caring for her since birth.
After the first exams, Jimmy gets the highest score in the class, while Kat fails. Though she pretends not to care, she cries secretly in the garden. Jimmy tries to comfort her but is chased away. For the next exam, he secretly leaves study notes on her desk. Kat tries to find her anonymous helper but fails.
Jeff (Peter Tuinstra), an American friend of Krairik (Wayne Falconer), Roj’s father, comes to work in Thailand. He asks Krairik to help find his nephew—the son of his late brother and a Thai woman. Jeff only knows the mother lived in Khon Kaen; the address and photos were lost when his brother, Bob, died in an accident. Krairik asks Roj to help, seeing business benefits with Jeff.
Roj doesn't take the search seriously, spending the money from his father on Cindy (Piyada Turongkakul), his new mistress. Kat catches Roj cheating and breaks up with him, but Roj refuses to let go, promising to end things with the other woman.
Realizing Jimmy likes Kat, Tossapol tells her that Jimmy was the one who gave her the study notes. Kat thanks and apologizes to him for the first time. Delighted, Jimmy tutors her at her home, but Ratsamee is disgusted, telling Jimmy he isn't suitable for Kat and should let her find someone better and richer. Jimmy accepts this.
To escape his feelings for Kat, Jimmy quits his job at Manop’s restaurant. Ratsamee lies to Kat that Jimmy quit due to a scandal with another woman, leaving Kat disappointed.
Roj uses Ratsamee to reconcile with Kat. Kat pretends to be with Roj to spite Jimmy, making Jimmy try harder to forget her. Roj learns from Ratsamee that Jimmy is a country boy from Khon Kaen abandoned by a foreign father. Suspicious, Roj investigates and discovers that Jimmy is Jeff’s long-lost nephew. He schemes to prevent them from meeting, hiring a boy named Don to impersonate the nephew.
Jimmy gets a new job at a restaurant owned by Jay Kim (Joy Chuanchuen). Jeff brings Don, Roj, and Krairik there to celebrate. Seeing Jimmy, Jeff feels a connection and notices his resemblance to Bob. He asks Roj to call Jimmy over, but Roj lies to Jay Kim to keep Jimmy away and tells Jeff that Jimmy has already left. Roj continues to block them from meeting.
Roj picks Kat up at university and insults Jimmy, warning him to stay away. Kat overhears Roj on the phone making a deal with Don and realizes Roj is using Don to trick Jeff. She scolds him and breaks up with him for good.
Jeff insists on a DNA test for Don. When Don refuses, Jeff secretly tests Don’s hair against his own and confirms Don is not his nephew. Jeff confronts Roj, who claims he was also deceived by Don.
One day, a singer is missing at the restaurant, so Jimmy steps in. The customers love his performance, especially his Mor Lam singing despite his inter-racial looks. Chanchai (Jim Chuanchuen), a record label owner, spots his talent and signs him. Jeff returns to the restaurant but finds Jimmy has already quit.
Both Jimmy and Kat still have feelings for each other, but Kat’s pride keeps her distant. Meanwhile, Jimmy is paired with Rapeeporn (Pamela Bowden), or P, a famous teen singer in the same label. P likes Jimmy and urges Chanchai to promote them as a couple, but Jimmy sees it only as a marketing ploy.
Jimmy becomes a famous singer with songs written by Prapan. Kat gets a job at the same company managing folk artists, bringing her closer to Jimmy. They start dating seriously but secretly to avoid upsetting fans. P tries to expose them.
Roj, wanting to ruin Jimmy, teams up with P to leak photos of Jimmy and Kat to the press. Fans are outraged. Chanchai orders Jimmy to deny the relationship, but Jimmy refuses and publicly admits he is dating Kat. Although Chanchai is furious, most fans support Jimmy’s honesty. Roj is enraged that his plan failed.
Despite his success, Jimmy feels empty. He visits his mother, offering to build her a big house, but she refuses. All she wants is to see Bob. As always, her first question is, "Have you found your father?"
Jeff’s term in Thailand ends. Hopeless about finding his nephew, he decides to return home. However, seeing Jimmy on a TV show mention his American father named Bob, Jeff immediately contacts the program.
Finally, uncle and nephew meet. Jeff reveals that Bob has passed away but left all his inheritance to Jimmy, his only son. Wandee is heartbroken she will never see Bob again but is touched to know he never forgot her. Kru Kitcha comforts Wandee, and she begins to open her heart to him, realizing he has always been there for her. Jimmy also wants his mother to have a companion.
Jimmy decides to quit singing and returns to his hometown to become a lawyer, helping villagers exploited by capitalists. He opens a law firm with his inheritance and buys back the rice fields for his mother.
Kat follows him, applying to be his assistant to help him "get rich fast so he can afford her dowry." Jimmy tests her by making her live and work like a country girl. Kat agrees but struggles hilariously, often falling into the mud in expensive boots. Jimmy pretends to scold her but secretly admires her effort.
Roj follows Kat to the countryside to win her back. Seeing Jimmy hasn't given in yet, Kat pretends to reconcile with Roj. However, Jimmy pranks Roj until he flees back to Bangkok. Tossapol and Orawan arrive to hand out their wedding invitations and help reconcile Jimmy and Kat. Jimmy proposes to Kat, asking if she can live in the countryside with a "country bumpkin foreigner" like him. Kat says yes.
Follow the fun and romance in "Mister Ban Na," airing every Monday to Friday at 5:45 PM – 6:45 PM on Thai TV3. The drama premieres on Tuesday, March 5, 2013.