Hang Kreung (Backup Dancer)

The sounds of singing practice and music from the Namfon Mueang Badan band at the end of the alley inspire Deuan Ngam-phrom (Green Ausadaporn), a young girl in the neighborhood, to dream of becoming a famous Luk Thung (Thai country) singer. Her mother, Choi (Sirintras Niyakorn), warns her that the life of a performer is unstable and risky for a woman's reputation. Ravi (Tle Thanapol), a young Likay (folk theater) actor and the son of the local troupe owner, loves Deuan and tries to dissuade her, but he cannot stop her ambition. Ravi doesn't realize that Deuan wants to be a singer not just to fulfill her dream, but to build a status worthy of him and to defeat Siriporn (Yok Thanyakan), a Chinese opera actress performing at the same market who also loves Ravi and views Deuan as a rival. Armed with little knowledge but plenty of ambition, Deuan pushes forward.
Choi is a fruit seller and a rival of Kim (Koi Sirinuch). Kim’s daughter, Kaew (Praewa Chattida), constantly competes with Deuan. While Deuan loves Luk Thung, Kaew dreams of being a pop string singer. Deuan invites Kaew to apply for the Namfon Mueang Badan band, but Kaew refuses. Instead, Deuan brings Kham (Petch Prach), a close childhood friend who wants to be an announcer, to apply with her.
Pimuk (Mai Nonthapan), a boxer and the son of a boxing camp owner, is a thug who also has a crush on Deuan and frequently fights with Ravi’s Likay troupe. Pimuk holds debt over Roj (Rung Suriya), the band leader, and Prateep (Jack Thanapol), the trainer. Fearing that if Deuan becomes famous she will drift away from him, Pimuk forces Roj and Prateep to suppress her career. Despite Deuan’s talent and past contest wins, they keep her as merely a "Hang Khreung" (back-up dancer) to serve Pimuk’s interests. Kham warns Ravi about this, but Siriporn tricks Deuan into thinking Ravi is unfaithful. Deuan ignores Ravi’s warnings and remains a dancer, hoping for her big break.
Ravi tries to tell Pimuk that if he truly loved Deuan, he would support her dreams, but Pimuk only wants to possess her. A brawl breaks out between the Likay troupe and the boxing camp during an event where Deuan finally has a chance to perform. The opportunity is ruined, and Deuan misunderstandings the situation, believing Ravi sabotaged her out of jealousy (a plan orchestrated by Pimuk and Siriporn).
Linchi (Janet Khiew), a retired dancer who now heads the dance troupe and is Roj’s wife, bullies Deuan out of jealousy. Fortunately, Pom (Ong Pattana), another dancer, helps Deuan. Kaew eventually joins as a dancer but is forced by Roj to sleep with influential men—a fact her mother Kim doesn't know. Pimuk also sleeps with Kaew, but Kaew loves him blindly despite his villainy.
Naive Deuan almost falls for Pimuk’s lie that he can use his connections to make her a star, nearly giving herself to him. Ravi intervenes just in time. Realizing Siriporn is conspiring with Pimuk, the Likay and Chinese Opera troupes declare war. Kham brings in friends to help Ravi’s side in the fights. Choi is heartbroken that Deuan almost sold her body for fame and begs her to quit, but Deuan persists. However, as time passes, Roj refuses to promote her, and rumors spread that Deuan is using her body to climb the ladder to success. Only Ravi continues to support her. To survive the decline of Likay, Ravi learns music and joins a band led by Thep (Yingyong Yodbuangam), asking Deuan to join him.
Roj, angry at losing control, sends Pimuk to attack Ravi, injuring his hand so he can’t play music. Deuan, realizing Roj is dangerous, escapes to Thep’s band. Despite Pimuk’s attempts to kidnap her, Ravi saves her every time. Deuan and Ravi grow close again, but Choi forbids the relationship, fearing gossip and feeling indebted to Siriporn (who has manipulated Choi). However, Deuan loves Ravi and uses him as a shield against other men in the band.
Siriporn, consumed by jealousy, learns to sing and joins Thep’s band. She teams up with Kaew to frame Deuan, causing constant arguments between Deuan and Ravi.
Desperate, Deuan meets Chukiat (Pang Prakasit), a gambling addict and talent scout who is also Pimuk’s relative. They plot against Ravi. Chukiat wants Deuan for himself. Kaew exposes Deuan’s dealings, leading to a public scandal. Ravi fights Pimuk in a boxing match out of jealousy. Chukiat promises Deuan he will make Pimuk throw the fight if she gets close to him.
Deuan accepts Chukiat’s offer to save Ravi. Kaew spreads the news, and Choi, unable to bear the shame, commits suicide. Deuan is devastated. Siriporn pays Kaew to spread news about the "ungrateful daughter" whose actions killed her mother. Ravi saves Deuan from attackers sent by Kaew at the funeral.
Ravi misunderstands that Deuan is sleeping with both Chukiat and Pimuk. He breaks up with her and turns to Siriporn. Deuan, heartbroken, decides to sacrifice everything for success, promising to be a mistress to both Chukiat and Pimuk to play them against each other. She gains material wealth but is miserable. She eventually joins the music label of Sia Watin.
Deuan becomes famous due to both her talent and the scandals spread by Kaew. Sia Taweesak, a movie producer, hires her. Chukiat exploits her as her manager. Pimuk dies in an accident caused unintentionally by Kaew. To escape Chukiat’s exploitation, Deuan agrees to be Taweesak’s mistress in exchange for protection, not knowing Chukiat sold her contract to him. Ravi hates her even more, fueling Siriporn’s maliciousness.
Taweesak’s wife, Saisamon, publicly attacks Deuan. Taweesak, pitying Deuan, gives her a large sum of money. Meanwhile, Siriporn is fleeced by Kaew and Kim until she is broke. Thep’s band breaks up. Siriporn joins Sia Watin’s label. Ravi opens a small shop. Tragedy strikes again when Taweesak dies in a car crash. Deuan loses her remaining money to Chukiat. She returns to Sia Watin but is attacked by his wife, Nantana. Siriporn becomes Watin’s mistress. Kaew, who is also Watin’s mistress, gets jealous and shoots Siriporn dead, ending up in jail.
Deuan returns to her mother’s coffin, which she had kept waiting for cremation. She meets Ravi, who is holding a funeral for Siriporn. Ravi reveals he has been waiting for her all along. Deuan apologizes, and they promise to start a new, simple life together, leaving the nightmare of the entertainment world behind.
"Hang Khreung" airs every Wednesday and Thursday at 20:25 on Channel 7. The first episode aired on Wednesday, February 12, 2014.