Actress Um Itsaya Delighted by Thai Fanbase Support, Shares Behind-the-Scenes Stories from Horror Film 'Phi Khao' Shot at Temple in Dead of Night
Actress Um Itsaya praised her Thai fanbase while sharing intense behind-the-scenes stories from horror film 'Phi Khao,' shot at a temple during late-night scenes where crew members reported unexplained sounds and eerie atmospheres.
The horror film 'Phi Khao' represents another highly anticipated project for actress Um Itsaya Horsuwan, who admits it was an extremely challenging role requiring rigorous character development. The production received warm support from co-star Bam Saralee, who brought flowers to the film's premiere on May 19th.
When asked about the film, Um explained: "It's a very difficult story because both the character and the plot make everything challenging. But they still maintain the sincerity of Thai people, which is very endearing."
Regarding how it differs from her previous work, she said: "It's completely different. What's the same is we still have the same Thaibaan team, but with a different director. 'Sapre Ror' was a family film, and this is Thaibaan's first serious horror film, so the mood is completely different, but the atmosphere on set remains the same."
She described the intensive preparation needed: "The character work was heavy because they wanted the family to look like one real family—with the mother, grandmother next door, and siblings. They workshopped intensely so we could genuinely feel like a family. And what we face in the story is unexplainable by science, so I did considerable research on beliefs."
Regarding supernatural occurrences during filming, Um shared: "I'm fortunate because I'm afraid of ghosts, and during shooting there wasn't anything unusual. But there were howling dogs because we filmed many night scenes that stretched until 2 or 3 AM, which is prime howling dog time."
On paranormal incidents on set, she revealed: "Mostly the wardrobe team experienced things. They would encounter occurrences around the filming location and at the crew accommodations. They mainly heard unexplained sounds."
About her personal beliefs in the supernatural, Um admitted: "If I had to put it as a percentage, I'd say I'm more inclined to believe. Perhaps because I grew up around these stories. But I wouldn't dismiss them entirely."
When asked directly if she's afraid of ghosts, she answered: "Yes, I'm very afraid. I've been scared of ghosts since I was a child, and I'm still afraid today."
Describing the filming atmosphere, Um said: "The filming was terrifying. The atmosphere was very scary. We shot at a temple around 2 to 3 AM, which was very dark, and we filmed in other provinces where the lights weren't bright because everyone was asleep. The temple we shot at was quite eerie."
On whether she brought protective charms, she explained: "I didn't bring anything on shooting days. I focused on being surrounded by people."
Reacting to Bam Saralee's support with flowers, Um expressed genuine joy: "I was very happy because I specifically invited her to come, and she wanted to support me. I was delighted she brought flowers—they're beautiful."
When asked if Bam would watch the film, Um laughed: "Bam is very afraid of ghosts. I'm happy she came because she's such a scaredy-cat. I don't know if she'll give in and watch it with me at the cinema."
Despite the horror premise, Um encouraged Bam: "I told her, 'You can watch it. I'm scared too. At least we can be scared together.'"
