Thai Actors Call for Labor Protections in Entertainment Industry
Thai actors Ananda Everingham and Aim Phumirat are pushing for labor protections and union representation in Thailand's entertainment industry, citing lack of income security and professional standards compared to international film sectors
Actors Ananda Everingham and Aim Phumirat Thawarchorusiri attended the Suratsawadi Gala and Award Night at Melt Live House Cloud11, where they revealed plans for a joint acting project starting early next year and spoke about Thailand's entertainment industry. They also advocated for labor rights and benefits, calling for the industry to move forward without abandoning anyone.
The two have worked together before. When asked if they had good chemistry, Ananda said, "We've done a film together, and I've had Aim help out at my office." Aim teased, "We'll have a BL series together," to which Ananda jokingly replied, "Really? Wait, did you even talk to me about this? Hey, I'm already excited." Ananda confirmed with producers that their project should launch early next year.
When asked about Aim's reputation as a handsome leading man, Ananda reflected on how the industry works. "Aim was known within the industry for a long time, but outsiders knew little about him. People in the industry talk about wanting more space for real, capable actors with real challenges. Festivals like this help showcase that talent. Aim started as an indie film actor known mainly in narrow circles, but now he's mainstream and serves as a Bangkok International Film Festival ambassador."
Aim explained his persistence: "Many people have waited longer than me, and many have given up before me. That's one reason I want to create an actors association—to save artists along the way, so they don't collapse from lack of income. If you love something enough, it forces you to keep doing it, no matter what."
When asked how actors balance financial survival with their passion, Aim said, "Very few people in this country can live solely as actors from acting work alone. I can count them on one hand." Ananda added, "Our industry is quite backward. Internationally, there are unions and protections for professionals in this field, but we don't have that. Without protections, many actors do acting just for fame, then earn money from advertising instead—which goes against everything I was trained for. As an actor, I should make my living from acting."
