Bangkok Traffic Love Story

Bangkok Traffic Love Story
Theatrical poster
Directed by	Adisorn Tresirikasem
Produced by	Jira Maligool Chenchonnee Soonthornsarntool Suwimol Taechasupinun Wanruedee Pongsittisak
Written by	Benjamaporn Srabua Navapol Thamrongruttanarit Adisorn Tresirikasem
Starring	Cris Horwang Theeradej Wongpuapan Ungsumalynn Sirapatsakmetha
Music by	Instinct
Cinematography	Somboon Piriyapakdeekul Jira Maligool
Edited by	Vichapat Gojew Thammarat Sumetsupachok Panayu Khunwallee
Distributed by	GMM Tai Hub
Release dates	15 October 2009 (2009-10-15) (Thailand)
Country	Thailand
Language	Thai, Min Nan

Bangkok Traffic Love Story (Thai: รถไฟฟ้า มาหานะเธอ, rtgs: Rot Fai Fa Ma Ha Na Thoe) is a Thai romantic comedy film released by GTH on 15 October 2009. It was directed by Adisorn Tresirikasem and written by Navapol Thamrongruttanarit.^[1][2] The film tells the story of Mei Li (Cris Horwang), a thirty-year-old woman feeling desperate about being last among her friends to marry, and her relationship with Loong (Theeradej Wongpuapan), an engineer working on the BTS Skytrain system. The skytrain, which celebrated its tenth anniversary the same year and lends its name to the film's Thai and English titles, is prominently featured throughout the story.

The film was criticized for its loose plot, but critics felt that young middle-class female Bangkokians could identify with the contemporary setting. The film was financially successful, earning 57 million baht on its opening weekend and over 140 million baht after four weeks.

Plot

On Ped's (Panisara Pimpru) wedding night, her close friend, Mei li or Li (Cris Horwang), had drunk too much wine and had fallen asleep in Ped's hotel room. Li woke up in the early hours, she drove back to her home however she had a car accident on her way and this was where she met Loong (Theeradej Wongpuapan). When Li arrives home, her family scolds her, and her father forbids her to drive, so Li has to go to work by public transport.

One night, Li wakes up in the middle of night and goes to the roof of her house. She accidentally catches her maid and her boyfriend, who are also on the roof. Her maid's boyfriend calls his 'elder' (responsible adult), who turns out to be Loong. Li next meets Loong again at a BTS Skytrain station. This time Li accidentally breaks Loong's sunglasses. Li buys a replacement pair of sunglasses and writes her number on the box. She arranges to 'bump into' Loong to give him the new sunglasses. After waiting for Loong to call, Li goes to a video rental shop that Loong visits regularly. Li's neighbor, Plern (Ungsumalynn Sirapatsakmetha), uses a trick to get Loong's mobile number, but later goes to work at the same video store instead of giving Loong's number to Li. As revenge, Li uses Plern's mobile to send messages to Plern's three boyfriends, inviting them all to the store at the same time. Loong comes into the shop, and accidentally drops his laptop.

Feeling responsible, Li take Loong's laptop to Ped's husband, but he can't fix it. Li goes to return it at the BTS office. When Loong finishes work, he finds Li, and they ride the BTS to get home. Loong decides to throw away the laptop and its bag. Li picks the bag up out of the garbage bin and takes it home. There are many things inside, including film negatives. Li has the film printed, and finds there are pictures of Loong with Kob Kavita (Taksaorn Paksukjareon), an actress in "Saint's Tear", a popular television series. The photo printing shop owner posts the pictures on the internet, as they are of a famous actress.

Li meets Loong again on a skytrain, and tells him that the pictures might have been published because of her, but Loong doesn't mind. Loong tells her that Kob is his ex-girlfriend, and they broke up because their time schedules didn't match. When the skytrain arrives at Ekkamai Station, Li suggests that they watch the stars at the Bangkok Planetarium and see an exhibition about a comet that will be appearing soon. Li asks Loong to watch the comet with her in Bangkok. Later, before the Songkran holidays, Loong asks Li to come celebrate by throwing water.

During the Songkran festival, Plern joins them. Li doesn't enjoy the festivities because of her. Li knows Loong's address, which is a guesthouse next to Chao Phraya River. Li changes her clothes and goes to see Loong, and finds him asleep. Li falls asleep next to him. After she wakes up, Loong asks her to travel around Bangkok. Loong asks Li to come to family day at the BTS, as he can take her into the depot. Loong takes pictures, but Li damages the camera.

On the family day visit, Li finds out that Loong is leaving in two days time to spend two years studying in Germany. They say goodbye on the Taksin Bridge. Loong sends Li a box when he arrives in Germany. Inside is the mirror from her car from when they first met, the damaged sunglasses, the broken laptop, Bangkok Planetarium tickets, and the damaged camera, with the memory card still inside. Li looks at the pictures. She rushes to Suvarnabhumi Airport to try to stop Loong, but she is too late. On that day, the comet orbits to the earth. Loong watches the comet from on board his plane, while Li watches it as well.

Two years later, while going to work one evening, Li accidentally meets Loong on a BTS Skytrain. Loong works a day shift and has been back in Thailand for a few months. Both get off the Skytrain at Siam station, which is the interchange station between the Sukhumvit Line and the Silom Line. Li goes downstairs to change to a different line and doesn't turn back to look at Loong. Li gets on her train, but the electricity goes out. Passengers call their friends or family to say the train has stopped. Li's phone rings; it is Loong. He asks Li to again celebrate Songkran. Li replies that she is free for the holidays. When electricity comes back on, Loong is on the same Skytrain, standing next to Li. He tells Li that she has his number now, and to record it.

Production

Bangkok Traffic Love Story was sponsored by the BTS, and the movie includes many scenes depicting maintenance work on the system and its infrastructure. The film was promoted as part of BTS's tenth anniversary celebrations. The film's Thai name, Rod fai fah.. Ma Ha Na Ther, translates as "Skytrain, coming to meet you", and is a word play on Rot Fai Fa Maha Nakhon (รถไฟฟ้ามหานคร), which is the Thai name of the Bangkok Metro underground system. The English title is abbreviated BTS to coincide with that of the skytrain system.

Reception

Critical response

Critics mostly noted how Bangkok Traffic Love Story, despite its flaws, appropriately served and satisfied its target audience of Bangkok's young female adults. In Manager Daily, Aphinan Bunrueangphanao noted the film's chick flick elements, and how the casting of Theeradej as the male lead helped boosted the film's appeal. He noted that Cris skilfully represented the humorously exaggerated single urban female in her lead role, but criticized the film for its weak and loose plot.^[3] Nantakwang Sirasoontorn observed in Kom Chad Luek that the film's most distinct theme was that of the female fantasy of meeting the perfect man. He noted that images of contemporary Bangkok life and GTH's carefully planned marketing campaigns helped propel the film to success. He commended Cris's acting and criticized the weak plot.^[4]

Box office

Bangkok Traffic Love Story was a box office hit upon release, earning 15.1 million baht on its opening day, surpassing Phobia 2‍ '​s prior annual record of 14.9 million, and 57 million baht during the opening weekend.^[5] At four weeks, the film totalled over 140 million baht in theatrical earnings, surpassing Fan Chan's prior GTH record of 137 million, and becoming by far the highest-grossing film of 2009.^[6]

Awards

References