Thai Star Baifern Pimchanok Shocks Audiences in ‘Fallen Angel’
Thai actress Baifern Pimchanok has garnered significant attention for her role as a young woman who exploits men for money, a stark departure from her usual image.
In the series Fallen Angel, which premiered on August 14, Baifern Pimchanok portrays Thongdee, a 17-year-old girl from a rural area with a tragic past. Abandoned by her parents at a young age, Thongdee was raised by a strange woman who frequently abused and scolded her. The suffocating and deprived life led Thongdee to become disillusioned, yearning for a better life.
Using her beauty, Thongdee manipulates nine men, marrying seven of them, and gradually accumulates wealth to buy the things she desires. The film includes scenes where Thongdee allows older men to stuff money into her blouse, refuses to help her adoptive mother after she falls and hits her head, and uses her allure to persuade men to comply with her demands.
On various movie forums, many viewers expressed surprise at the raw details of the story. The topic “How does the Thai film Fallen Angel portray women?” has garnered over 100 million views and tens of thousands of comments on Weibo. Viewers have written: “The more I watch, the more shocked I am. How could Baifern take on such a role?”, “Are all men as terrible as they are in this film?”, “Some scenes are crude, but they reflect real life.”
Tens of thousands of people have agreed that the film stands out for portraying a female protagonist who is flawed and complex, a departure from the recent trend in Asian cinema, which often emphasizes women’s independence and self-reliance. In Fallen Angel, while Thongdee’s actions lead to regrettable consequences, she also demonstrates moments of kindness, reflecting the complexity of her character. Baifern Pimchanok skillfully conveys Thongdee’s inner turmoil and moral struggles.
At 32 years old, Baifern Pimchanok is one of the most prominent actresses in Thai cinema, with a large fanbase across Asia. She rose to fame with popular films such as Friend Zone, Plerng Phra Nang, A Tale of Ylang Ylang, The Sand Princess, Bai Mai Tee Plid Plew, and The Con-Heartist. The actress also serves as the ambassador for several international fashion brands. Baifern previously dated Nine Naphat, her co-star in Friend Zone. The couple parted ways in early July.
