Chompoo Araya A. Hargate is a Thai actress and supermodel who received a lot of criticism back in 2011 for her portrayal of a character called Reya in the TV soap opera (lakorn) Doksom Sithong. Reya is a Thai mia noi (mistress or ‘minor wife’) who seduces Thai men away from their wives, so the TV soap was seen as very controversial in Thailand. That it was so controversial is actually quite funny as, according to surveys, a large percentage of Thai men do have a mia noi. Reya, however, is not going away as Chompoo Araya Hargate is about to star in the role again — this time in Reya: The Musical, at Aksra Theatre King Power.
In this video from The Bangkok Post, Chompoo Hargate talks about the role, if she pays taxes (she does!) and even does one of the latest dance trends.
She speaks such good English, by the way, as she’s what the Thais call “luk kreung”, Thai language for half Thai-half white foreigner. Her mother is Thai and her father is British, so she grew up fluent in both languages. Lucky her!
If you’re interested in seeing Reya: The Musical, it will run from September 14th to October 7th. You can buy tickets through Thai Ticketmaster. And yes, Chompoo Araya A. Hargate is just as wonderful singing as she is acting. Her voice is beautiful.