“Even failures are there to teach you something. It’s only when you don’t learn anything from the experience that it’s truly a failure”
PECHAYA “MIN” WATTANAMONTRI
WHILE THE NUMBER 15 IS A CAUSE FOR CELEBRATION THIS MONTH FOR PRESTIGE THAILAND, IT ALSO HAPPENS TO BE A SIGNIFICANT, LIFE-DEFINING FIGURE FOR PECHAYA “MIN” WATTANAMONTRI, ONE OF THAILAND’S LEADING SILVER SCREEN LADIES. parisa pichitmarn FINDS OUT WHY, AND ALSO DISCOVERS WHAT THE FUTURE HOLDS FOR THIS BUSINESS SAVVY DOG-LOVER WHO LIVES LIFE TO THE FULLEST
Successful actresses are usually plagued by a suffocatingly tight schedule, but that’s not the case when I meet with Pechaya “Min” Wattanamontri in the laid-back and airy lobby of the new Kimpton Maa-lai Hotel. It’s a location she chose for our chit-chat mainly because dogs are allowed on the premises, so her extremely polite corgi, Octo, could tag along (just like he does when Min is working on lakorn sets too).
What’s immediately striking is the enviable work/ life balance that Min has come to possess. It’s been over a decade since this sweet-faced heroine first made her debut in Thailand’s entertainment industry, and as one of the top names under Channel 7’s roster of starlets, these days Min can breezily afford to kick back and be more selective when it comes to the roles she accepts. This quality over quantity mindset also reflects a deep-rooted belief she’s inherited from her father, Supat, that work isn’t everything.
“I’ve never been obsessed with my career because I feel that success in life is to be happy in all aspects,” she explains. “My father has always been very big on life experiences, and always teaches me to live my life fully. Back in the day he’d tell me, ‘Sure, get those good grades to make mum happy, but also learn about life from friends, sports, and outside the classroom’. My grandfather literally died on his worktable in his 40s, so I never even had the opportunity to meet him. It’s really sad when you don’t get to live your life, and so I feel that my father’s advice is very important.”
On the day of our interview Min is in no particular hurry to rush anywhere, so while giving Octo’s head the occasional rub she tells me that much of her days now revolve around stock investments and plans to expand her family’s real estate businesses from Khon Kaen to Bangkok. Her father, despite being in his 60s, still oversees the Chonlapruek Parkville housing development, while her elder brother Max takes the reigns with SCG Home Solution Max Home Khon Kaen, the family’s construction equipment-centric mall.
Between studying Business English at ABAC, and winning first-runner up in the Miss Teen Thailand pageant in 2006, Min’s combination of good looks and sophistication – not to mention acting skills and business acumen – have been steadily landing her jobs for well over a decade. And while the general Thai population may be used to only seeing her face on the telly as a soap star, or as a presenter for various leading brands, there has always been a solid quotient of a business mogul within her as well.
“My father has always encouraged me to get into businesses and to try it all out regardless of the failures I may encounter,” the youngest daughter of the family reflects. “He said, ‘Don’t be afraid to make mistakes, be more afraid to not become a success. If you’re afraid to mess up, you will never do anything with your life!’ With acting too, he’s always told me to try it, learn from it, and be the very best one out there.”
Most recently, Min starred as a pair of twins – one demure and the other (as you’d expect) vicious – in Channel 7’s drama
“COLLECTING A MILESTONE MEANS YOU HAVE TO GO THROUGH THAT EXPERIENCE YOURSELF”
Song Naree, literally translated as Two Women. Yet, as a seasoned actress, who received the Mekala Award for a Leading Actress in 2012, what Min revels in now is the choice of fresh, novel roles that she has never attempted before. She can’t give away too many details about the movie she’s about to star in, but she teasingly hints that it involves cancer, comedy, and “not looking pretty at all”.
“I’ve reached a point where I now seek different roles that are more challenging, and this is one of them,” she happily points out. “When I read the script, I was really surprised because this plot is not one I’ve ever seen anywhere before.”
“I can now take a step back and have more time for other things,” she says of her choice to no longer accept every single acting job. “The time where I would wear out my body is over. No more being in hospitals, functioning on three hours of sleep, or getting steroid shots just so I can get back up to work. I now understand that it’s just not worth it. When I see younger actors doing that, I get that they’re in a particular phase in their life where they can still do that, but my life isn’t about that anymore and I’m well beyond that point. I love to work, but if I need to rest, I now know to. I actually haven’t taken any jobs on New Year’s Eve for a couple of years now. I’ve already worked hard all year, I deserve to get that night off.”
Although Min’s acting career is a bit shy of a 15th anniversary celebration, she does confess that for her the tender age of 15 was a life-changing, defining year that has, in many ways, made her the person she is today.
“15 was when I went on an exchange term to study in Montana, USA,” the spunky, Khon Kaen native recalls. “It really was a different world and it completely turned me around from being a really shy, timid girl hiding behind my parents all the time. I had to fend for myself, and that mélange of being an athlete and having to present in front of the class every day… has made me the confident and positive person that I am today. Collecting a milestone means you have to go through that experience yourself. I’m thankful that I chose to change and grow, because if I didn’t choose to go study abroad, I would probably still be working at home now.”
Asked how she likes to socialise, Min envisions a cosy gathering at home with friends; simply eating, talking and
“HIGH JEWELLERY IS NOT SOMETHING THAT YOU PUT A VALUE ON – EVEN THOUGH THERE IS AN ACTUAL MARKET PRICE AND ALL – IT IS DEFINED BY THE ART AND EXQUISITE CRAFTSMANSHIP THAT GOES INTO ITS CREATION”
spending time together. “I feel that a true celebration must be fun, not greeting mounds of guests you don’t even know,” she admits. “It’s being with friends who will not judge you for anything, who will still support you and be there even when you trip and fall flat on your face.”
Traveling with her close friends is something Min goes all out on, as she confesses to being a work hard, play hard kind of person. Naturally sporty, she looks forward to adventurous trips with skiing or wakeboarding involved when she’s feeling frisky, but also veers towards trips that let her “bum around”, imposing a ‘no photos’ rule when she truly wants to rest sans makeup. And although she eats clean and has a trainer for her regimens of weight training and yoga, she confesses that there too are days she will allow herself to eat anything and everything. “I’m a fierce eater,” she jokes. “People who think I don’t eat pizza don’t know me at all.”
Her ethos of rewarding herself is one that
stems from her love for her family. “I think the Boomer’s generation have this old school idea of wanting to provide for their children and grandchildren. But I tell my parents to stop worrying about that,” she says. “I can earn for myself now. I just want them to enjoy what they’ve earned and to see them happy. I have my backup plans in place too, but when it comes to rewarding myself I don’t hold back.”
Min admits to splurging on brand names when she was younger, but now, being more of an investment savant, she treats herself instead to high jewellery. Having a personal inclination towards coloured gems, she recalls how she was awestruck when she first laid eyes on Bvlgari’s Barocko high jewellery collection that she wore on set for the Prestige cover shoot.
“When I was younger, I could only afford a diamond alone. But, to be honest, there’s so much more to the world of gems than just a string of diamonds,” says the ardent Bvlgari admirer of her preference for colours. “I do feel like these kinds of pieces seek their own master too. You both choose each other, and it’s not simply a one-sided thing. If you collect jewellery, I think it’s most appropriate when it suits you, and you genuinely like it as well. High jewellery is not something that you put a value on – even though there is an actual market price and all – it is defined by the art and exquisite craftsmanship that goes into its creation.”
Another passion of this curiously practical and forwardthinking lady is real estate. In fact, it’s one of the factors that bonds her so deeply with her beau Pitak “Oat” Spatam, a private wealth consultant whom she met while both studied RECU, Chulalongkorn University’s real estate programme.
“One of our favourite things to do when we’re together is to talk about work, investments, and how to progress towards our goals,” she laughs. “We’re supportive of each other, and it’s something we enjoy talking about even when we’re eating. It’s fun for both of us because we both like to move ahead.”
On the subject of moving forward, the budding businesswoman is not one to flaunt her plans, and keeps mum on her next steps, preferring that her results to announce themselves. However, she does see at least another decade of working in show biz, something that she counts as an inseparable part of her life.
“It’s hardly boring because this industry never sleeps!” she exclaims. “Our entertainment industry is the colour and
“I’VE NEVER BEEN OBSESSED WITH MY CAREER BECAUSE I FEEL THAT SUCCESS IN LIFE IS TO BE HAPPY IN ALL ASPECTS”
excitement for our country. It’s in the name itself… ‘entertain’. It never stops developing creatively, and the more competitive it gets the better, because you see new things. Changes come up every decade as well. It used to be all about TV, but now everything is online. I’m curious to see what the entertainment landscape will be ten years from now.”
Of course, when she’s not working there are daydreams of perhaps getting into producing organic dog treats or something along the lines of alternative medicine, part of a health-conscious focus she has taken up as of late. This, in turn, explains her mindful approach to life – a wholesome and peaceful core underneath the veneer of an actress who is relaxed, poised, and anything but difficult.
“I don’t take things personally and would never judge anyone before really knowing them,” she says of what she’s learned from being a public personality who is constantly under scrutiny. “Keep it easygoing and easy on the mind – but that’s something you need to learn to do. On Sunday, after I work out in the morning, I spend time with myself and think over the events of the week and what I could do better.”
“I’m grateful for everything that happened to me because everything has its reasons,” she goes on to say. “Even failures are there to teach you something. It’s only when you don’t learn anything from the experience that it’s truly a failure.”
So, is there anything she’d tell her 15-year-old self if she was able to turn back time?
“TO TRY, LOVE, LEARN, GROW, AND MAKE MISTAKES IS WHAT LIFE IS ABOUT AND WHAT WE ALL HAVE TO GO THROUGH”
“Not at all,” the actress confirms, adamant in her belief to always live – and enjoy – life to the fullest. “Whatever age you are at in life, it will always be filled with growth and mistakes, but that’s the beauty of it. If you haven’t been forced to understand the workings of relationships, and how to live life, then you’ve missed out on something big.
“I think it’s really unfortunate if you just work to make money,” she adds. “To try, love, learn, grow, and make mistakes is what life is about and what we all have to go through. Track your development and see how you grow – that’s what’s fun and is the true beauty of life.”