When it comes to the belief of Pon Navat Phuphanthatsit no one in the acting world can fail to recognize this talented leading man with sharp features, who has accumulated considerable acting skills. Pon's name has thus become one of the actors loved by fans.
Today, the program The Story Of... has invited this handsome leading man to talk and update on his life after entering the entertainment industry, becoming a shining star in this field. To reach this point, Pon had to prove his acting skills considerably as well.
"If I were to compare myself at age 29 to something, I feel like a ship at a crossroads. This age feels like a transition point where I have to choose which path to take. I’ve grown up a lot compared to when I was 18 or 19, thinking 29 was very mature, but now at 29, in terms of work, I still feel like a kid inside."
Regarding work, now as an actor, I try to do my best every day. It can feel a bit repetitive, but I try to find different paths in areas I enjoy, like having another job on the side.
There was a period, not very long, when I felt a bit saturated emotionally. It was like filming a drama, going home, filming again, going home. When the drama aired, that was it. It felt like a loop. Sometimes I sat and reflected on what I was gaining from the entertainment industry, which wasn’t a very positive thought and led to losing passion.
But then a challenging role came along — something different, something I had never done before. It was a new and refreshing role that made me excited to constantly learn new things. I think actors can always learn. There will always be new, unusual roles depending on the opportunities we receive. As long as there are challenges, I can keep going and take on roles I’ve never had before.
I set a goal before entering the industry that as an actor, I must make the audience believe I truly am the character, no matter the role. It doesn’t have to be a leading role. Whatever role I get, I have to perform it well because I am an actor. Right now, things are good, but there’s no such thing as perfect. I have to keep improving beyond yesterday.
When filming my first drama, I was in my second year at university. I didn’t think about payment or even consider it as work. I saw it as studying and enjoying filming. That was a turning point for me, like the drama "Pink Stain." At first, I hesitated whether to accept it because I was in my fourth year and working on my final project. My manager told me about the role, which was very intense and dramatic. I considered whether to drop out or focus on work only, but finally accepted both and did well. The response was great; everyone recognized me, which was very rewarding.
But I just felt that what I lost was some university time. While friends went out after class, sometimes I had to leave early to film before finishing lessons, and I tried to keep up with assignments. That was the only thing I felt I lost. Otherwise, I gained benefits such as opportunities and connections, which I think made it worth it.
I once read a comment saying Pon has decent acting and looks, and that success depends on timing and life’s circumstances, like roles and other factors. I agree that timing matters. I always give my best to every project, but whether timing is good during airing is another matter. For instance, during COVID, a drama I was hopeful for didn’t meet expectations due to the situation. That was discouraging, but I started over. Sometimes it’s discouraging when expectations aren’t met, but challenging roles reignite my passion. When a role is difficult and I succeed, it motivates me to move forward.
When "Pink Stain" aired, I attended events at Central Rama 9. My manager told me to take photos with fans before leaving. When I arrived, I was shocked to see over a hundred people lined up. Previously, I only had 5 or 6 fans following me, but now it was hundreds. My heart raced, and I gladly took one-on-one photos with everyone because they came to support and encourage me, so I wanted to give them smiles in return.
How much has the entertainment industry changed Pon’s life? Not much. Before entering the industry, I was the same, though I now have to be more careful about my image, like when walking in markets. If people ask for photos, I’m always happy to oblige because I’ve been a fan before. I understand how it feels when a star declines a photo request, so whenever I go out, I’m always happy to take photos, even if I’m about to eat street food. I just check quickly to make sure the picture looks good.
Have there been times when you didn’t want to work or felt moody? Yes, everyone has those moments. For me, it was recently when I almost lost passion. It felt like a loop — waking up feeling lazy. Usually, I love going to the set, but then I would wake up and sigh, wondering what character I had to play that day. I was filming two dramas simultaneously, so it felt tiring to switch roles every few days. I had to mentally prepare before getting up.
I tried to find fun in it, like joking with colleagues on set, which helped me get through it. What really reignited my spirit was the goal. Every actor wants success and to be recognized and appreciated for their skills. I want that feedback; it’s a powerful motivation to keep working. I’m grateful for every opportunity given to me. The jobs I’ve had are good and have helped me gain experience and learn many things. I’m just waiting for the right time because everything depends on life’s timing.
Honestly, if I were impatient, I might have left the industry by now, wondering why I haven’t succeeded yet. But I enjoy it and keep giving my all to every project. Eventually, the right time will come, maybe sooner or later. What I’m experiencing now fuels my passion to continue.
For those who follow Pon on social media, it’s clear he’s passionate about marathon running. Over the years, he’s frequently competed to collect medals. Pon shared his story about this passion:
"I’ve liked exercising since I was young. My interests have evolved over time. I enjoyed physical education and felt suited to sports. I used to play football and swim. I’ve always liked sports. When I entered the industry, I started gym workouts to maintain my shape.
How did I get into running? Because of my sister. She runs trail runs, not road races. When she went shopping for hydration packs and gear for the forest, I noticed but was indifferent. Then my mother said, ‘Go run with your sister. She’s a woman going alone in the forest.’ I agreed. I got all the gear and asked if there was a race in April. When she said yes, I started training in March.
But when the race came, it was during a COVID risk period, so I couldn’t go and had to quarantine. The event was canceled. After that, I kept running in front of my house to maintain exercise. Once I started competing, the first race led to the second, third, and so on, and I gradually got more into running.
My very first race wasn’t even called running yet. It was a channel-organized race, 10 kilometers, called the 'Fire and Shadow Run.' It was during the airing of the drama ‘Fire and Shadow.’ The race was around Chiang Mai’s moat. Nich and Yogurt ran 5K, while Toey and I ran 10K. Toey, a seasoned runner, finished in about 47 minutes. I took 1 hour 14 minutes, lagging behind everyone. I wondered why it was so hard and how older runners in their 50s and 60s could overtake me. I ran and walked repeatedly, wondering when the 10K would end. That was my initial curiosity.
My sister kept encouraging me to run 5K, then 10K. After 10K, I progressed to half and then full marathons. My first full marathon was untrained — I only trained up to 25K but ran the full 42K in Tokyo, Japan. I had no plan, didn’t know when to consume energy gels, or how fast to run. I just jogged because I was used to exercising. I finished and was proud. I even filmed a vlog at the finish line with tears in my eyes — 4 hours 52 minutes. It was exhausting because my legs felt heavy. The Tokyo Marathon is one of the six major marathons worldwide: Tokyo, Berlin, London, Chicago, Boston, and New York. Collecting medals from all six earns a special "Pon de Ring" medal — a dream for marathon runners globally. After earning the first major medal, I aimed to complete all six to achieve the Six Star Finisher.
This is another major medal — the Berlin Marathon in Germany, completed last year. My training improved, and my time was much better: 3 hours 57 minutes. This was my second major medal. I was very happy. This is a Thai event — Bangsaen Marathon. In 2023, I completed all distances: 10K, 21K, and 42K at Bangsaen. Usually, races have multiple distances in one event, but Bangsaen is unique because each event has only one distance. I collected them all in one year, which felt crazy — 2023 was intense with many races.
This marathon is my second and third, including Berlin, but it’s not a major event. I planned to run only major marathons because training is very demanding. Running itself is tiring, but training abroad feels better. Training isn’t just one or two months; it’s six months, with distances increasing to 25K, 30K, then 35K. It’s more exhausting than the race day itself. So I decided to focus only on major marathons and, in Thailand, run only half marathons (21K).
Another medal I earned was my first triathlon medal. Before running, I already had a bicycle. A friend persuaded me to try cycling. I used my father’s mountain bike to ride around Suvarnabhumi Airport. One day, I was lucky to see a stunning sunset — the sky was vibrant. I found triathlon very appealing and fun, so I bought my own bike. After I started running, I wanted to do a triathlon since I used to swim competitively as a child. I wanted to try it once in my life.
The Laguna triathlon was my first. When I told people it was my first, they said it was very tough because the cycling section involves hills, not flat roads. I said it was my only first triathlon, so I had to do it. The distances were 1.8K swimming in the sea, 50K cycling, and 12K running, finishing in about 3 hours 47 minutes, under 4 hours as planned. I was satisfied with that.
Next, we invited Pon Navat to talk about love after he revealed his relationship with actress Cookie Yada. The leading man shared about love:
"Is your world very pink right now? Not that pink, just normal. Sometimes, but not overly romantic. Personally, I’m not very romantic; I’m more straightforward. But yes, there are moments. It’s not like childhood love; now, we both work a lot. It has to be a comfortable relationship; otherwise, why have it? I’ve said before, when I was single, I felt okay, but if a relationship made things worse, it’s better to be alone."
There are many aspects — lifestyle, similarities, and some differences, which are natural. It’s a comfortable feeling being with her and being myself. It’s good. She may seem very sweet outwardly, but she’s also strong and determined. Sometimes she’s even stronger than me. It’s good timing — luck or fate. It feels like it might have been destined or something. I consider it a blessing.
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