Lakhon (soap opera)
Lakhon ( Thai : ละคร , IPA: la.kʰɔːn , also: lakorn , literally: play , drama; full name: ละคร โทรทัศน์ - RTGS : lakhon thorathat , "television play") is a special type of soap opera on Thai television. Prime-Time -Lakhon will be broadcast from 8:30 p.m. An episode is about two hours long, including commercials. A lakhon is a completed story in contrast to the cliffhanger principle and has more of the broadcast format of Spanish telenovelas . A series spans roughly three months. With two to three weekly episodes, these programs take place at the rhythm from Monday to Tuesday, Wednesday to Thursday or Friday to Sunday, while three lakhons are broadcast simultaneously on one channel. Many Lakhon are based on Thai novels based on the "man-meets-woman" plot scheme, which is dominant in the romantic literary scene. This applies to the famous Dao pra sook series as well as to Silamanee .
Characters and storylines
Lakhon have very clearly worked out characters and narrative conventions. Even if some deviate from this, most series and especially the Lakhon, which is most popular with Thai television viewers, adhere to these guidelines.
- In the happy ending , the protagonists marry their soul mates.
- The main pair is introduced at the beginning of the series. It is very easy to recognize that his roles are filled with the most famous soap opera actors of the moment. The male main role is called phra ek ( พระเอก ) and the female nang ek ( นางเอก ).
- A “bad” female figure ( itcha , อิจฉา ) is common. This character is in love with the male lead actor and will do everything possible to destroy the happiness and love of the two main characters, to relax the groom as possible before the wedding. Therefore, the bad tries to harm the female lead. She corresponds to a stereotypical, malicious, scheming character from a rich house or with a high status in the family background. Mostly they are living people. But it can also be dead women who return as evil spirits, as in Poot Mae Nam Khong ( ภูต แม่น้ำ โขง , RTGS: Phut Mae Nam Khong, literally: “The spirit of the Mekong”) or Pob Pee Fa ( ป อบ ผีฟ้า , RTGS: Pop Phi Fa, literally "The Ogre Phi Fa").
- Kathoey (กะเทย , men in women's clothes) are often used as a comic relief . The Sapai Look Tung series is a famous example of this.
- In the end, all conflicts must be resolved and everyone forgives everyone. The “bad guys” get their punishments and the “good guys” get their rewards. These series rarely end with unsolved problems like Poot Mae Nam Khong .
- Lakhon pursue their plot in the extreme melodrama style, with situations very exaggerated, actions very theatrical with a lot of screaming and screeching.
Development of the Lakhon
Most of the Lakhon portray the upper class of Thai society, either by the male or by both leading roles. The male lead is usually rich like the character Phak in Dao pra sook . In the past, the main male roles were nobles and princes like a mom chao , as they were the rich people in Thai society at that time. Since then, the main male character has evolved into a businessman from an influential family. This change reflects the change in Thai society, where business people form the upper class rather than the royal and aristocratic classes.