Bright Vachirawit Chivaaree On The Living Legacy Of F4 Thailand's Thyme

Accepting the lead role of Thyme, the leader of the privileged F4, was a no-brainer for Bright Vachirawit Chivaaree, 25. He says, “The role of Thyme is so iconic. There are so many versions of him, and all of them are so good. I wanted to play him and make the role my own.” The star-making role has been inhabited by Taiwanese actor Jerry Yan, South Korean actor Lee Min-ho and Japanese actor Jun Matsumoto, in the other incarnations of the hit show, and Bright’s decision was right on the money. 

The entertainment scene is now in the midst of a Thai boom, and Bright is at the forefront of a new generation of Thai stars who have global Instagram followings and high fashion endorsements to their names, adding on a new metric of success. He officially joined Burberry as a global ambassador in July 2022, and holds the distinction of being the first ambassador from the South-Asia Pacific region. With 18 million followers on his Instagram (@bbrightvc), it’s no surprise that the British heritage brand enlisted him into their family of ambassadors. 

Related article: Bright Vachirawit Reflects On His Meteoric Rise And What Makes Him Happy

As comfortable as he is in front of the camera, modelling Burberry’s sleek coats and sharp suits in the front row, Bright also enjoys being behind the lens. During the shoot, he was the one who showed the most interest in the shots, and even offered suggestions. A semi-serious photography enthusiast, he documents his life and travels on a secondary Instagram account (@isawitbefore) with the laconic description “I’m a forgetful boy” in his bio. When asked about this, he explains, “Because I’m forgetful, I have to take a photo wherever I go in order to remember.” On this trip to Singapore, he enthused about great photo opportunities in Chinatown and visited an Indian temple. A quick glance at his account reveals portraits of his fellow actors such as co-star Win Metawin, snaps of his Ragdoll cat Ame, and moody compositions of cityscapes and architectural details. 

Aside from his talent for photography, Bright sings, and plays the guitar and piano. Growing up with an uncle who owned a music school, he was exposed to a wide and varied range of musical influences. “It’s so hard to describe my music style because I listen to many kinds of music: jazz, pop and R&B. When I produce a song, I start with the story that I want to tell in the song. And then I will imagine what kind of soundtrack should accompany that story.” 

His songs reflect his diverse musical tastes, from the jazzy vibes of “Saturday Night” to the hip-hop-inflected “My Ecstasy”, released under Riser Music, a new music production studio which is part of Thai broadcaster GMMTV. Both music videos have racked up over two million views on YouTube, with fans gushing over his vocals and catchy melodies, beyond his model-esque looks. Counting The Weeknd and Thai artist D Gerrard, whom he worked with on “My Ecstasy”, among the artists he loves, Bright has great ambitions for his own music career, but is taking things one step at a time. “My dream is to go on a solo tour around Asia, or even to other countries beyond Asia. But first, I am working on producing more songs.” 

Photographed by Zhang Minhua and Jeremy Kieran / Telescope Studios
Creative direction by Windy Aulia
Styled by Gracia Phang
Producer: Navin Pillay
Makeup: Pornpichit Khum-Nguen and Yothin Chuaysri
Hair: Thanupol Phoothepamornkul and Akkarapong Punkaew
Photographer’s assistant: Leonard Wong
Stylist’s assistant: Brandon Chia
Floral Design: Lilac Summers
Fashion: Burberry
Jewellery: FRED