It’s Thanaerng’s Time To Shine

When Kanyawee Songmuang first entered the highly competitive Thai entertainment industry in 2013, she was fresh out of high school—a tall, gangly teen nonchalantly embracing the opportunities life was giving her. She had no specific long-term goals nor grand ambitions. Yet, 12 years later, Kanyawee, more commonly known by her nickname “Thanaerng”, has become a regular in the industry—an in-demand actress, a beauty icon and, the quintessential fashion darling in Thailand.

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Her entrance into the entertainment industry was neither predetermined nor calculated. It all started with her desire for a mobile device. “It’s kind of a family rule—you only get something when you do something. I didn’t need to win a contest or audition. I only needed to participate in the event to get what I wanted. Back then, I wanted a new mobile phone and you know a new model comes out every year; I just had to do something new every year so my parents would buy it for me. I was motivated by my materialism!” Thanaerng recalls with a laugh, adding that joining the modelling contest or auditions were just part of the many activities she was encouraged to participate in, along with archery, playing basketball, golfing, horseback riding, sailing and shooting.

With only experience from a modelling contest, Thanaerng entered an audition for the new season of Hormones: The Series. The teen drama is revered for its realistic portrayal of complex and controversial issues such as addiction, homosexuality, sex and violence, at a time when these issues were deemed somewhat taboo on mainstream Thai television. Years later, the resurfaced audition footage showing her doing a runway walk went viral, while acclaimed director and the creator of Hormones, Songyos Sugmakanan, said that the role of “Jane” in Hormones belonged to Thanaerng the moment he laid eyes on her. The girl in question, however, had no idea she’d be considered, let alone eventually becoming a part of what would become a generation-defining TV show.

“My life before Hormones revolved around waking up, going to school, going to cram school, and then going back home. I was living in that loop. I didn’t watch TV or any series. Once I was cast and became part of the process, I researched about it and realised how the show was talking about society in a modern context and that I myself was part of that context,” she says of her first and most iconic work. “I also share that same generational experience so I understand that the series was part of growing-up for many. It’s a time when we started to realise we had the right and freedom to stand up and speak for ourselves. Before that, kids didn’t question or have the courage to speak about what they wanted or liked. For me, Hormones was like a trigger for my generation, empowering us to realise that we too could question and express our desires.”

With the success of the season finale of Hormones, Thanaerng has since become a fixture in the entertainment industry, and a favourite for fashion editors and designers, thanks to her statuesque height, babylike features, charisma and an intuitive understanding of the clothes she’s wearing—a unique trait that comes with her love for fashion. Together with her boyfriend of almost 10 years, Krissanapoom Pibulsonggram or JJ, they are fashion’s power couple, often appearing together at events. That’s just until Thanaerng found the brand that resonated with the way she wanted to carry herself—Bottega Veneta.

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“It’s not like I found one absolute style that I’d stick to. I always adjust and tweak things depending on the situation or work requirements, but I am more selective in what I buy now. I’ve learned to choose items with value for money—something I can wear for many occasions. I look for ‘timelessness’ and that’s synonymous with Bottega Veneta. Knowing that you can mix and match their pieces with what you have in your wardrobe and that you could use it for different occasions or activities—that’s timelessness for me. The craftsmanship makes you feel that it’s truly valuable and not just a fashion trend. Timelessness also comes from attention to details—in design, durability and practicality,” she says of the Italian luxury house for which she serves as a brand ambassador.

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“I adore their latest collection. You know I love wearing oversized items and there’s something masculine, yet soft about what Louise Trotter has designed for Bottega Veneta. I love all the dresses. I could really see that chick in me!” she enthuses. With her fashion appearances exclusively reserved for Bottega Veneta, and her crazy schedule with new behind-the-scene responsibilities as the CEO of QOW Entertainment, the agency she co-founded with JJ in 2022, Thanaerng has one regret—fewer opportunities to meet and spend time with her fans, whom she regards as her source of moral support and pillar of strength throughout her years in the industry.

“I feel guilty not having a chance to meet them that much as I don’t attend that many events now. But whatever happens, they have been with me through my growing-up years. They believed in me even when I did not believe in myself. They still wait for me when I go to work and I always feel touched by their show of support and love. I want to find time to do something for them to show my appreciation. And I also want to create great work so that they won’t feel disappointed for believing in me.”

Editor-in-Chief: Kenneth Goh
Photography: John Tods
Styling: Gracia Phang
Cover look: Bottega Veneta
Makeup: Baayo Kitjaroen
Hair: Ryunoshin Tomoyose
Producers: Nina Simpson
Production Manager: Apiwit Reardon
Photographer’s Assistants: Wanlop Banchuen, Danuwat Benjakhan
Stylist’s Assistants: Phi Ritwiwat, Patipan Limsuwash