Meet Thai BL mastermind Pond Krisda ‘Kris’ Witthayakhajorndet, the man behind the drama KinnPorsche, whose stars Apo and Mile were the talk of the Dior show at the 2023 Paris Fashion Week – interview

Jan 4 , 2024

Krisda Witthayakhajorndet, founder and CEO of Thai talent agency Be On Cloud, has nurtured young stars Apo Nattawin Wattanagitiphat and Mile Phakphum Romsaithong, both now Dior ambassadors. Photo: @krispond.w/Instagram

Kris’ agency Be On Cloud is a close-knit business that looks after stars of the 2022 hit series: Apo Nattawin Wattanagitiphat and Mile Phakphum Romsaithong, both also now Dior ambassadors

Hailing from a Chinese family, Kris started out in showbiz as a DJ at MTV Thailand before opening his agency that recently survived the traumatic departure of another KinnPorsche star, Build Jakapan

At Paris Fashion Week these past few seasons, the loudest screams weren’t prompted by front row regulars like Zendaya or Kylie Jenner. Instead, it was celebrities from the land of smiles – Thailand – who generated the biggest buzz.

You might have missed his face in the crowd, but Pond Krisda Witthayakhajorndet is single-handedly responsible for much of that buzz, which now rivals that accorded Korean idols. Witthayakhajorndet, who often goes by Kris for short, is the humble mastermind behind KinnPorsche: The Series, a Thai drama which shot many of its attractive young stars – as well as the “boys’ love” genre – to global prominence upon its release in 2022. Boys’ love, which has a long history dating back to 1970s Japan, isn’t strictly aimed at gay male audiences despite its name – and in fact, has shot to popularity in recent years largely thanks to female fans.

Krisda ‘Kris’ Witthayakhajorndet on set. Photo: Handout

“The thing that happened with Dior,” says Kris, “was a very huge step to the global industry for us,” referring not only to the show-stopping arrival of KinnPorsche stars – and newly minted brand ambassadors – Apo Nattawin Wattanagitiphat and Mile Phakphum Romsaithong at the Dior show in Paris, but also to what that riotous appearance meant for the Thai entertainment industry at large. “I could see the tears in [Mile’s] eyes, the tears [of] happiness. I told him, ‘Make every second count. Take your time. Say hi to the fans.’”

This humility has clearly been key to the success enjoyed by Kris and the cast of rising stars under his agency, Be On Cloud, but for Kris himself, it’s just the right way to do business. Despite being approached by other brands previously, says Kris, “I talked to both of them [Apo and Mile], saying we will wait until the right timing and both of you will work together. You will be the very first two BL [boys’ love] actors that join one brand together.”

Since day one, this sense of togetherness is what’s driven the entertainment entrepreneur, who has come a long way from being a DJ at MTV Thailand. He says that combination of hard work and family values comes from his gritty upbringing. “My bloodline is 100 per cent Chinese, but I grew up in Thai culture,” says Kris. “For Thai people, they’re humble. But Chinese people, we’re fighters, and everything is family comes first.”

Promo shot for Thai series KinnPorsche. Photo: @nnattawin/instagram

For Kris’ own family, financial problems prompted a move to the US when he was 18. While still only a young man, he made the first consequential choice of many by opting to stay behind in Thailand and make a name for himself in the entertainment industry, having never lived on his own before.

It was then that Kris began learning what it takes to be a star. Soon after realising he wasn’t meant to be in front of the camera himself, Kris began working as a TV host, interviewing crew members, artists, producers and the like from across the industry and around the world. “I got a small amount of money,” he says, “but a lot of knowledge.”