16 James Jirayu Top Dramas [with English Subtitles]
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James Jirayu Tangsrisuk, simply known as James Jirayu or James Ji, is a Thai actor, model, and singer. He was born on September 19, 1993, in Pichit, Thailand, and is the youngest child in his family.
Fun fact: James’ parents named him after James Bond.
As a shy kid growing up, James thought he would work in the computer science field, but he did learn to dance and sing when he was young. So when James was scouted in 2012, he soon rose to popularity after his debut film, Khun Chai Puttipat in 2013 with Bella Campen.
Since then, James has been featured in multiple Thai lakorns series and films, including Padiwarrada, Game Sanaeha, and Timeline.
Bemyponny, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Today, James is one of the highest-paid Thai actors, has received “Best Actor in a Leading Role,” and is one of the most popular main leads in Thai film.
If you are a fan of James Ji, then you are in for a treat!
Here are James Jirayu’s top dramas you can watch with English subtitles!
James Jirayu Top DramaS
1. Khun Chai Puttipat (The Five Brothers Part 3) 2013
Quick facts: 10 episodes | Romance, Drama, Medical, Historical | Watch on MyAsianTV
In his debut film, James is the 3rd brother of the Jutathep boys, Khun Chai Pat. Chai Pat is a serious medical doctor with no time for dating.
With his brothers plotting away so that Chai Pat doesn’t become a part of an age-old arranged marriage, they bring him to judge a beauty pageant.
Chai Pat falls in love with the winner, KrongKaew (Bella Campen), at first sight. However, she also has other issues she’s dealing with such as getting away from the general who wants to only sleep with her and finding cash to help her father get medical help.
As their lives start to intertwine, will the noble Chai Pat and poor KrongKaew be able to overcome class and have a happily ever after?
Note: James does play support roles in the Jutathep brothers series, but part 3 is solely focused on his story.
2. Rak Sutrit (Love to the Extreme) 2013
Quick facts: 16 episodes | Romance, Comedy | Watch on MyAsianTV
James plays a young and spoiled university student, Ittirit. He is on his last chance to pass his final class to graduate, but there is a high chance he may get expelled due to his lack of grades.
When Ittirit is caught cheating on the final exam by Chon, the teacher’s assistant, he does indeed get expelled.
Ittirit’s strict father and general of the police force doesn’t want his son to be expelled so he hires Chon to be Ittirit’s tutor. But both of them have already started off on the wrong foot.
What will come of Ittirit’s education and will Chon soften towards him?
3. Neung Nai Suang (Only You in My Heart) 2015
Quick facts: 12 episodes | Romance, Drama, Enemies to Lovers, Historical | Watch on MyAsianTV, Watch on NekoLand
James pairs with Yaya Urassaya in this historical Thai lakorn playing the role of Neung and Poom respectively.
Neung and Poom were childhood enemies because he would always bully her, causing Poom to hate Neung. However, she didn’t take his bullying ways easily and always stood up to him.
As they grew older, Neung was sent away to study abroad and upon his return, he enters a dance function. Poom finds out that he has returned and doesn’t want to see him at all.
However, Neung meets Poom at the dance without knowing who she is and instantly likes her. When he finally finds out who she is, he continues to bully her, which turns into teasing, and finally love.
Read next: 43 Thai Historical Drama Series [All Genres and Tropes]
4. Padiwaradda (Beloved Wife) 2016
Quick facts: 14 episodes | Romance, Action, Family, Historical | Watch on MyAsianTV
James reunites with Bella Campen and plays the role of Saran, a sheriff who requested the most dangerous job in southern Thailand after being rejected by his long-time girlfriend.
Saran’s mother, feeling bad for her son, writes a letter to her husband’s friend requesting that he keep their promise of having their children get married.
Though the friend has 2 adult daughters, neither daughter is looking for marriage. However, their adopted daughter, Rin (Bella), is willing to get married to Saran to repay her parent’s kindness.
She moves to Pak Thai with Saran and starts her new life as his beloved wife. But their relationship will go through turmoil due to the bandits of the area and a persistent ex-girlfriend.
5. Buang Hong (A Lasso for a Swan) 2017
Quick facts: 12 episodes | Romance, Drama, Riches to Rags | Watch on MyAsianTV
James co-stars with Kimberley Woltemas and plays Ramet, a high-end hotelier who falls in love with Pimlapas. Little does he know, Pimlapas was hired to seduce him to steal important documents.
Pimlapas was actually a spoiled rich girl, but one day she loses it all: her wealth, her father, and her boyfriend. When Ramet discovers that Pimlapas is stealing from him, he decides to hire her as a waitress at his hotel instead.
As their love for each other continues to grow, selfish people from Pimlapas’ previous life continue to cause chaos.
6. Nueng Dao Fah Diew (One Land, One Sky) 2018
Quick facts: 17 episodes | Romance, Historical, Political, Action | Watch on MyAsianTV
Set in the time of Ayutthaya, James is Sri Khan Thin, the son of a dead bandit who disguises himself as a eunuch in the palace to investigate his parents’ deaths.
Sri Khan Thin meets Mang Mao (Taew Nataphon), the daughter of the rich paper owner, by chance. Though they don’t know each other’s identities, they both instantly disklike each other.
However, as they continue to see each other and the situations they encounter, Sri Khan Thin and Mang Mao start to fall for each other.
7. Game Sanaeha (Game of Love) 2018
Quick facts: 15 episodes | Romance, Drama, Enemies to Lovers | Watch on KissAsian, Download from JirayuHome
James and Taew Nataphon reunite in their second pairing together. James plays Luckanai “Nai”, a kind, young man with a tragic history who lives with Muaenchanok “Nok” (Taew) and her family.
However, Nok treats Nai very poorly because of fear and jealousy. Nok’s parents are divorced. Her father is getting remarried to a much younger woman and her mother is a shameless flirt.
Taking out her frustrations on Nai, Nok starts a game of love with him because she believes her mother is flirting with him. Nai had always secretly loved Nok, so he tries his best to help her feel better.
8. Krong Karm (Cage of Karma) 2019
Quick facts: 19 episodes | Historical, Drama, Family | Watch on MyAsianTV
James plays Asa in this Thai-Chinese family melodrama about the repercussions of karma. Yoi is the matriarchal figure who has four sons.
Her eldest son, Acha, brings home a prostitute Reynu as his wife and disregards his fiance, Philai.
Yoi then decides to give the house to Atong, her second eldest son, and marries him off with Philai even though he has strong feelings for Janta.
Asa is Yoi’s third son. He is kind and sweet and takes care of his mother best. When she finds out he also has feelings for Janta, she plots to marry Asa to the daughter of a rich family.
Asee, the fourth son is still in school, but becomes charmed by Reynu’s sister and tries his best to get her attention.
Note: Krong Karm is more focused on family dynamics than romance. Even though James and Bella Campen are cast together, many fans are upset that they were not the main leads together.
9. Leh Bunpakarn (Mist of Love) 2020
Quick facts: 14 episodes | Romance, Supernatural, Historical, Mystery | Watch on MyAsianTV
In their 3rd pairing, James and Taew Nataphon come together again in this supernatural Thai drama series.
James is Plerngfah, a man with a special talent: he can see the past lives of people when he touches them. Due to this “illness,” his parents move abroad to America to cure Plerngfah.
After many years, Plerngfah returns to Thailand with his mother and becomes the top news reporter for Channel 6, covering a series of bombings.
During his reporting, he meets Sitang (Taew), a young archaeology professor whose uncle has strange beliefs about the bombings.
As Plerngfah learns that he and Sitang has a past together, villains from the past start resurfacing to hurt them.
10. Payakorn Sorn Ruk (Prophecy of Love) 2020
Quick facts: 13 episodes | Romance, Drama, Mystery, Crime | Watch on MyAsianTV
James pairs with Ice in this fantastical Thai Lakorn. His character is Theeruth, a famous and well-known actor.
He meets Rosita when she gives him a terrible prophecy, so they start their relationship off on the wrong foot.
Rosita got the gift of foresight when she got into a car accident. Now every time she touches a rose, she can see the giver’s future.
Because of her gift, criminals are after her. Theeruth, though he doesn’t like her, chooses to help and protect her.
11. Are We Alright? (Carat’s Love) 2021
Quick facts: 12 episodes | Romance, Comedy, Older Woman/Younger Man | Watch on MyAsianTV
James plays the role of Ai, a senior in university who falls in love with an older woman.
Carat is a successful businesswoman, even more so than her husband, which makes him jealous. When she finds out that he cheated on her, they go their separate ways.
Ai first met Carat when he got into a fight with her husband. He has since then been interested despite Carat being over 20 years older than him.
However, will their age difference work out when Carat has another man pursuing her and Ai’s parent’s can’t fathom an older daughter-in-law?
12. Pitsawat Kat Games (The Deadly Affair) 2022
Quick facts: 18 episodes | Romance, Thriller, Mystery, Revenge | Watch on Always Grumpy Cat, password here, Watch on DramaCool
One of his newest Thai lakorns, James stars as Ohm, a man who drove drunk and kills a man in a hit-and-run accident. Ohm is then sentenced to prison for 5 years, while his girlfriend Mink is pregnant with their child.
The man who died is the fiance of Jetiya and she is heartbroken as they were about to get married. When Ohm is released 3 years early due to good behavior, Jetiya is enraged.
She arranges to have Ohm taken to a remote island to be punished. Ohm discovered that his girlfriend committed suicide, he doesn’t care and will go wherever Jetiya takes him.
13. Home Away from Home 2017
Quick facts: 12 minutes | Short Film, Travel | Watch on Youtube
James plays in this short film featuring a fantastical way of traveling. A young backpacker (James), a novelist, and a Japanese woman, Akiko, are traveling through Tokyo.
There is a loophole that connects a street in Tokyo to Southeast Asia, Africa, and Europe.
James Jirayu Top Movies [No Eng Subs]
14. Timeline 2014
Quick facts: 129 minutes | Romance, Family, Drama | Watch on AppleTV
James plays a young man, Tan, who grew up with his mother as his father died at a young age.
They live in the countryside and Tan is expected to be like his father. However, he wants to escape the narrow confines of his mother’s expectations.
When Tan goes to Bangkok to study, he meets June, a free-spirited woman who encourages him to restore his relationship with his mother.
15. First Love 2014
Quick facts: 94 minutes | Romance, Youth, Comedy | Purchase NO ENGLISH SUBTITLES on YesAsia
James plays Nam, a young university student who falls in love with his classmate Boong,
Boong has a dream to dance competitively, but she doesn’t have a partner. Being the sweet person he is, Nam offers to be her dance partner so she can live out her dreams.
16. Om! Crush on Me (2021)
Quick facts: 12 episodes | Romance, Drama, Fantasy, Historical | Watch no Eng Subs on Bilibili
James plays a Thai-Japanese man named Ryu who is in search of his mother in Ayutthaya. In the midst of his search, he falls in love with Saisoi.
However, Saisoi is sold and purchased as a slave wife to a lord of the land. Although Ryu has magical abilities, they aren’t quite as strong as the lord’s magic.
Ryu will continue to return to save Saisoi and find his mother.
Final Thoughts: James Jirayu Top Dramas
There you have it: 16 of James Jirayu’s top Thai dramas. I hope you found this list helpful and that it introduced you to some new dramas to watch.
Have you seen any of these? What did you think? Do you have a favorite? Let us know in the comments below.
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