Koktail explores the reading habits of six Thai celebrities, spanning contemporary Thai fiction, new adult thrillers, Western philosophy and European literature. 

A few days ago, Lalisa “Lisa” Manobal posted an Instagram Story of herself relaxing with green tea in a Minnie Mouse–printed glass. Cute, obviously. (And yes, that apparently-THB 60 Daiso Minnie Mouse glass has since gone viral.)

But fans being fans, nobody focused on the tea for long. Eagle-eyed ones quickly spotted Pachinko by Min Jin Lee in the frame, the bestselling 2017 novel about Korean immigrants in Japan. 

And boom, just like that, the historical epic is on every K-pop fan’s to-read list. In K-pop stans’ world, loyalty isn’t just about lightsticks and merch; apparently it extends to whatever your fave is reading.

Reading Is So “In” Right Now

Outside Asia, reading has also become oddly fashionable again. Dua Lipa, for instance, runs her own book club, Service95, which has shades of Oprah Winfrey’s famously influential reading empire, though with a more indie-literary twist. 

Rather than sticking strictly to mainstream names, she often spotlights critically acclaimed authors. Her taste for award-winning literary fiction, especially works by women, also comes through in podcast conversations with writers such as Olga Tokarczuk and George Saunders.

Reading has become the new cultural currency; it’s extremely “in” right now. That much is obvious. But what about Thai celebrities (aside from Lisa)? What do they actually read, and more importantly, what do they genuinely enjoy? Here’s a closer look at what six Thai celebrities are reading.

1/6 Chayanit “Pat” Chansangavej

Pat’s literary taste spans Chart Korbjitti’s bleak realism, Prabda Yoon’s experimental forms and Rong Wongsawan’s roman à clef writing that moves between reportage and fiction

It’s hardly a secret that Chayanit “Pat” Chansangavej is an avid reader; in fact, it never really has been. Her taste is wide-ranging, though she seems especially drawn to contemporary Thai fiction. 

Her interests include established figures such as Chart Korbjitti, Veeraporn Nitiprapha and Prabda Yoon, as well as earlier literary figures like Rong Wongsawan, whose place in the Thai literary canon feels all but settled. She also keeps an eye on newer writers, including emerging names like LADYS.

Pat appears to have a soft spot for sharp social critique with a satirical bite. The dark humour and dry cynicism of Chart Korbjitti seem particularly aligned with her sensibilities. His novella Jon trok (No Way Out) – a grim study of urban poverty and the shrinking margins of the working class – reportedly left her so “sad” she couldn’t even cry.

She was equally enthusiastic about We-la (Time), which she described as “great, very, very great.” The story follows an ageing film director who attends what is supposedly “the most boring play ever,” set in an elderly home. 

Yet, as is often the case in Chart’s work, nothing is quite what it seems: the stage performance begins to reflect the world beyond it, turning into a layered meditation on ageing and time. Pat noted that it was so immersive that it briefly made her forget it was a play at all.

2/6 Vorameth “Victor” Kornubrabhan

Victor is drawn to critical theory, especially the French Nietzschean line of the late 1960s, including Gilles Deleuze, as well as broader Western philosophy from Immanuel Kant to Friedrich Hölderlin

It’s not every day you see a celebrity posting about the limits of Lacanian psychoanalysis. Vorameth “Victor” Kornubrabhan of Proxie doesn’t seem inclined to keep his interests discreet. 

His Instagram page is peppered with references to Western philosophy, alongside nods to French New Wave cinema – including stills from Jean-Luc Godard – and the Dadaist provocations of Marcel Duchamp. He also, predictably enough, enjoys wine, as any respectable Francophile usually does.

It’s almost impossible to summarise what he’s reading in just a few paragraphs, but let’s give it a go anyway. Victor seems especially drawn to Gilles Deleuze, particularly the early Deleuze, who set himself up in opposition to Hegel and the whole tradition of dialectical thinking. 

That project, arguably, extends into his later work with the psychoanalyst Félix Guattari, who was doing his own rebellion against his mentor Jacques Lacan. Out of the intellectual ferment around the May 1968 uprisings came their infamous book Anti-Oedipus, a strange, brilliant attempt to diagnose capitalism and understand how repression actually operates within it.

The book keeps circling one disturbing question: Why do we come to desire the very repression that humiliates us?  It also happens to be Victor’s favourite text, or at least the one he most enjoys returning to, judging by his frequent Instagram references.

In an age where quoting critical theory can function as a kind of intellectual shorthand, Victor resists the shortcut. He frequently turns to secondary literature, treating reading as a form of serious study, a practice that feels increasingly worth noting.

3/6 Naran “Nay” Vikairungroj

Nay gravitates towards class-conscious writers like Sally Rooney, while also admiring Thai literary giants such as Sanee Saowapong and contemporary voices like cultural critic Ida Aroonwong

Nara “Nay” Vikairungroj of Perses is known for turning his love of books into a fan-friendly hobby, regularly hosting Q&As for recommendations and tips on how to actually finish a book before it collects dust and guilt. His reading list spans contemporary Thai fiction and translated academic texts, but the Irish author Sally Rooney seems to be the one he brings up a lot.

The internationally acclaimed Irish novelist is known for her bestselling books, marked by a keen sensitivity to class and social consciousness. Her 2018 novel Normal People, perhaps her most recognised work, outlines class divisions in Ireland and follows young people coming of age after an economic crash as they grapple with society and themselves – a theme that has struck a chord with readers across the world. It was adapted into a widely praised television series starring Paul Mescal and Daisy Edgar-Jones.

Nay has also talked about books by Japanese author Haruki Murakami. He described Norwegian Wood as emotionally heavy, and while he didn’t really click with the narrative style of Kafka on the Shore, he still encouraged fans to give it a read and decide for themselves. 

In addition to international writers, he’s also into Thai literary giants like Sanee Saowapong, as well as contemporary voices such as essayist and cultural critic Ida Aroonwong. He’s clearly interested not just in reading literature, but in thinking about how it works too. At one point, he even posted a Story featuring a passage about Roland Barthes.

4/6 Supassrathip “Kao” Akkrathaweepatch

Kao’s reading history leans thriller-heavy with Freida McFadden and Colleen Hoover, but she’s recently hit a new adult fantasy phase with Rebecca Yarros

Supassrathip “Kao” Akkrathaweepatch likes to punctuate her busy schedule with Instagram Story book reviews. “Thrillers are usually my jam,” Kao tells her fans in one of the Stories collected in the highlight titled “Books rec” on her Instagram profile.

She has a soft spot for psychological thrillers. You know, books that mess with your mind as much as they entertain. The Housemaid by Freida McFadden, which follows a housemaid concealing a dark criminal past, had her completely hooked, as did Verity by Colleen Hoover, a thriller about a ghostwriter uncovering disturbing secrets while finishing the manuscript of a bedridden author.

Kao’s latest pick is Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros, a new adult fantasy mash-up that signals a rare departure from her usual reading lane. She doesn’t typically go for fantasy, but the first book in the Empyrean series clearly reeled her in. The dragons, it seems, were persuasive enough to secure a sequel commitment.

5/6 Arachaporn “Goy” Pokinpakorn

Goy’s reading habits usually lean towards psychology books, but recently she’s ventured into Murakami territory, kicking things off with The City and Its Uncertain Walls

Arachaporn “Goy” Pokinpakorn typically shares self-help titles and popular psychology paperbacks – including that one much-talked-about Rick Rubin book that BookTok just won’t let go of – but recently her attention seems to be drifting towards fiction. The usual mindset-manual energy is still there, but it’s starting to share space with story-driven reads.

Goy has begun her Murakami journey with The City and Its Uncertain Walls, his 2023 novel. The work has proven somewhat polarising among both critics and longtime readers. 

Still, in her post, she describes it as carrying a distinct emotional texture, unmistakably Murakami in tone: shifting narratives that mirror shifting truths, a creeping sense of alienation and an ongoing questioning of identity. 

She notes that it is, in its own way, a kind of fantasy made surprisingly relatable. As with much of Murakami’s work, nostalgia lingers through every page, that longing to retrieve something that can never quite be recovered.

6/6 Bhumibhat “Aelm” Thavornsiri

Aelm counts Hermann Hesse as his favourite author, drawn to the German-Swiss novelist’s mix of Eastern philosophy, mysticism and Jungian introspection

Bhumibhat “Aelm” Thavornsiri is very much an arts person. One minute it’s manga, the next it’s classical music, then suddenly it’s auteur cinema. His Instagram Stories have previously name-dropped directors like Michael Haneke and Wim Wenders, which tells you pretty much everything you need to know about his film taste. Literary-wise, though, he seems especially drawn to European fiction.

When asked on Instagram whether he knew French, Aelm joked that one of the few French quotes he knew was attributed to Jean-Paul Sartre. His literary loyalties, however, seem much clearer: he has said he’s “quite sure” his favourite author is Hermann Hesse, whose 1922 novel Siddhartha was emotional enough to make him weep.

Known for his fixation on Eastern spirituality and philosophical introspection, Hermann Hesse occupies a singular place in the literary canon. Some of his novels – especially Steppenwolf – can seem almost cryptic, shrouded in layers of mysticism and esotericism. Perhaps that very ambiguity is what keeps Aelm intrigued.