# Krong Kam

Krong Kam (Thai: กรงกรรม; lit. 'Cage of Karma') is a 2019 Thai TV drama that originally aired on Channel 3 starting from February 26 to April 30, 2019 for 19 episodes.

## Synopsis

The whole story took place at Chum Saeng, Nakhon Sawan, in 1967. Yoi (Mai Charoenpura) is a middle-aged Thai woman who married into a Thai-Chinese family. She vowed to personally see to it that her family of six honour the Beh (Chinese: 馬) ancestors. She amassed a fortune in family businesses that consist of a grocery and the grain store, a rice mill that her husband runs, and various farmlands and properties across Nakhon Sawan province. She is foul-mouthed, irritable and a skinflint. She and her husband have four sons. All members of the family, including employees and Chum Saeng people, were fearing her.
One day, her eldest son, Chai (Thakrit Tawanpong), returns from the army with a pregnant prostitute Renu (Ranee Campen) as his wife even though he already has a fiancée, Philai (Pitchapa Phanthumchinda). Yoi rejects this and tries every possible way to make him leave Renu but fails. Unknown to her, Renu has performed black magic to tie her son's heart. She decided to marry her second son Tong (Chanathip Phothongkam) to Philai to avoid shame even though he likes a worker named Chanta (Preeyakarn Jaikanta) and also chooses to give Tong the house and store that she was supposed to give to her eldest. Her third son Sa (Jirayu Tangsrisuk) is the kindest. He is handsome, smart and charming. When Yoi finds out he has feelings for Chanta, she worries he will imitate his eldest brother. She decides to marry him off into a rich family. Unknown to her is that the family is tricking him into marrying their already pregnant daughter to avoid shame.

## Cast
### Beh family

* Mai Charoenpura as Yoi
** Nattacha Phosung as Yoi in her youth
* Prinn Wikran as Lakseng, Yoi's husband
** Patiphan Mimang as Lakseng in his youth
* Children
** Thakrit Tawanpong as Pathom "Chai" Atsawarungrueangkit, first son
** Chanathip Phothongkam as Prasong "Tong" Atsawarungrueangkit, second son
** Jirayu Tangsrisuk as Kamon "Sa" Atsawarungrueangkit, third son
** Vachiravit Paisarnkulwong as Mongkhon "Si" Atsawarungrueangkit, fourth son
* Employees
** Thunyaphat Pattarateerachaicharoen as Bunpluk, Yoi's employee and Tong's second wife
** Atthaphon Thetthawong as Pom, Yoi's employee and Bunpluk's older brother
* Relatives
** Chomchai Chatwilai as Lim, Lakseng's mother, murdered by Yoi
** Ratklao Amaradit as Yaem, Yoi's younger sister, protagonist in the previous prequel (Sud Kaen Saen Rak) (cameo)
*** Pornnapat Wongwiwat as Yaem in her youth

### Renu's family

* Ranee Campen as Renu, raped by elder brother-in-law Dam, later first wife of Chai
* Sirintra Niyakorn as Rerai, mother of Renu, Saithong, and Wanna
* Sisters
** Aerin Yuktadatta as Saithong, Renu's eldest sister
** Rinrada Kaewbuasai as Wanna, Renu's younger sister and Si's love interest
* Visarut Hiranbuth as Dam, Saithong's husband
* Children
** Pongtiwat Tangwancharoen as Pok, son of Renu and Dam
*** Pakapol Tanpanich as Pok in his youth
** Pakpuseth Chakornviroj as Pranot, son of Renu and Chai
* Fellow prostitutes
** Arisara Wongchalee as Tim
** Oijai Dan-esan as Pranom, in charge of prostitution house Lotus Bar
** Thanchanok Hongthongkam as Wan
* Suchao Pongwilai as Kon, old shaman who assists Renu

### Philai's family

* Pitchapa Phanthumchinda as Philai, Tong's first wife, originally girlfriend of Chai, Tong's elder brother
* Paweena Chariffsakul as Phikun, Philai's mother
* Chalad Na Songkhla as Choet, former employee at Philai's family
* Danai Jarujinda as Somdi, young shaman, Philai's second husband

### Chanta's family

* Preeyakarn Jaikanta as Chanta, love interest of Tong, Sa, and Chinnakon; secret wife of Subin, Chinnakon's elder brother-in-law; eventually second wife of Sa
* Waraphan Nguitrakul as Mui Ni, Chanta's employer
* Orasa Isarankura na Ayudhya as Puai Huai, Mui Ni's grandmother

### Phiangphen's family

* Oranate D.Caballes as Phiangphen, becoming Sa's first wife while pregnant with Kan
* Denkhun Ngamnet as Kan, Phiangphen's lover and husband
* Kasama Nitsaiphan as Village Chief Son, Phiangphen's father
* Prissana Klampinij as Somphon, Son's wife and Phiangphen's mother
* Janya Thanasawangkul as Si, Son's younger sister
* Natanee Sitthisaman as Raem, Son's servant

### Other characters

* Sirinrat Vidhyaphum as Onphanni, Chai's second wife
* Karunchida Khumsuwan as Mala, Si's wife
* Natnari Chuwongwan as Kamala, daughter of Mala and Si
* Jitpanu Klomkaew as District Assistant Chief Chinnakon, Chanta's husband-to-be, eventually Wanna's husband
* Kosawis Piyasakulkaew as Subin, Chinnakon's brother-in-law and Chanta's secret husband
* Chotiros Kaewpinit as Krongkaeo, Chinnakon's older sister, Subin's wife
* Pawanrat Naksuriya as Mao, kluai khaek hawker
* Khakkingrak Khikkhiksaranang as A, gold shop's owner
* Nisachon Tuamsoongnuen as Bang-on, young woman who courts Kan
* Napat Chumjittri as Wang, Kan's friend, Bang-on's husband
* Khunkanich Koomkrong as Kun, Kan's ailing mother
* Phichet Iamchaona as Sit, a luk thung band manager

## Ratings

In this table, the blue numbers represent the lowest ratings and the red numbers represent the highest ratings.
| Ep. | Original broadcast date | Average audience share (AGB Nielsen) |
| Ep. | Original broadcast date | Nationwide |
| 1 | February 26, 2019 | 3.2% |
| 2 | March 4, 2019 | 3.4% |
| 3 | March 5, 2019 | 3.7% |
| 4 | March 11, 2019 | 4.7% |
| 5 | March 12, 2019 | 5.1% |
| 6 | March 18, 2019 | 5.1% |
| 7 | March 19, 2019 | 5.7% |
| 8 | March 25, 2019 | 4.8% |
| 9 | March 26, 2019 | 5.5% |
| 10 | April 1, 2019 | 5.7% |
| 11 | April 2, 2019 | 6.3% |
| 12 | April 8, 2019 | 7.3% |
| 13 | April 9, 2019 | 7.3% |
| 14 | April 15, 2019 | 5.9% |
| 15 | April 16, 2019 | 7.4% |
| 16 | April 22, 2019 | 7.6% |
| 17 | April 23, 2019 | 8.9% |
| 18 | April 29, 2019 | 9.9% |
| 19 | April 30, 2019 | 11.1% |
| Average | Average | 6.2% |

## Reception

Krong Kam is a prequel to another drama that had been popular on Channel 3 in 2015, Sud Kaen Saen Rak.
When the drama aired, it quickly gained popularity. Fans and the general public traveled to Chum Saeng by train, making this small town more famous and well-known. The author, Chulamanee, admitted that he wrote this novel using Chum Saeng as a backdrop, in hope that people would visit the place.
The drama featured a powerful performance by Mai Charoenpura, a pop star who had not acted for many years.
Until the early 2021, it has been rerunned three times, but the ratings are still as good as the first broadcast.

## Awards and nominations

| Award | Category | Recipient | Result |
| Press Awards 2019 | Best performance | Mai Charoenpura (as Yoi) | Won |
| Press Awards 2019 | Best supporting actor | Chanathip Phothongkam (as Tong) | Won |
| Press Awards 2019 | Best supporting actress | Arisara Wongchalee (as Tim) | Won |
| Press Awards 2019 | Best rising star | Thunyaphat Pattarateerachaicharoen (as Bunpluk) | Won |
| Press Awards 2019 | Best original work (novel) | Chulamanee | Won |
| Asian Academy Creative Awards 2019 | Best actor in leading role | Jirayu Tangsrisuk (as Sa) | Nominated |
| Asian Academy Creative Awards 2019 | Best actor in supporting role | Denkhun Ngamnet (as Kan) | Nominated |
| Asian Academy Creative Awards 2019 | Best actress in supporting role | Pitchapa Phanthumchinda (as Philai) | Nominated |
| Asian Academy Creative Awards 2019 | Best direction (fiction) | Pongpat Wachirabunjong | Nominated |
| Asian Academy Creative Awards 2019 | Best theme song | "Phit Rue Thi Rak Thoe" (composed by Narongvit Techathanawat and Chakkrit Makkhanaso) | Nominated |
| Asian Academy Creative Awards 2019 | Best drama series | | Nominated |
| 34th TV Gold Awards | Best actress in leading role | Mai Charoenpura (as Yoi) | Won |
| 34th TV Gold Awards | Best actor in leading role | Jirayu Tangsrisuk (as Sa) | Nominated |
| 34th TV Gold Awards | Best actress in supporting role | Pitchapa Phanthumchinda (as Philai) | Nominated |
| 34th TV Gold Awards | Best artistic composition | | Nominated |
| 34th TV Gold Awards | Best direction | Pongpat Wachirabunjong | Won |
| 34th TV Gold Awards | Best screenplay | Yingyot Panya | Won |
| 16th Kom Chad Luek Awards | Best actress in leading role | Mai Charoenpura (as Yoi) | Won |
| 16th Kom Chad Luek Awards | Best actress in leading role | Ranee Campen (as Renu) | Nominated |
| 16th Kom Chad Luek Awards | Best actor in leading role | Jirayu Tangsrisuk (as Sa) | Nominated |
| 16th Kom Chad Luek Awards | Best actor in supporting role | Chanathip Phothongkam (as Tong) | Nominated |
| 16th Kom Chad Luek Awards | Best actress in supporting role | Pitchapa Phanthumchinda (as Philai) | Won |
| 16th Kom Chad Luek Awards | Best direction | Pongpat Wachirabunjong | Won |
| 16th Kom Chad Luek Awards | Best television drama | | Won |
| 16th Kom Chad Luek Awards | Best screenplay | Yingyot Panya | Won |