Few rising Thai actors have experienced a transformation quite like Keng Harit Buayoi.

Before audiences knew him as Jingna in The Paradise of Thorns or Master Pharan in Khemjira, Keng was studying to become a Thai-language teacher in his home province of Phayao. A viral classroom video introduced him to millions online, but it was his decision to pursue an entirely different future that eventually brought him to film sets, recording studios, major awards, fashion events, and the Cannes red carpet.

From his unconventional beginnings to his emergence as one of Thailand’s brightest new stars, here is the story of Keng Harit’s career so far.

Growing Up in Phayao

Keng Harit Buayoi was born on August 19, 1999, in Phayao province in northern Thailand. He grew up in Phu Sang district in a Thai Lue family and has spoken about the farming community that shaped his early life.

His original ambitions were far removed from acting. After an injury disrupted his plans to pursue physical education, Keng enrolled at the University of Phayao, where he studied Thai-language education.

His training eventually brought him back to Ban Nong Lao Community School, the same school he had attended as a child. There, he worked as a student teacher and began following what appeared to be a very different career path.

It was in the classroom, however, that an unexpected viral moment began changing the direction of his life.

A video of Keng teaching gained millions of views on TikTok, attracting attention to the young educator from Phayao. The clip introduced his face to a much wider audience, but the entertainment career that followed would require considerably more than one viral moment.

From Local Competitions to Domundi

Before establishing himself as an actor, Keng participated in regional competitions and modeling work.

He competed in Mister Chinese Chiang Mai 2021 and later won the Thepabut Yi Peng Chiang Mai title in 2022. He also began working with Red Modelling Thailand, gaining experience in front of the camera before moving more fully into entertainment.

Keng eventually joined Domundi’s third generation of artists and participated in the first season of DMD Friendship the Reality. During the program, he was partnered with fellow Domundi artist Namping Napatsakorn.

Keng and Namping were selected as one of the program’s Best Partner pairings, setting the stage for the partnership that would eventually lead them to Khemjira.

Before that series arrived, however, Keng would make a striking acting debut on the big screen.

A Breakthrough Debut in The Paradise of Thorns

Keng made his feature-film debut as Jingna in GDH’s 2024 drama The Paradise of Thorns.

Directed by Naruebet “Boss” Kuno, the film follows the conflict surrounding a durian farm after one member of an unmarried gay couple dies without the legal protections needed to secure the property they built together. Keng joined an accomplished cast led by Jeff Satur, Engfa Waraha, and veteran actress Seeda Puapimon.

As Jingna, the younger brother of Engfa’s character Mo, Keng entered the story with an outwardly gentle and unassuming presence that gradually revealed more complicated layers.

The role allowed him to move between innocence, vulnerability, desire, and unsettling ambiguity in his first major acting performance. Rather than being eased into the industry through a minor television appearance, Keng began his screen career with an emotionally demanding role in one of the year’s most discussed Thai films.

His performance earned him supporting-actor nominations, including recognition at the Suphannahong National Film Awards, and introduced him to audiences far beyond Domundi’s established fanbase.

The former student teacher had officially become one of Thai cinema’s most closely watched newcomers.

Becoming Master Pharan in Khemjira

If The Paradise of Thorns demonstrated Keng’s potential, Khemjira transformed him into a leading man.

Released in 2025, the supernatural BL series reunited Keng with Namping in the story of Khem, a young man threatened by a deadly family curse, and Pharan, the powerful spiritual practitioner who becomes central to his survival.

Keng’s performance as Master Pharan required a commanding presence very different from Jingna. The character could be stern, mysterious, protective, and deeply emotional, allowing Keng to build a performance around both restrained authority and romantic vulnerability.

His chemistry with Namping helped turn KengNamping into one of Domundi’s most prominent pairings, while the series became a major breakthrough for its cast.

At the Thailand Y Content Awards 2025, presented in July 2026, Keng received Best Leading Actor for his performance as Pharan. Khemjira was also named Best Series and received additional recognition for its special effects and promotion of Thai culture.

The awards confirmed that his acclaimed film debut had not been a one-time success. In the space of two major projects, Keng had moved from an unknown newcomer to an award-winning lead actor.

Exploring New Characters Beyond Khemjira

Keng continued expanding his range through projects that placed him in dramatically different worlds.

He appeared as Phat in the zombie survival series Zomvivor and made guest appearances as Korn in Me and Who. Both projects allowed viewers to see him outside the traditional and supernatural setting that had become closely associated with Master Pharan.

He then embraced a completely different persona as Korean superstar Alex Kim in the film Diva, La Vie. The role traded Pharan’s traditional styling and spiritual authority for the polished, theatrical image of a fictional K-pop celebrity.

Each project presented another side of Keng: the morally complicated Jingna, the powerful and devoted Pharan, a survivor facing a zombie outbreak, and an extravagant music star created for the big screen.

That willingness to move between genres has become one of the most promising elements of his early career.

Finding His Voice Through Music

Acting may have introduced Keng to the public, but music has become an increasingly important part of his work.

In 2025, he recorded “To the Moon” for the Thai drama Rabbit on the Moon. He subsequently contributed several songs to the world of Khemjira, allowing him to extend the series’ emotions and spiritual atmosphere beyond the screen.

His Khemjira releases included:

“Mantra” became an especially fitting showcase for Keng. Its sound and imagery reflected the supernatural identity of Master Pharan while giving Keng an opportunity to carry a song independently.

His portrayal of Alex Kim also crossed into music through “BEAST,” released for Diva, La Vie. By performing through the identity of his character, Keng was able to combine his developing musical abilities with the film’s exaggerated K-pop world.

His growing catalog has since expanded through releases including “Secure” and the playful KengNamping collaboration “Go! Go! Koriko.”

Although acting remains at the center of his career, these songs demonstrate that Keng is becoming increasingly comfortable moving between screen performance, live stages, and recording studios.

Building the KengNamping Partnership

Keng’s career cannot be separated from the creative partnership he has built with Namping Napatsakorn.

What began through DMD Friendship the Reality developed into one of Domundi’s most successful new pairings. Their contrasting screen presence became especially effective in Khemjira, where Namping’s vulnerable portrayal of Khem was balanced by Keng’s more controlled and commanding Pharan.

Their work together has since expanded beyond the series through soundtrack recordings, live performances, promotional appearances, fan events, and original music.

While both actors continue developing their individual careers, the KengNamping partnership has given them a recognizable identity with audiences in Thailand and internationally.

Rather than being defined only by promotional appearances, the pairing is anchored by the dramatic material that first allowed their chemistry to reach a wider audience.

From Phayao to Cannes

One of the clearest signs of Keng’s rapid rise arrived in May 2026, when he made his first appearance at the Cannes Film Festival.

Keng walked the red carpet at the festival’s 79th edition for the screening of Rodrigo Sorogoyen’s El Ser Querido. He appeared in a custom black tuxedo by AMI Paris, accompanied by Chopard jewelry.

The appearance introduced him to a broader international fashion and entertainment audience only two years after his feature-film debut.

It also brought his journey into remarkable perspective: the young man who first attracted public attention while standing in front of a classroom in Phayao was now stepping onto one of the world’s most photographed red carpets.

Cannes was not an acting role or award, but it represented something equally important for a rising performer—the growing international visibility surrounding his name.

Keng Harit’s Career Today

Keng’s next chapter continues to build on the projects that established him.

He and Namping are set to return to the world of Pharan and Khem in Khemjira Forever, a special continuation of their breakout series. Keng has also been announced as part of the cast of the fantasy BL project Magic Lover, giving him another opportunity to explore the supernatural side of the genre through a new character and story.

With major film roles, an award-winning BL performance, a growing music catalog, and increasing international visibility, Keng’s career continues to open in new directions.

His path has not been conventional. It has passed through a rural community, a university education program, a viral classroom video, regional competitions, modeling, reality television, and an unexpectedly demanding first film role.

That unconventional journey is precisely what makes Keng Harit’s rise so compelling. Each project has revealed another part of what he can do—and his story still feels as though it is only beginning.