Reflections of Thai Women’s Roles in the Television Drama ‘Neung Nai Roi’

Abstract

This research aims to analyze and compare the roles of Thai women as portrayed in the television drama Nueng Nai Roi(One in a Hundred) with the roles of Thai women in Thai society during the years 1950–1959, as well as to study the struggles of the character “Anong” from the drama in challenging the social norm of cohabitation before marriage, in comparison with the conceptual reflections embodied in the character. This is a qualitative study conducted through in-depth interviews with six key informants, including representatives from the mass media, media experts, and experts in social sciences and culture, along with an analysis of the drama’s narrative and the character “Anong.”

The findings reveal that (1) the analysis and comparison of women’s roles in Nueng Nai Roi and those in the post–World War II period show both similarities and differences: women at that time remained stigmatized by family-centered moral values, while Anong represented a minority of women who raised questions about life choices and moral correctness, framing morality as an individual matter and demonstrating that women could take on social roles and make their own life decisions free from external control; (2) Anong’s actions were perceived by society as defiance, but from the perspective of those close to her, they were a form of negotiation that enabled her to justify her choices and demonstrate that cohabitation before marriage could be validated through responsibility and accountability; and (3) when comparing the prevailing beliefs about cohabitation and women’s roles in contemporary society, Nueng Nai Roi reproduces social imagery from a transitional era, depicting both groups that continued to adhere to traditional norms—whether out of personal interest or conviction—and groups that embraced change. Anong emerges as a symbolic figure of women who question moral values imposed by society, suggesting that such norms ought to change—not through rebellion, but through reasoned consideration of what is truly right.