Farewell, Pearl of Asia...

It's with shock and sadness I hear today that Pawana has left us. Yeah, that's the shittiest start of a Monday ever. According to Bangkok Post she was found drowned in her pool and some other sources says they also investigation her death as a possible murder.

Earlier this year I went to Thailand, both to meet dear friends and to have a well-deserved vacation. I met up with monster-maker Tong in Bangkok and we set out to hook up with actors and filmmakers we admired. One of them was the Pearl of Asia, Pawana Chanajit - star of countless Thai action movies and several Hong Kong films opposite David Chiang.

I met her at a restaurant outside Bangkok. She was a bit late, but when she arrived - an elegant, colorful, woman with a big smile - she welcomed this big, pale, bearded Swedish geek with open arms. Thanks Pawana! I will never forget that!

We sat down, me and Tong, for an hour or so, with her and talked movies and how she by chance became a movie star - and she made me eat some strange food also! :) She retired from acting in 1979 and was since then a successful business woman.

She was in a hurry – she actually forgot about our meeting – and was on the road to do other things, but took time to meet us , and after signing some posters for us she asked me when I would return to Thailand. Maybe in a year, or earlier I told her. She smiled, "Then we must meet again and talk longer, eat dinner and just hang out!" she said in excellent English.

I promised her that. And said goodbye.

She signed these for me, sorry for the bad quality. I will treasure them like no other posters in my collection.

Farewell you pearl of Asia, may you forever glimmer among the other stars that's left us.

/Fred

My meeting with Pawana Chanajit

They have dinosaurs in Thailand!

After eating noodles with Yodchai Meksuwan me and my pal first decided to stop by some cool dinosaurs standing by the road, hardcore-monster fans you know, and then meet up with ”The Pearl of Asia” Pawana Chanajit at a restaurant nearby. Pawana had a short career in Hong Kong, mostly starring against David Leung, but did around 200 movies in Thailand until she decided to quit the showbiz and be a business woman. Nowadays she deals with selling and buying land and seem to live a good life doing what she want to do.

She was a bit late, but on the other side, we was a bit early, and we sat for a while at hour table waiting and talking movies until she arrived and looked like the superstar she still is. A very warm and friendly woman who gladly talked about her career (in English, very good English). She started her career when she was 11-12 years and a neighbor woman told her they needed a young actress for a movie shooting nearby. Pawana ended up with quite a big part and got stuck in the business for many years.

For me it was extra fun because she starred together with Yodchai in Sompote Sands cult classic Hanuman vs the 7 Ultramans, and I got her signature on the poster together with the autograph of Yodchai and Sompote.

Tong getting a poster signed by Pawana!

Pawana had a busy day and after some excellent food (I was very full after this day, I can tell ya!) she said goodbye and we decided to keep contact. Next time I wish I’ll have more time to sit down and talk more about her career and her life. But it was she who told me that the sometimes they shot movies so fast that they just went home to her, shot a scene outside her house and the continue to the next adventure!

Pawana and me :)