In HBO’s latest season of White Lotus, Tayme Thapthimthong’s character Gaitok abandons his Buddhist pacifism, murders a man, and bags his dream girl. That’s television for you—bloody, beautiful, morally ambiguous.
In real life, Tayme didn’t need to abandon his beliefs or fire a single shot to capture our attention—he just had to twirl through Jennifer Hudson’s backstage tunnel, and suddenly the gays and theys were collectively clutching their pearls.
We’ll let you decide which was more dramatic—but we know which one had a better soundtrack.
The 35-year-old Thai heartthrob showcased his moves before his appearance on The Jennifer Hudson Show, giving us choreo, charisma, and cheekbones that could slice through heteronormativity. He grooved his way into the spotlight with a smile and hips that said, “You’re welcome.”
Gaitok tore up the carpet.
Thapthimthong—who got his start as a finalist on Thailand’s Academy Fantasia and later earned acclaim in theater and local dramas—has steadily built a career with quiet magnetism and killer versatility. Whether he’s serenading an audience or throwing heartache from his eyes in a close-up, Tayme knows how to work a crowd.
Onscreen, he plays Gaitok, a kind, shy security guard at a high-end resort, surrounded by the moneyed and the miserable. His arc is, in a word, devastating. Caught between his Buddhist values and a workplace that increasingly resembles a luxury warzone, Gaitok must confront the uncomfortable truth that goodness isn’t always rewarded—and sometimes you’ve got to go full noir to get the girl.
When thieves rob the gift shop at gunpoint (we cannot stress enough how White Lotus this is), Gaitok’s boss hands him a gun like it’s a cocktail menu. Enter Theo Ratliff (Jason Isaacs), spiraling into oblivion as he fantasizes about killing himself and his family during an FBI raid. Naturally, he steals Gaitok’s gun. (Because what is security, really, but a vibe?)
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By season’s end, Gaitok has a promotion, a girlfriend, and possibly PTSD. But he also has our undivided attention.
Meanwhile, offscreen, Tayme’s life is considerably less traumatic—and infinitely more gay-friendly.
Whether it’s busting a move in a televised tunnel or navigating existential collapse at a luxury resort, Tayme Thapthimthong is proving himself to be more than a pretty face with a tragic character arc. He’s a star on the rise, a man of many talents—and, let’s be honest, a certified gay awakening.
And to that, we say: Namaste and slay.