The BL Xpress had an opportunity to interview author Dr.Patrick Rangsimat (Neurologist).

Known for his variant writing style, he is one of the most popular male authors in a world dominated by his female counterparts. Join us as we strike a conversation with Dr.Rangsimat and dig deeper into information pertaining to his works and lifestyle!

1) Most Thai BL novels are focused on High School or Engineering Faculties with heavy duty sensual romance. But your books target a more mature audience? Why did you choose to deviate from the norm?

Because there are too many BL novels in the market that focus on high-school or engineering school, too many…. and the plot is so cliché . It’s like they buy the prompt plot from 7-11, put it into the cup, pour the hot water on it, and it’s ready to be served.

Even though writing something in the trend will bring more eyes to my work and take me to the top list, it can’t make me outstanding.

To make it short, writing something in the trend can’t make me shine.

Yes, I want to be well known but I also want to be outstanding. I think you guys should understand that these two words have different meanings.

If I have to choose between being well known or outstanding, I will always choose the later.

2) In “My Ride: I Love You” the two characters Dr. Tawan and the motor taxi driver Mork, are from totally different backgrounds. What did you have in your mind while visualizing these characters?

One of the crucial ingredients of a relationship is “possible”.

If you ever notice, you never expected to flirt with the Hollywood superstar because you think that it’s impossible.

We always approach someone that we think “it’s possible to have this person in our life”, it’s like our brain automatic mechanism to frame our targets when talking about relationship.

But you know what, this is totally fraud. We can be in any relationship with anyone we want.

One day, I thought about this statement, I wanted to write something that wakes people’s mind about the possibility of relationship. I wanted to spread this message to people.

So I synthesized these two characters that seems like they both have the least chance to fall in love, but they did, eventually, just to remind us that every person can fall in love with anyone and get into any kind of relationship.

So, here comes Mork and Tawan.

3) The intriguing facet of “My Ride: I Love You” is its unusual storyline. What made you delve into this subject matter?

The best feeling in the world is “feeling good about yourself”. When you feel good with yourself, everything seems fine to you.

However, the worst feeling in the world is also “feeling good enough with yourself” because when you feel good enough, you won’t strive to make any difference, it means you have stopped developing yourself.

This story isn’t about love and relationships, it’s about how to love yourself and how to seek true happiness.

Mork is in the worst stage of feeling, he felt good enough with his status and didn’t want to change anything. He didn’t want to be better.

But after he met Tawan, he realised that it wasn’t enough anymore. Mork wanted to be better and better everyday, just to be a good enough person for Tawan.

Talking about Tawan, he never felt good about himself. He followed his brother’s lead to get into med school. He tried to be a person that Por loves, tried to fit in the department with all of his friends.

Tawan is in the world of “not good enough”

So he can’t love himself as much as he should. But after he meets Mork, he learns how to love himself. He learns how to feel good about himself.

He finally realises that he can be loved and be a better person at the same time. There is no need to be a better person to find love.

All in all, this is the storyline that focuses on how to love and improve yourself. And I think this is a different point of view from the other novels.

4) Another interesting arc in this book is Mork’s Uncle Loong and Ar’s relationship? How important are both of them to this storytelling?

Love has no age, but most of BL novels in the market frame “the picture of teenagers love” only. Moreover, every protagonist in every novel must have an assistance.

So I decided to create this couple for patronage and to provide guidance to Mork to learn about life and love. And you can’t resist reading about an old gay couple. They are heartwarming, aren’t they? Ha ha ha

5) Fame Chawinroj and Fluke Pongsakorn are portraying the characters of Tawan and Mork in the drama adaptation? What is your personal opinion about these two actors?

Both are so perfect for me.

At first, I had never imagined how Tawan and Mork look like, in my head they were like a draft sketch without any details.

But after I met them in person, the sketch images in my head have became more clear.

Especially after I saw them in the workshop class, they imbibed the characters and performed well. The moment I saw it, the sketch pictures vanished. It is crystal clear that theses two guys are perfect to play Tawan and Mork.

I love them both as much as I love Mork and Tawan.

6) Unfortunately, the production for the drama adaptation seems to facing some inevitable issues. Can you share your opinions about the same?

It is a common problem (the bubble situation) that exists in the BL drama red market. Lots of supplies while sponsorships are limited.

So, the team are faced with the lack of budgets to drive their projects forward.

However, the producer has just updated me that he has met the new investor and the process will be started in June, he meant to start shooting again. I hope this is going to be smooth.

For me, I have no opinion about this.

Sincerely, this story has done a great job with being a good novel. To be adapted into a TV drama is just a plus. It has added the value, but the crucial part still remains in the storyline.

And you guys could find it wherever- in the book as well as the TV drama.

7) Your paranormal thriller romance “My Imaginary Boyfriend” is being adapted into a series as well. What made you choose this genre? What difficulties did you face while envisioning this parallel universe?

It’s the medical thriller plot, I don’t know what to call it when talking about the genre term. Maybe thriller?

Ok I chose it because … because no one else has chosen it, no one can make it, at least in Thailand or in the BL novel’s society.

I don’t want to make you guys feel that I’m cocky, but you have to admit that it’s real. No one can choose to write it, even though many of them want to.

Because it needs more than dedication. You must have the solid knowledge and experience to pick up the secret medical points, tie it up and emblem it to the core of the plot, use the pitfalls of the diseases to make the great twist.

So let me ask you, have you ever read something like this from other authors before?

That’s the answer.

I wrote it because it’s challenging. I didn’t expect that it will be well known or famous because it is not in the trend. However, I always enjoy writing something that nobody else can.

8) I’m a huge fan of paranormal thrillers. I personally interested in Klong’s caricature. How did you evoke this mysterious character?

Spoiler alert !!!!!!!

Actually it’s the typical personality of the patients suffering from THIS disease. So I just recalled the characteristics of the patient and added more … how can I say it….

Ok added more boyfriend material into this character, then, here comes Klong.

I can’t answer this question without spoiling. Sorry.

9) Phai and Klong’s romance remains the focal point of this novel. Describe their journey and how much it means to you? How did you personally connect with them?

The meaning of their relationship to me was written at the dedicated page of this novel. The reality is the place where dreams and imagination converge.

Their story, their love, their journey is the crucial tool that keeps reminding me there always possibility for every kind of love in this world.

10) “7 Days Before Valentine” is your charming novella which relates to breakup? Talk to us about the characters and their lives?

When I was a resident in the department of neurology, I had to work in the psychiatry ward for a couple of months. I had to learn the principle of emotions, 5 stages of grief is the very first thing I had to memorize.

But it wasn’t easy for me.

Do you know? Brain always remembers the story better than data. So I invented this story plot to make me remember the 5 stages of grief.

So this an old story of mine, never published nor shared. But my personal editor once read it during the long holidays and she thought it’s a good one. She ordered me to post it and that she will take the job to make a hard copy.

Actually I have the sequel planned for this, it’s called the “7 Deaths before the Halloween”. You guys will see it around this Halloween, that is if I can write it despite the Covid crisis in my hospital.

11) LGBTQ equality is quite restrictive and intolerant in the Asian Subcontinent, as against America or Europe? What kind of changes you wish to observe in the near future?

I wish there was no term called LGBTQA anymore, just call everyone as a person.

I don’t like the idea of labeling myself or anyone else. Please don’t take me the wrong way, LGBTQA is the good term to make people understand the diversity of genders but the best understanding is no classification and no labeling, isn’t it?

So when the time comes, I wish we wouldn’t need specific terms to understand people. We can just call them as a person.

12) What is your opinion about Thailand’s same-sex civil partnership law? Are you satisfied with this transition or are you hoping for more changes that will set the homosexual couples on par with the heterosexual ones?

Are we in the transition? LOL I don’t think so, this same-sex marriage issue is the sweet cake that every political party loves to pick and use when they want support from the community.

They don’t have a shred of sincerity to make it real. They have never tried and are just talk.

For me, marriage license is a paper. It is one of many things in a couple’s life. If you have 1,000 things to be happy with, you won’t care about the one thing that is left out.

Having same-sex marriage law is good, great, excellent. But to be honest, I never expected it from the law creators in Thailand. They’re too inhuman to think about this. Sorry that I’m too straightforward.

13) We have often heard about authors complaining that the production houses or director take undue liberties with the script and change it to their convenience, thereby distorting the entire storyline? What is your personal opinion about this issue?

Not every novel can be a series.

And not every novel can be a TV series without the adaptation.

Some conversation, pacing, scenes are great when it’s on the paper, but do not resonate with the audience’s emotion when it is onscreen. So it is a normal standard to adapt the novel before making a series.

But we’re talking about boundaries.

There is a thick line, very thick, between adaptation and invasion (I have to use this term INVASION). I think I don’t have to explain the difference between these two words, people will understand it well.

It’s social norm, it’s manners and it’s professional. Those who disobey the social norm…. ok I don’t have to name it, right? You guys knows this very well.

And that’s my opinion.

14) What do you feel about the current status of LGBTQ representation in BL novels? Do you feel that the BL genre is adequately representing them or has it turned into a medium that just fantasize men?

BL is one frame

LGBTQA is the other

Theses two worlds have some part in the intersection but do not totally represent each other.

My works actually, aren’t BL novels, all of them are gay literatures.

BL represents the imagination that makes the readers happy, while LGBTQ literature represents reality that make readers understand the situation.

They have different jobs.

It is not the BL novel’s job to provide understanding. But if it can, then that’s a plus. Crucial point of BL novel is providing smile and happiness to the readers.

So it’s normal for BL to based on the fantasy, because the main ingredient is imagination.

But when you need to understand the reality, read gay literature. Don’t expect it from BL novels.

15) Are any other of your novels in the process of being adapted into TV series? If yes, please share more details about them?

I just met the Chinese investor, they like “I Love You to Die” but it is still in the negotiation stage. Also, TSLove, one of the upcoming production houses is interested in adapting it into a TV series, but it is still in negotiation process as well.

The BL Xpress would like to thank Dr.Patrick Rangsimat for this opportunity!

(Disclaimer- The opinions expressed here belong solely to the author. They do not represent the views and opinions of our blog.)