Thongchai McIntyre facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Thongchai McIntyre TCh RNgBh
ธงไชย แมคอินไตย์
Born	Albert Thongchai McIntyre (1958-12-08) 8 December 1958 (age 66) Phasi Charoen, Bangkok, Thailand
Other names	Bird
Education	High Vocational Certificate
Alma mater	Thonburi Commercial College
Occupation	Actor singer
Years active	1983–present
Height	1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Musical career
Also known as	Bird Thongchai
Genres	Dance-pop electronica electropop pop pop rock R&B
Labels	GMM Grammy

Thongchai McIntyre (Thai: ธงไชย แมคอินไตย์, pronounced [tʰōŋ.tɕʰāj mɛ́k.ʔīn.tāj]; born Albert Thongchai McIntyre; 8 December 1958) is a famous Thai singer and actor. He was named a National Artist in Performing Arts in 2023. People often call him Bird Thongchai, Phi Bird (which means "Older brother Bird"), or just Bird. He studied management at Thonburi Commercial College.

Bird Thongchai is known as Thailand's biggest superstar. He is one of the most successful singers in Thai history, selling over 25 million albums! He is famous for his Thai pop and luk thung (Thai country music) songs. He started his career in 1986 and quickly became popular for his unique singing and stage style. Besides music, he has also acted in many movies, TV shows, musicals, and commercials. His family background includes Mon, Scottish, and Thai heritage.

Early Life

Bird Thongchai performing in 2009.

Thongchai McIntyre was born in Bangkok, Thailand. He grew up in the Wat Nimmanoradi area. He was the youngest of nine children. His family faced challenges, and he helped them earn money from a young age. Sometimes, he taught English to other children in his neighborhood for a small fee.

Bird came from a family that loved music. He enjoyed singing and dancing, and he showed off his talents at school. His father passed away when Bird was still a child. Before becoming famous, he worked at a bank.

Career Highlights

While working at the bank, Bird met Kai Varayuth, a well-known Thai TV producer. Kai saw Bird's talent and helped him start his acting career. Bird's most memorable acting role was Captain Kobori in the 1990 TV series Khu Kam. This was a sad love story about a Japanese soldier (played by Bird) and a Thai girl during World War II. He played this role again in the 1996 movie Sunset at Chaophraya.

Bird's music career became very successful in the early 1990s. Some of his most famous songs include Duay Rak Lae Pook Pan, Koo Gud, Sabai Sabai, and Kob Jai Jing Jing. More recently, he released popular luk thung songs like Mah Tummai (with Jintara Poonlarp) and Fan Ja. He also released songs like Lao Su Kan Fang and Yak Tham Kor Tob. In the mid-1990s, he was the first Thai artist to win an International MTV Award for his work in Sunset at Chaophraya.

Bird Thongchai has been featured on CNN and in Variety magazine. A documentary about his life, called Crossing Borders, was even shown at St. John's University in New York. In 2010, Bird went on his first international tour, performing in Los Angeles and at the Lincoln Center in New York. In late 2007, he released another album called "Simply Bird", which included songs like Chuay Rap Tee and Mee Tae Kid Tueng.

Music and TV Shows

Bird Thongchai has released many successful albums and singles throughout his career, starting in 1986. He has also performed in numerous concerts, delighting fans with his live shows.

He sang the opening song "Rak oei" (รักเอ๋ย) for the TV show The Bride of Naga.

Bird has acted in many TV dramas. His most famous role was Captain Kobori in Khu Kam (1990). Other TV shows he appeared in include Namtan Mai (1983), Wan Nee Tee Ror Khoi (1993), and Kol Kimono (2015).

Awards and Recognition

Bird Thongchai receiving awards for Best Singer and People's Favorite Singer in June 2012.

Bird Thongchai has won many awards for his amazing talent in both singing and acting. He has been recognized as the Best Singer multiple times by different organizations. He has also won awards for his acting in TV dramas and movies, like Sunset at Chaopraya.

Some of his notable awards include:

• The Best Singer Thai Music (1984)
• The Best Man Actor for Sunset at Chaopraya (1991)
• MTV Asian Viewer's Choice Award (1991)
• Billboard Viewer's Choice Award (1996), being the first in Asia to receive it.
• Top Awards: The Best Singer (multiple years, including 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2011)
• MTV Asia Awards: The Favorite Artist Thailand (2004)
• MTV Asia Awards: The Inspiration Award (2006)
• Nine Entertain Awards: The Man Singer of the year (2008)
• Joox Icon Award from JOOX Thailand Music Awards (2018)
• Most importantly, in 2023, he was named a National Artist in Performing Arts, which is a very high honor in Thailand.

Songs Covered by Other Artists

Bird Thongchai's music is so popular that artists from other countries have covered his songs. For example, in 2012, the famous Japanese girl group Berryz Kobo released a song called "Cha Cha Sing". This song was a cover of Bird Thongchai's song "Row Mah Sing". Another song on their single, "Loving You Too Much", was also a cover of his song "Too Much So Much Very Much". Both were translated into Japanese. In 2013, Berryz Kobo covered another one of his songs, "กอดกัน (Gaud-gun)", for their single "Asian Celebration".

Royal Decorations

Bird Thongchai after receiving an honorary doctorate.

Bird Thongchai has received special honors from the Royal Family of Thailand. These are called royal decorations and show appreciation for his contributions.

• 1991 – He received the Commander (Third Class) of the Most Exalted Order of the White Elephant.
• 2005 – He received the Silver Medalist (Seventh Class) of the Most Admirable Order of the Direkgunabhorn.
• 2012 – He received the First Class (Gold Medal) of the Red Cross Medal of Appreciation.

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