Thongchai McIntyre facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Thongchai McIntyre
TCh RNgBh
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| ธงไชย แมคอินไตย์ | |
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| Born |
Albert Thongchai McIntyre
8 December 1958 Phasi Charoen, Bangkok, Thailand
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| Other names | Bird |
| Education | High Vocational Certificate |
| Alma mater | Thonburi Commercial College |
| Occupation |
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| Years active | 1983–present |
| Height | 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in) |
| Musical career | |
| Also known as | Bird Thongchai |
| Genres |
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| Labels | GMM Grammy |
Thongchai McIntyre (also known as Bird Thongchai or just Bird) is a very famous Thai singer and actor. He was born on December 8, 1958. In 2023, he was named a National Artist for his amazing performances.
Many people consider him Thailand's biggest superstar. He is one of the most successful singers in Thai history. He has sold more than 25 million albums! Bird is well-known for his Thai pop and luk thung music. He started his career in 1986 and quickly became popular for his unique singing style and stage presence. Besides music, he has also acted in many films, TV shows, musicals, and commercials.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Thongchai McIntyre was born in Bangkok, Thailand. His English name is Albert McIntyre, and his nickname is Bird. He is the ninth of ten children in his family. His father, James McIntyre, was a medical helper in the Royal Thai Army and had Scottish and Mon heritage.
Bird's family was not wealthy. When he was a child, he helped his family earn money. He folded paper bags, sold lottery tickets, collected milk cans, and sewed traditional hats. He even taught English to children in his neighborhood to earn a little extra money.
From a young age, Bird loved to sing. He often joined singing contests at temple fairs and sometimes won prizes. He practiced singing by himself and with his family. Seven of his siblings also loved music, so they formed a band called Mong Doo Lian.
Bird went to Wat Nimmarnoradee School for his primary education. He enjoyed helping teachers with music and dance activities. He later studied at Panyaworakun School and earned a Higher Vocational Certificate in Management from Thonburi Commercial College.
Career Highlights
Bird's career began when he met a famous Thai TV producer, Kai Varayuth. Kai saw Bird's talent and helped him get his first role in a TV series. One of his most famous roles was Captain Kobori in the 1990 TV show 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 really took off 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 songs like Mah Tummai and Fan Ja.
In the mid-1990s, Bird made history by becoming the first Thai artist to win an International MTV Award. This was for his performance in the movie Sunset at Chaophraya. He has also been featured on CNN and in Variety magazine. In 2010, Bird performed his first international concerts in Los Angeles and New York.
Music and TV Shows
Bird Thongchai has released many successful albums and singles throughout his career. Some of his popular albums include "Hard-Sai Sai-Lom Song-Rao" (1986), "Sabai-Sabai" (1987), "Boomerang" (1990), "Prik-Kee-Noo" (1991), "Tor-Thong" (1994), "Dream" (1995), "Thongchai Service" (1998), "Tu-Pleng Saman Prajam Barn" (1999), "Thongchai Smile club" (2001), "Chud Rab Kaek" (2002), "Bird Volume 1" (2005), "Thongchai Village" (2006), "Simply Bird" (2007), and "Bird Asa sanook" (2010). His most recent album is "22 (Twenty Two)" released in 2022.
He has also starred in many TV dramas. Some of his notable roles include:
- Namtan Mai (1983)
- Muer Ruk Rao (1984)
- Kamin Gub Poon (1984)
- Ruk Nai Sai Mok (1985)
- Majurat See Nam Pueng (1986)
- Khu Kam (1990) as Kobori
- Wan Nee Tee Ror Khoi (1993) as Chao San
- Niramit (1997) as Jao Phuwong / Pangkee / Taiwan
- Kol Kimono (2015) as M.R. Hochinoji / Hoshi
Awards and Recognition
Thongchai McIntyre has won many awards throughout his career. Here are some of his achievements:
- 1984: Best Singer for Thai Music at the Siam-Kollakarn Contest.
- 1986: Best Male Presenter at the Mekala Awards.
- 1991: Best Male Actor for Sunset at Chaopraya (TV Lakorn) at the Mekala and TV Golden Awards. He also received the MTV Asian Viewer's Choice Award.
- 1995: Best Male Actor for Sunset at Chaopraya (Movie) at the Saraswati Awards.
- 1996: Billboard Viewer's Choice Award, being the first in Asia to receive it.
- 2002: Best Song for "Lao Su Kan Fang" at the Seesun Award and Best Singer at the Top Awards.
- 2003: Best Singer at the Top Awards and Popular Artist at the Channel [V] Thailand Music Video Awards.
- 2004: Favorite Artist Thailand at the MTV Asia Awards.
- 2006: Inspiration Award at the MTV Asia Awards.
- 2008: Best Singer at the Top Awards and Nine Entertain Awards.
- 2011: Inspirational Artist at the Seed AWARDS and Most Beloved Artist at the Gmember Awards.
- 2012: Most Talked-About Singer at the MThai Top Talk-About Awards.
- 2013: Superstar Forever at the SiamDara Star awards.
- 2018: Joox Icon Award from JOOX Thailand Music Awards.
- 2023: Named a National Artist (Performing Arts).
Covers by Other Artists
Bird Thongchai's music is so popular that other artists have covered his songs. For example, in 2012, the 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". They also covered his song "Too Much So Much Very Much" and called it "Loving You Too Much". Both of these songs were translated into Japanese. In 2013, Berryz Kobo covered another one of his songs, "กอดกัน (Gaud-gun)", for their single "Asian Celebration".
Royal Decorations
Thongchai McIntyre has received special honors from the Thai Royal Family. These are called royal decorations:
- 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.
