August And Leng Respond To The “Love Destiny” BL Remake Debate
August Vachiravit and Leng Thanaphon have answered the online debate over the Boys Love (BL) version of Love Destiny, and their message is simple: a great story deserves to be retold. The two Thai stars front the remake of the 2018 blockbuster, which premiered on 14 July 2026.
What Is BL, and Who Are August and Leng?
First, the basics. BL, short for Boys’ Love, is a genre built around romance between men, and Thailand has become its biggest producer, exporting hit series to fans across Asia and beyond.
August Vachiravit knows this well. He broke through in 2014 as Pete in Love Sick, one of the shows that got the genre going. Leng Thanaphon is the fresher face, an actor with GMMTV who took his first lead in the 2024 series Kidnap.
The original Love Destiny, known in Thai as Buppesannivas, was a genuine phenomenon. Its 2018 finale drew a nationwide rating of 18.6, a record for Thai digital television at the time, according to The Nation. The show was such compulsive viewing that Bangkok’s streets reportedly cleared on the nights it aired.
When was the last time a drama emptied the traffic? The remake keeps the time-travel hook. A modern surgeon is flung back to the Ayutthaya era and wakes in the body of a man everyone around him despises, only now the central romance plays out between two men.
Both actors call this their first real historical drama. Leng trained in the traditional speech and manners of the period, while August took lessons in horse-riding, fencing and court etiquette. The pair credited the returning director of the original, whose guidance was detailed enough to help them understand every character and scene.
The production leans into Thai heritage in other ways too. Many scenes were shot at real historical landmarks, and Leng’s character brings modern cooking ideas into an old-world kitchen.
What They Told the Doubters
The BL remake has split opinion, and neither man dodged it. August said he respects different views but believes a good story can be told again in new ways. Leng framed the new version as a fresh angle on a familiar tale and asked audiences to watch with an open mind.
August was honest about his nerves. He felt both excited and anxious ahead of the release, and while he had seen the trailer, he wanted to watch the finished series alongside everyone else. That wait is over.
Love Destiny screens weekly on Channel 3 across a ten-episode run, with an uncut version streaming on iQIYI.
