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Best of Times (2009) movie poster

Plot Summary

Best of Times (2009) Plot Summary Explained

Release, runtime and language
2009 · 112 mins · Thai
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Directed by
Yongyoot Thongkongtoon
Starring
Nattakit Tangpoonsinthana, Arak Amornsupasiri, Michael Shaowanasai, Chaleumpol Tikumpornteerawong, Supachai Girdsuwan, James Mackie

Memories slip away and unwanted moments linger, shaping the lives of three friends. Veterinarian Keng hopes his deepening bond with the beautiful Fai will turn into romance, only to discover she still loves her ex‑husband—who also happens to be Keng’s closest friend—forcing him to confront love, loyalty, and the past.

On this page (6)
  1. 1 Where to watch
  2. 2 What happens: full plot
  3. 3 Plot questions answered
  4. 4 Movie threads
  5. 5 Movies like Best of Times
  6. 6 Every angle
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Full plot summary · contains spoilers

What Happens in Best of Times: Full Plot Summary

The whole story of Best of Times (2009) explained, from the opening scene to the final frame: every key event, every twist and what it all adds up to. Read it as a quick recap before the sequel, to check a scene you missed, or to finally understand what really happened.

Two high school friends, Keng and Ohm, recorded a love song on a CD. Ohm asks who Keng meant to send it to, but Keng doesn’t give an answer. Working up his courage, Keng sends the CD to the girl at their cram school, Fai, who sadly declines because she already has a boyfriend. That boyfriend turns out to be Ohm, who is completely unaware of Keng’s long-cherished crush. Keng keeps this secret and gradually moves on.

In the present, Keng runs a veterinarian clinic, while Ohm is married to Fai, who works as a nurseryman. After a high school reunion, Ohm tells Keng that Fai discovered his affair and they are getting a divorce. The two men end up at a DUI checkpoint, drunk, but Fai bails them out and they receive community-service sentences instead. On the drive home, Fai finds a wounded stray dog and the trio brings it to Keng’s clinic. Fai stays with the dog overnight while Ohm calls his new girlfriend, hinting at a fresh start for him, and Fai’s sadness lingers.

Keng is assigned to teach computer classes to a group of elderly students and befriends two of them: a sly but kind-hearted man and a sweet lady. In class, Keng demonstrates MSN Messenger, while Jamrus—indulgent and practical—sees it differently, and Sompit, who writes every step in her notebook, believes the program can bridge distances and keep memories alive. After the lesson, Jamrus misplaces his car key, and Keng offers a ride home for Jamrus and Sompit.

Keng discovers that Jamrus and Sompit are not husband and wife, though they are both widowed. Jamrus runs a farm and travels six hours from Chumphon to Bangkok each weekend to visit Sompit; their budding romance is known to the class. Jamrus invites Sompit to visit his farm in Chumphon, and she agrees after a date, though Krit, Sompit’s son, does not welcome this new relationship for his mother.

Meanwhile, Fai adopts the wounded dog and names it Saphan-Loi, or “bridge.” She returns to Keng’s clinic with posters of Saphan-Loi, hoping to locate its owner. Their reunion reveals Keng is the boy who gave her the love song, as his signature on the CD’s cover and the medical gown she recalls connect the dots. Fai remembers him, but he pretends to have met her only two years earlier at Ohm’s wedding when he was Ohm’s best man. Fai still regards him as a friend, though she is now divorced from Ohm. She also glances at Ohm’s Hi5 page, where he posts pictures with his new girlfriend’s family, signaling a new life.

One morning, Jamrus comes to Sompit’s house. To spare Krit, Keng fibs about a retreat to Chumphon, and Fai offers to drive Keng there. They stay a few days, and Sompit learns that Krit and his wife are moving to the United States soon. She accepts Jamrus’s invitation to stay, while Jamrus experiences memory trouble at his farm and worries everyone.

The next day, Jamrus shares the backstory of his long-held hope: a 1989 typhoon named Gay ripped through Chumphon, destroying his farm except for the old Malay rose apple tree, which he has treated as a family member ever since. Alone, Sompit tells Jamrus about her move to the United States with her family, and Jamrus proposes to Sompit under the tall tree, which she tenderly accepts.

Keng and Fai later take a fishing trip at night, get drunk, and reminisce. Keng reveals that once he learned of Fai’s relationship with Ohm, he moved his classes to avoid their circle and stopped seeing Fai for a long time. Fai calls Ohm to vent, then impulsively kisses Keng. He confesses that she was his first love and that he has never forgotten her, but Fai does not reciprocate and apologizes for the moment of impulse.

Back in Bangkok, Krit is furious with his mother’s choice, while Sompit pleads to stay in Thailand. Krit laments that she loves Jamrus more than the family, and Sompit eventually embraces him, tearfully vowing she will remain, though the path ahead is hard. Ohm and Keng finish their DUI probation, and Keng musters the courage to tell Ohm about his feelings for Fai; Ohm responds with a calm, pragmatic shrug, saying he plans to marry again and that Fai isn’t the right person for him—she’s more of a fun companion than a life partner.

Jamrus’s condition worsens when he misses a date with Sompit and is found at a gas station, diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. His son plans to move him to a care facility, sparking tension as Jamrus resists the change and longs for the farm.

With care in mind, they move Jamrus’s cherished tree to Bangkok as a keepsake. Fai worries about the tree’s survival but helps ensure its relocation. Sompit bids a heartfelt farewell, and Jamrus consoles her that it’s better to part with memories intact. Sompit eventually leaves for the United States.

Keng and Fai find a path forward together, deciding to keep Saphan-Loi as their own pet. Jamrus discovers Sompit’s notebook with MSN instructions and signs in to reconnect with her in the United States. He even sends a file via MSN to Keng and Fai—a photo of the Malay rose apple tree sprouting again in Jamrus’s new home—reaffirming that love and memory can endure across distances.

Last updated: October 05, 2025 at 11:41

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Plot questions answered

Best of Times Plot Explained: Your Questions Answered

The questions people ask most about Best of Times (2009): what happens in the confusing scenes, why the characters do what they do, the twists, hidden details and what the ending means. Each answer contains spoilers.

Q1

Why did Fai reject Keng's love song in high school?

Fai rejected Keng's love song because she already had a boyfriend at the time. That boyfriend was actually Ohm, Keng's best friend, who remained completely unaware of Keng's feelings. Fai never learned that Keng was the one who sent the CD until years later when she recognized his signature on the cover.

Foreshadowing: Earlier in the story, Keng refuses to tell Ohm who the CD was intended for, hinting at the complicated love triangle to come.

  • Fai rejection
  • high school love song
  • Ohm boyfriend
  • CD love song
Q2

Why did Keng never tell Ohm about his feelings for Fai?

Keng kept his feelings hidden to protect his friendship with Ohm. When he learned that Fai was dating Ohm, he moved his classes to avoid their social circle and stopped seeing Fai for a long time. His loyalty to Ohm prevented him from ever confessing, even though he never forgot her.

Foreshadowing: The opening scene establishes Keng's silence about who the CD was for, establishing his pattern of hiding his true feelings.

  • Keng feelings
  • Ohm friendship
  • unrequited love
  • loyalty
Q3

Why is Ohm okay with Keng liking Fai at the end?

Ohm responds calmly when Keng confesses his feelings because he has already moved on emotionally. He tells Keng he plans to marry again and describes Fai as more of a fun companion rather than a life partner. After their divorce and his new relationship, Ohm no longer views Fai as someone worth fighting for.

Foreshadowing: Earlier, Ohm calls his new girlfriend hinting at a fresh start, showing he's already emotionally detached from Fai.

  • Ohm reaction
  • Keng confession
  • Fai divorce
  • new girlfriend
Q4

What happens to Saphan-Loi, the wounded dog?

Fai adopts the wounded stray dog they found after the DUI incident and names it Saphan-Loi, which means "bridge" in Thai. She brings it to Keng's clinic for treatment and later decides to keep it as her own pet. The dog ultimately becomes a symbol connecting Keng and Fai as they move forward together.

Foreshadowing: The dog's name "Saphan-Loi" (bridge) foreshadows its role in bridging Keng and Fai's relationship.

  • Saphan-Loi
  • dog adoption
  • stray dog
  • Keng Fai relationship
Q5

Why does Sompit decide to leave for the United States?

Sompit decides to move to the United States with her son Krit and his wife because they are relocating there. Despite her romance with Jamrus and his marriage proposal under the Malay rose apple tree, she chooses to go with her family. However, Jamrus later reconnects with her via MSN Messenger after she leaves.

Foreshadowing: During the Chumphon trip, Sompit learns that Krit and his wife are moving to the US soon, setting up her eventual departure.

  • Sompit departure
  • United States
  • Krit family
  • Jamrus proposal
Q6

What is the significance of the Malay rose apple tree?

The Malay rose apple tree represents resilience and memory for Jamrus. In 1989, Typhoon Gay destroyed his entire farm in Chumphon, but this one old tree survived. Since then, he has treated it as a family member. The tree becomes the setting for his proposal to Sompit and later symbolizes their enduring love when it is moved to Bangkok and eventually sprouts again.

Foreshadowing: Jamrus's memory troubles at the farm hint at deeper emotional attachment to the tree and past losses.

  • Malay rose apple tree
  • Typhoon Gay
  • Chumphon farm
  • resilience symbol
Q7

Why does Jamrus have to move to a care facility?

Jamrus is diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease after he misses a date with Sompit and is found disoriented at a gas station. His condition worsens, and his adult son decides to sell the farm to fund moving him to a care facility in Bangkok. The decision causes tension as Jamrus resists leaving his farm, but his family believes it's necessary for his safety.

Foreshadowing: Earlier, Jamrus experiences memory lapses during the Chumphon visit, foreshadowing his diagnosis.

  • Jamrus Alzheimer's
  • care facility
  • memory loss
  • diagnosis
Q8

How do Keng and Fai end up together at the end?

Keng and Fai gradually grow closer through their shared experiences caring for Saphan-Loi and helping Jamrus and Sompit. After a fishing trip where they get drunk and reminisce, Keng reveals that Fai was his first love who he never forgot. Although Fai doesn't reciprocate romantically at that moment, they eventually find a path forward together and decide to keep Saphan-Loi as their pet.

Foreshadowing: Their late-night fishing trip and conversation create the emotional foundation for their eventual relationship.

  • Keng Fai romance
  • first love
  • relationship ending
  • together
Q9

Why does Keng pretend he only met Fai two years ago?

When Fai realizes Keng is the boy from high school who gave her the love song, he lies and says they only met at Ohm's wedding two years earlier. Keng maintains this pretense because he fears ruining his friendship with Ohm and knows Fai is now divorced from his best friend. He eventually reveals the truth about his feelings later in the story.

Foreshadowing: Keng's initial lie sets up the eventual revelation of his long-held feelings during their fishing trip.

  • Keng lie
  • high school memory
  • Ohm wedding
  • pretending
Q10

What role does MSN Messenger play in the story?

MSN Messenger serves as a symbol of connection across distances, paralleling the film's themes of memory and love. Sompit carefully writes down every MSN step in her notebook, believing it can bridge distances and keep memories alive. After Sompit leaves for the US, Jamrus uses MSN to reconnect with her, sending a photo of his tree sprouting again, showing that love and memory can endure across oceans.

Foreshadowing: Sompit's diligence in noting every MSN step foreshadows its importance in maintaining long-distance connection.

  • MSN Messenger
  • Sompit notes
  • distance connection
  • online relationship
Q11

Why is Krit upset about his mother's relationship with Jamrus?

Krit, Sompit's son, objects to his mother's romance with Jamrus because he feels she is choosing the relationship over her family. When Sompit decides to stay in Thailand with Jamrus instead of moving to the US with Krit and his wife, Krit becomes furious and accuses her of loving Jamrus more than the family. This conflict represents the generational divide between pursuing personal happiness versus family obligations.

Foreshadowing: The tension is established early when Krit does not welcome Jamrus's invitation to visit the farm.

  • Krit objection
  • mother relationship
  • family conflict
  • Sompit choice
Q12

Why are Ohm and Fai getting a divorce?

Ohm and Fai are divorcing because Fai discovered Ohm was having an affair. After the high school reunion, Ohm reveals to Keng that Fai found out about his infidelity and they are ending their marriage. This divorce sets in motion the events that bring all three characters back into each other's lives.

Foreshadowing: The high school reunion serves as the catalyst that brings unresolved relationships back into focus.

  • Ohm affair
  • Fai divorce
  • infidelity
  • marriage breakdown

Movie threads

More Movies Like Best of Times, by Mood & Story

Curated lists built around what makes Best of Times tick: the same mood, the same kind of story or the same emotional payoff. Each list explains why these movies belong together.

Friends-to-Lovers Romance Movies Like Best of Times

Quiet stories of friendship tested by hidden romantic desires. If you liked the quiet ache of unspoken love in Best of Times, explore these movies about friendship and romance. This thread features tender stories of loyalty tested by hidden feelings, where characters must navigate the bittersweet path between platonic bonds and romantic desire.

  • tender
  • melancholic
  • nostalgic
  • reflective
  • hopeful
  • quiet
  • Tone: bittersweet, tender, melancholic
  • Pacing: steady, character-driven
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative pattern follows a central character harboring deep romantic feelings for a close friend. The story unfolds as these feelings are tested, often by external factors like an ex-partner or by the internal struggle of confession. The journey involves a careful balancing act between preserving a cherished friendship and pursuing a potentially transformative romance, leading to emotionally resonant and often bittersweet conclusions.

Why they belong together: Movies are grouped here for their shared focus on the complex emotional territory where friendship and romance intersect. They share a melancholic yet tender tone, a steady, character-driven pace, and a thematic emphasis on loyalty, unrequited love, and the quiet courage required to risk a precious bond for the chance of something more.

Bittersweet Romance Movies About Moving On Like Best of Times

Romantic connections that must overcome lingering memories and old wounds. Fans of Best of Times will appreciate these similar romance dramas about moving on. Discover stories where new love is complicated by the ghosts of past relationships, featuring bittersweet tones, emotional depth, and characters learning to love again while honoring their history.

  • bittersweet
  • reflective
  • nostalgic
  • melancholic
  • hopeful
  • tender
  • Tone: bittersweet, reflective, hopeful
  • Pacing: steady, contemplative
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative follows individuals or couples as they attempt to forge a new romantic connection. However, their progress is consistently shadowed by the unresolved emotions, memories, or physical presence of a former partner. The conflict is internal and emotional, focusing on the characters' struggle to let go, forgive, or accept the past enough to fully embrace a present opportunity for happiness.

Why they belong together: These films are connected by their exploration of love that is not simple or pure, but is enriched and complicated by history. They share a bittersweet tone, a moderate emotional weight, and a central thematic concern with memory, loss, and the difficult but hopeful process of building a new life after heartbreak.

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Every angle

Best of Times (2009) Explained: Plot, Timeline & Characters

Everything about Best of Times in one place: what happens in the plot summary, the timeline in chronological order, the characters and meaning and a spoiler-free summary. What's After the Movie adds the cast, box office and post-credit scenes.

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