Best of Times (2009) Characters, Setting & Themes Explained

The film takes place primarily in Bangkok, where Keng operates his veterinary clinic, and in Chumphon, a rural province where Jamrus's farm is located. The story also briefly follows Sompit to the United States, showing how the characters' lives span different locations and how memory persists across geographical distances.

• bangkok
• chumphon
• thailand
• setting
• locations

The movie is set in contemporary times with flashbacks to the characters' past, including their high school years. A significant historical reference is Typhoon Gay (1989), which grounds the film in a specific moment in Thai history and underscores themes of change and resilience.

• time period
• flashbacks
• typhoon gay
• 1989
• contemporary

The film explores four interconnected themes: first love and how past romances shape present decisions; memory and aging, particularly through Jamrus's Alzheimer's; friendship and community through Keng's computer class for seniors; and the rose apple tree as a living symbol of memory and perseverance connecting past to present.

• themes
• first love
• memory
• aging
• friendship
• community
• symbolism

Keng is a compassionate veterinarian in Bangkok who runs his clinic while teaching computer classes to elderly students. He carries unrequited feelings for Fai, his high school crush, and throughout the film must navigate his emotions while remaining loyal to his friends.

• keng
• character
• veterinarian
• doctor

Fai is a nurseryman who was Keng's high school crush and later married Ohm. After divorcing Ohm, she grapples with aging, loss, and unresolved feelings while serving as a central connector between Keng and Ohm. She represents resilience in navigating love and memory.

• fai
• character
• nurseryman
• divorce

Ohm is Fai's ex-husband and Keng's close friend. The film reveals he had an affair, leading to their divorce. He later married someone else but must confront his past and the impact of his choices on both Fai and Keng as the story unfolds.

• ohm
• character
• ex husband
• affair
• divorce

Jamrus is a farmer in Chumphon suffering from Alzheimer's disease. His fading memory serves as the film's emotional anchor for exploring memory as both a fading thread and a catalyst for meaningful connection. He clings to his Malay rose apple tree as a symbol of his life and memories.

• jamrus
• alzheimers
• farmer
• memory loss

The Malay rose apple tree serves as a living symbol of memory and perseverance. Originally planted by Jamrus in Chumphon, it is transplanted to Bangkok, mirroring the characters' own adaptations. The tree's survival represents continuity of love and memory across time and distance.

• rose apple tree
• symbolism
• memory
• perseverance
• nature

Keng's computer class for elderly students creates a space for intergenerational bonding. Characters form meaningful connections beyond romance, Sompit and Jamrus find companionship despite age and illness, while the group supports each other through aging and life changes, emphasizing caring across generations.

• friendship
• community
• intergenerational
• elderly
• computer class

Sompit is a widowed woman who attends Keng's computer class. She documents steps in a notebook to maintain connection with a changing world. Her gentle character arc shows transformation through friendship with Jamrus, and she eventually departs for the United States with her family, representing both departure and the endurance of memory across borders.

• sompit
• character
• widow
• united states
• departure

The film has a bittersweet tone, balancing romantic hope with poignant sadness. While Keng and Fai find a tentative path forward and the rose apple tree sprouts anew as a symbol of enduring love, the story also accepts significant losses including Sompit's departure and Jamrus's declining health, creating emotional depth without falling into pure tragedy.

• tone
• bittersweet
• romance
• sadness
• emotional