Ploy

Death in the family pulls the Thai-American couple Wit [Ananda Everingham] and Dang back to Bangkok for the first time in years. They land at Suvarnabhumi Airport in the early hours, check into a hotel, and battle the pull of jet lag. Dang longs to sleep, but Wit roams the lobby and hotel bar, seeking a quiet moment and a cigarette. While they unpack, Dang finds a small paper with the phone number of a woman named Noy, a detail that instantly stirs suspicion.

In the hotel bar, Wit encounters Ploy [Apinya Sakuljaroensuk], a young woman who explains she’s waiting for her mother to arrive from Stockholm. The two strike up a casual conversation over coffee and cigarettes, and Wit invites Ploy to come up to the room where she can freshen up and rest while she awaits her mother’s arrival. Up in the suite, Dang opens the door to find Ploy there. To Ploy, Dang is warm and friendly; to Wit, she radiates anger and jealousy. A tense unease settles over the room as Dang wrestles with suspicion and occasional nightmares. The trio edges toward sleep, while they repeatedly question why a long marriage can lose its spark and how affection might be rekindled.

Meanwhile, the hotel’s atmosphere thickens with a provocative misstep of another kind. Tum [Porntip Papanai], the hotel maid, steals a guest’s suit from the dry cleaners and carries it to room 609, where Nut [Ananda Everingham], a tired bartender, discovers her and the two share a charged moment. Nut’s presence leads to a new, troubling dynamic as the two begin a secret sexual relationship, further complicating the fragile balance among the three adults.

Back in Wit and Dang’s room, Dang’s unease grows. She decides to leave, prompting Wit to wake and reflect on their marriage. The two exchange thoughts about how love can dim over time, and they discuss what might be done to keep their connection alive. Ploy later reveals she dreamed about the maid and the bartender’s liaison, a confession that blurs the line between dream and reality and hints at the subjective nature of what each character has experienced.

Dang’s journey away from the room takes an abrupt turn when she encounters Moo [Thaksakorn Pradapphongsa] in a coffee shop. Moo, a man who recognizes her from her days as a soap actress, invites her back to his home for more drinks. Dang drinks heavily, resists his advances, and is ultimately threatened as the situation escalates. The ensuing struggle escalates into a deadly game of hide and seek, leaving the audience unsure about what is real and what is imagined, and raising the stakes for everyone involved.

The film then shifts to the funeral of the relative, and the narrative becomes more enigmatic as it intertwines memory, dream, and reality. Viewers are left to question which events truly happened and which might have been figures of imagination born from fear and longing. The journey ends with Wit and Dang leaving Thailand in a taxi. Dang remains quiet about the assault, while Wit, choosing to focus on their bond, places his hand over hers and earnestly expresses love. Dang smiles, rests her head on Wit’s shoulder, and they depart for the United States, carrying with them the weight of the night’s memories and the fragile reassurance of a renewed connection.

Last Updated: October 09, 2025 at 15:10