Did You Know? Thai BL Actor Pond Naravit Was Supposed to Debut Under SM Entertainment

One of the Thai entertainment industry's brightest names is actor and T-pop idol Pond Naravit. Over the years, the 25-year-old has established himself through his work in Boys' Love series, and, more recently, as a member of a musical group. Such moves have catapulted him into varied demographics, leading luxury labels to tap him as an ambassador, and encouraging casual fans to become dedicated supporters.

In an interview that has recently gained renewed virality, Pond reveals that he was initially set to embark on a different career path altogether. He shares that he was supposed to train under a "pink company" founded in South Korea.

Last 2025, Pond officially debuted as a T-pop idol with the quartet JASP.ER. Formed by Riser Music, a subsidiary of his mother company GMMTV, the group is comprised of him and his fellow actors Joong Archen, Aou Thanaboon, and Santa Pongsapak.

During a radio show, Pond opened up about his early desires to be a performer, with dance being his main artistic avenue. "Dancing is a passion that I’ve been determined to pursue and liked for a very long time. My family wanted me to fight for myself in everything, whether it was learning dance [or something else,]" he shared.

He detailed that when he was not yet working as an actor, he would take on part-time jobs to fund dance lessons. He attended these classes after his undergraduate studies in biomedical engineering. Still in his late teens at the time, one path he considered was entering the K-pop trainee system.

He divulged that he was already in contention to debut under "the pink company" in South Korea, which fans have pointed to being Hallyu juggernaut SM Entertainment. In case you didn't know, the company is responsible for launching globally-adored acts such as Riize, Aespa, NCT, and Girls' Generation.

Pond shared that the reason for his discontinued participation in the company's training camps was due to the COVID-19 pandemic. "[I was told,] ‘At this time, we cannot consider your audition,'" he recalls being told, given the restrictions of traveling from Thailand to South Korea at the time.

"So I had to give up. I just thought it was not right [for me,]" he reflects. "I wished I could go dance and achieve something like [being an idol.]

Suffice it to say, Pond has found his own success as an artist in Thailand. Despite not flying to Seoul, he did end up winning a talent search program that landed him a slot in GMMTV's artist pool. He's since starred in numerous Boys' Love series, and has become synonymous to his partnership with fellow actor Phuwin Tangsakyuen. On top of this, he's also gained popularity internationally, as an actor, T-pop idol, and luxury fashion ambassador.

* Interview answers have been translated from Thai to English