Paing Takhon, already no stranger to fangirls and fanboys in Myanmar and Thailand, has seen his stock rise globally after swaddling his toned body in maroon robes.
While the actor best known for 2017’s Midnight Travelers said 10 days as a monk made him feel “peaceful,” photos of his holy hiatus left many thirsty and torrid. Comments to the photos he shared by fans expressed appreciation for both his divine dalliance and earthly hotness.
“If the monk at my temple were that handsome, I’m afraid I would never go to the temple again in fear that I would sin!!” Instagram user @Lienmishr wrote.
Reached for comment, Paing Takhon told Coconuts Yangon that embracing Buddhism for the new year meant surrendering his attachment to his beloved locks of hair.
“It was really a hard decision for me to give up my hair as it was one of my influences on my fans,” he said. “Still, I wanted to make my mom happy since it was her dream for her son to be a monk in his lifetime.”
If he had any worries what his fans would think of his bald look, they were quickly laid to rest.
“Why is he so handsome even with no hair?” @Kaka528917 said in a story.
We got *exclusive* video from #PaingTakhon of him praying at the East Dagon City Monastery during his 10 days as a monk. (Kid kind of steals the show, though!) #paingintel #alwayswithpaing #kalico Story: https://t.co/ph48pMv8sR pic.twitter.com/N2gjM20p02
— Coconuts Yangon (@CoconutsYangon) January 18, 2021
“Divine handsomeness,” Indonesian blogger Mevlied Nahla wrote.
The 24-year-old actor was named No. 10 among last year’s 100 Most Handsome Faces alongside Call Me By Your Name star Timothee Chalamet and Khal Aquaman Jason Mamoa.
Last week he dropped the stunning photos with a brief explanation.
“Spent my New Year 2021 by being a monk for 10 days and [I] felt so peaceful and knew myself more…,” he wrote on Instagram.
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Born in the southern town of Kawthoung, Paing Takhon’s road to fame started on the fashion runway in 2014. He was soon acting and became popular enough that he was appointed tourism ambassador to Thailand by the Myanmar Tourism Federation.
He also fronts for global brands such as Oppo, Sunkist and Telenor. and he also appeared in many music videos and fashion magazines in Myanmar.
Now he’s literally everywhere on television, the internet, dreams and memes alike.
“I wanted to be a painter,” Paing said wistfully of his childhood dream.
He also hinted at an upcoming business ventures on New University Avenue Road, selling Singapore-style ice-cream sandwiches.
Ed. note: Previous version of this article spelled his family name as Thakon when in fact his preferred transliteration is Takhon.
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