Who's The Boss?
Esquire Philippines sat down with Thai superstar Boss Chaikamon Sermsongwittaya, who floated the idea of collaborating with Filipino singer Maki and acting in a murder mystery film.
Published on Sep 9, 2026
Chaikamon Sermsongwittaya (ชัยกมล เสริมส่งวิทยะ), more popularly known as BOSS.CKM or simply Boss (บอส), is one of the fastest rising stars in the Thai entertainment industry. He has gained a massive following not just in Thailand but across Asia, where he has built fanbases across China, Japan, the Philippines, and many other places. Such a meteoric rise in fame is backed by solid talent, as he is considered a “triple threat”—he acts, he sings, and he dances. On top of that, with charming good looks and towering height, it only makes senses that he also wears a hat as a fashion model who has partnered with major brands.
It’s the fashion side that recently brought him back to Manila for Fashion Week, and Esquire Philippines sat with him for a chat.
Boss first began performing when he landed the lead role in the hit BL series, Love in the Air. In it, he played Phayu—a tough but charming biker who rescues an architecture student, Rain, one stormy night. “I entered the industry around 2022, when I was cast in my first series,” he said. “That became a turning point in my life. Back then, I was extremely nervous and awkward. It feels like such a long time ago.”
Boss is dripped out head to toe in Gucci
The breakthrough role as well as the success of the series gained him significant attention, paving the way to more acting opportunities—from more leading roles in series such as The Boy Next World and Crazy Love, Moo-Moo! to being part of ensemble stellar casts such as the acclaimed Netflix series Zomvivor, where he played the practical, calm, and intelligent strategist Phu.
Throughout four years of acting, he has constantly worked on evolving his craft. “I've been on this journey for quite a while,” the Thai superstar expounded. "Always giving it my all. I've learned various acting techniques and how to perform in front of the camera. I've also gained a better understanding of the working process and become more responsible and professional. Every day, I get to learn how to work with different teams. Looking back now, I think I've improved a lot and come a long way.”
Having worked on a multitude of genres and characters, Boss knows what he wants to tackle next should he be given the chance. “I'd like to play a character in a mystery or murder investigation,” he cheekily said with a smile. “A challenge.”
In many cases, actors also get tapped to venture into modeling and doing brand ambassadorships, and it’s no different for Boss—whose tall, statuesque build and beautifully intense looks were the perfect blueprint for a model. And as someone who has his own personal style, he is hands-on and gets involved in how he does his modeling. “I make adjustments to suit my personal style and complement my look. I also present everything in my own way, based on my preferences. If something feels uncomfortable, I would make some changes.”
Of course, while both acting and modeling require someone to communicate through a camera, the approach will always be different, and Boss knows how to switch and adapt his mindset between posing as himself rather than as a character. “As an actor, I get to portray different characters and express myself through them,” he says. “As a model, it's about presenting each outfit or look in a way that reflects the designer's vision.”
And it’s fashion that brings him back to the Philippines. While it’s not his first time to be in the country, this was a new and different kind of event for him. “I'm very excited because this is my first time attending Manila Fashion Week,” he said. “I'm looking forward to seeing the wide range of styles here in the Philippines. Since I'm personally interested in fashion, I'm curious to see the direction of Filipino fashion and how it reflects global trends.”
Boss’ success in acting and modeling also led to opportunities in the music industry, including recording tracks for OST as well as releasing his own songs. Interestingly enough, this had him come full circle to his first love: music.
“I have always wanted to be a singer,” he confided. “Before becoming an actor, I wrote and sang my own songs. Hearing people listen to it and sing along to what I wrote made me really happy.”
“Back then, when I was around 18, I used to write songs," the multi-faceted powerhouse reminisced.
"Music allowed me to communicate my feelings directly. Later, when I became an actor, I discovered that I could also connect with people through my acting. That's how my journey began.”
As with modeling, Boss is hands-on with his music career—perhaps even more so—and in 2026 he founded his own music label, FreezeDrop. He has not only released music but has also been involved in the creative process behind many of them.
“I (am) involved in every part of the process,” he stressed. “from songwriting to recording harmonies and ad-libs. I personally oversee each step to ensure everything goes in the direction I want. It started with "Shoot (Choose)' เลย, followed by "In My Eyes" and "9 TO FLY (925)," an EP I was fully involved in creating. Through these projects, people have been able to see who I truly am.”
Boss is also clear about his musical vision. “I want my music to be pop with touches of R&B, rap, and hip-hop,” he made the distinction. “I want it to sound cool and capture a playful, mischievous vibe. My image may come across as a bit of a bad boy, but that's not who I really am."
He shares how different his onscreen image can be from reality, and being able to express his true self in music is one way of telling the world who he is. “I’d say I’m a fun, cheerful, and approachable person,” he noted. “People may have seen me portray different characters as an actor, but in real life, I’m actually very friendly and easy to talk to.”
His love of music and desire to share this love with a wider audience is apparent, as he has also released songs in Mandarin and Japanese—and in a performance in a prior Manila visit, he even sang a Filipino song live, “Pano” by Zack Tabudlo.
The dedication to learn songs in different languages is a testament to how much he believes in the cross-cultural power of music. “It was very challenging for me to sing in Filipino, Japanese, and Chinese because I didn't understand the languages,” he admitted. “I had to study the meaning of each song carefully. I had to listen to each part repeatedly and practice it until I could remember it.”
The cross-cultural power of music has also enabled him to perform onstage with P-pop group BGYO in his 2025 Dream Warrior concert, where the popular boy band were special guests. And Boss hopes he could do more with Filipino music talent.
“Two years ago,” he recalled. "I came to the Philippines and filmed a collaboration with Maki. You all know him, right? I'd love to work on a song with him, especially since we shared each other's songs last month.”
And of course, he wants to experience other things in the Philippines besides just entertainment.
“I'd love to try sisig and other local dishes, as well as meet more Filipino people. Everyone here is so energetic. Whenever I come here for a fan meeting or another project, the fans always cheer loudly and give me such a warm welcome.” He adds, “I think the weather here is similar to that in Thailand. I'd love to visit the beaches here. I wouldn't mind going to the mountains either, but I definitely prefer the beach.”
As we wrapped up our sit-down with Boss, it was very apparent how nice and cheerful he was—friendly and easy to talk to, even off-camera. It’s this capability to be able to relate well with the people around him that seems to be an x-factor to his growing success on top of his solid talent. He also knows who he is and what he wants, and he takes control of where he will be. And all these reflect in his work—with his career thriving in various fields, it’s clear who’s the boss in Khun Chaikamon’s life.
Story and Interview: Allan Carreon
Production: JV Ordoñez
Photos and Video: Teddy Garcia
Editor-in-Chief: Paul John Caña
Creative and Design Direction: Igi Talao
Allan Carreon is a long-term BPO professional who writes on the side and who loves traveling. You can follow him on Instagram @axelcarlisle and on Facebook @apollocarreon77. He blogs at www.allancarreon.com
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