Despite the government’s active measures to control the repercussions of such an image, Thailand is often considered by many as the land of liberal sex and the hotspot for tourism. But the country was not always so open to such matters, and its society also needed a sexual revolution in the 1970s in order for the taboos to be removed. The new Netflix comedy drama series Doctor Climax focuses on this very phenomenon, presenting the fictional story of a dermatologist with a specialization in venereal diseases, Nat Muangnon, who takes on the role of a adult columnist. His willingness to help people accept and discuss matters of intimacy as normally as they should is what drives this narrative forward, although Nat ultimately dreams of becoming a novelist. But a number of challenges come his way, both social and personal, which Nat struggles with throughout this eight-episode-long series, and overall, Doctor Climax makes for quite an entertaining watch.
The series opens with Nat Muangnon, played by Chantavit Dhanasevi, bearing through his current profession as a dermatologist with a specialization in venereal diseases, which often makes him examine the private parts of his patients. Nat is clearly not cut for such a job, and he dreams of becoming a novelist instead, even though his standard of fiction is not exactly very good. His new friend, or more like an acquaintance, Thong Tien (Chaiwat Thongsaeng), happens to be a journalist at the Bangkok Express newspaper, and it is through this source that the protagonist first gets a break. Nat is very excited when he is told to report to the office for a special meeting, as he is confident that it will involve getting his first-ever work of fiction published. However, what he soon learns is quite different, for the struggling Bangkok Express newspaper had come up with a plan to match the sales of its rival, the Siam Herald. A new adult column, in which readers would send in their questions anonymously and an expert would write answers to them, is to be included in the newspaper, and Nat is selected as the doctor to answer these queries.
The show’s creator, Ekachai Uekrongthan, does a fairly good job presenting Bangkok city in a period-specific style, with a number of authentic footage clips used as well. Taken from the Thai Film Archive, these clips of Bangkok in the 1970s add to the authenticity of the tale being told, making the complications and taboos of society a little more convincing. We are also given a short glimpse of Pat Pong Soi 2, the infamous red light district, which still exists in an even grander state today. But locations and cultures are ultimately still limited to a relatively minor scale, perhaps rightly so, as the focus is entirely on the perception of sexuality and its discussion in society. Nonetheless, whatever little of Bangkok life is visually represented in Doctor Climax adequately does its part.
The main drama that makes up this Thai series is the number of troubles that Nat has to face during his professional endeavors, and these range from social to personal. The very first enemy that he makes is the conservative politician, MP Pornchai (Nimit Lugsamepong), who considers sex-help columns and any discussion regarding intimacy a great source of evil that corrupts young minds. Therefore, Nat has to come across a number of obstacles that Pornchai throws his way, and these make up a considerable portion of the show. Along with these problems, Nat also has to go through an intense dilemma in his personal life when he grows romantically interested and attracted to his colleague, Linda, played by Arachaporn Pokinpakorn. This is quite problematic considering the fact that the protagonist is already married to a docile and sensitive woman, Tukta (Chermawee Suwanpanuchoke).
Nat and Tukta’s married life is extremely flawed, with the protagonist having little to no interest in improving it, even though the wife tries a number of ways to spice it up. This is the first apparent chink in Nat’s armor, but as the series progresses, there are numerouss more shortcomings of his that become a part of the plot. In this sense, the three central characters of Nat, Tukta, and Linda have been given enough depth to make them seem like living, breathing humans with their own flaws and misconceptions, rather than fictional characters. Despite being inspired by real-life sex-help columns from 1970s Thailand, when the phenomenon first began in the country, Doctor Climax is indeed a complete work of fiction.
The acting performances, together with the comedic writing, are both adequate to make the show an entertaining watch. Chantavit Dhanasevi plays the quiet and well-mannered Dr. Nat with ease, while also portraying the switch to his more confident and flashy alter-ego, Dr. Climax, very well. Pokinpakorn and Suwanpanuchoke also do justice to their individual characters, whose lives go through a series of difficult changes. Since the series relies a lot on the comedic elements and their timing, extra attention has been given to the dialogues and certain sequences as well. There are times when the comedy is a bit stretched, to the point of being farcical, but such instances are quite rare and do not spoil the overall mood.
Along with the various sub-plots that play out over the course of the eight episodes, Doctor Climax always holds on to the appeal that it began with and keeps reminding us of the fact that it is indeed a adult comedy. Especially being one about a adult column where readers send in their questions, the series brilliantly makes use of the scope of addressing matters and queries that are still relevant to this day. It focuses on the need to normalize sex and sexuality, which is still considered taboo in many societies, and in a way tries to be like the very newspaper column that it presents by spreading awareness. Overall, Doctor Climax is an interesting take on societal perspectives, their benefits and flaws, and the need to go against established norms for the betterment, all while being a thoroughly entertaining watch as well.
