At a function to promote a Chinese TV series held at the Great Hall of the People on Sunday, Sirin Phathanothai was heard telling her husband about the various politician characters in it.
"He stars as Xi Zhongxun, the father of the Chinese president, ... and this man plays Deng Xiaoping," murmurs Phathanothai to Anton Smitsendonk, a former diplomat, during a preview of the series.
Under the guardianship of China's former premier Zhou Enlai, Phathanothai spent most of her youth in China from 1956 to 1970, and has played a key role in building ties between her native country, Thailand, and China. She is said to be familiar with famous Chinese politicians from that period.

Now, decades after their stay in China, the TV series Haitang Yijiu (Crab Apple Still There) features the experiences of Phathanothai and her brother, Warnwai Phathanothai.
The 41-episode series, chronicling Zhou's life from 1949 to 1976, will debut on China Central Television on July 4, to commemorate both the 118th anniversary of Zhou's birth and 95 years of the founding of the Communist Party of China.
Sirin Phathanothai is the daughter of the late Thai politician Sang Phathanothai, an intimate friend of former Thai prime minister Luang Phibunsongkhram.
A year after the Bandung Conference in 1955 greatly improved relations between China and Thailand, the 8-year-old Sirin Phathanothai and her 12-year-old brother were sent to China to learn more about the country and its people. The conference, held in Indonesia, was among the first major meetings of the developing world.
Crab apple trees, Zhou's favorite plants in his house in the leadership compound of Zhongnanhai in Beijing, symbolically reflect Zhou's noble spirit, as explained by the series producer, Hebei Film and Television Group.
Based on historical accounts, the series re-creates the milestone political events involving Zhou amid the unprecedented years as well as his charisma in personal life.
Chen Li, the director, tells China Daily that nearly one-tenth of the series has Thai content, which shows the siblings in Zhou and his wife's care.

Much of the series focuses on Zhou's role as the first premier of New China－from the country's economic development to taking the early steps in diplomatic relations with the United States.
Chen says her team worked to balance history with artistic goals for the series, which was shot in Hebei province, over five years.
"I've known Sirin Phathanothai and am familiar with her story, since I shot the TV series The Dragon's Pearl. So for me personally, it wasn't difficult to re-create that piece of history," says Chen.
The Dragon's Pearl, which was broadcast in 1997, is adapted from the namesake English autobiography written by Sirin Phathanothai.

Chen, who is known for her TV series featuring Chinese politicians, says the Thai actor and actress who play the Phathanothai siblings in this series, were selected by Sirin Phathanothai herself.
Recalling Zhou as "a great man", Sirin Phathanothai tells China Daily that "Zhou cared for us like his own children" and that while growing up, they spent more time with him than with their father.
Sirin Phathanothai and her brother were given the Chinese names Chang Yuan and Chang Huai, respectively, as pronunciations similar to their Thai names. They grew up with Chinese politicians' children and learned to speak Mandarin.

"It's of great value to me. Zhou's guidance has become a part of my life," she says. "Our family may be the only such one in Thailand to have such close connections with the Zhou family for four generations."
Joe Horn-Phathanothai, the son of Sirin Phathanothai, says: "The teaching that Zhou gave to my mother, which she passed on to us, was very useful."
His mother gave him the Chinese name Chang Nianzhou, which translates to "always miss Zhou". Two of his sons, both toddlers, have Chinese names involving the character zhou.