Fresh off the massive success and overwhelming support the GMMTV roster received at the recent Star Magic All Stars Game, Thai actor Mark Pakin expressed his enthusiasm to step back onto the court—this time with a badminton racket in hand.
Photo: Mark Pakin/Instagram
During an appearance on GMMTV Live House, Pakin issued a direct, lighthearted pitch to the event’s organizers, inviting them to add badminton to the roster for next year’s annual celebrity sports event. And he already knows who he wants as his doubles partner: his Last Twilight co-star, Sea Tawinan.
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“If he (the Star Magic All Stars Game organizer) contacts me about badminton, I’m ready, but I need a partner. Sea can be my partner,” Pakin shared. He even gave a direct shoutout to local organizers: “Hi, manager from the Philippines. I’m Mark Pakin. I can play badminton.”
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Before melting hearts on screen, Pakin was a competitive badminton player representing Thailand internationally. He competed in prestigious tournaments like the Badminton World Federation (BWF) World Junior Championships and Badminton Asia Junior Championships, and captured the Men’s Doubles Gold Medal at the 2016 Bulgaria International Tournament.
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However, Pakin eventually traded his racket for a career in showbiz to pursue a more stable income, landing opportunities after his striking looks caught the attention of talent scouts online.
The 2026 Star Magic All Stars basketball matchup—which featured popular Thai actors Joss Way-ar, Neo Trai, AJ Chayapol, JJ Chayakorn, Gawin Caskey, Aston Luengvoraphan, Marc Natarit, Ryu Phudtripart, Ping Krittanun, and Teshow Promsaka—was part of ABS-CBN’s strategic international partnership with the Thai television production and talent management company to bring hit Thai series and stars closer to Pinoy fans.
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Known as “the first and true home of asianovelas,” ABS-CBN entered an exclusive entertainment partnership with GMMTV in 2020 to secure television and Over-The-Top (OTT) streaming rights to major GMMTV Thai drama series, bringing a diverse collection of Asian stories to the country.
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