Siwaj Sawatmaneekul
BIOGRAPHY
Siwaj Sawatmaneekul (Thai: ศิวัจน์ สวัสดิ์มณีกุล; born November 3, 1989), credited as “New,” is a Thai director and the founder of production house Studio Wabi Sabi. He works primarily alongside GMMTV on Thai boys’ love (BL) dramas.
New entered the industry under the mentorship of director Anucha Boonyawattana before moving into television direction with Make It Right (2016). He has said his early experience in the industry taught him that “a niche market beats a mass market,” a view that has guided his focus on fandom-driven, tightly targeted storytelling.
His directing credits include Love By Chance (2018) and its sequel Until We Meet Again (2019, on which he is also credited as screenwriter), My Gear and Your Gown (2020), the Star and Sky duology (2022), My Only 12% (2022), Between Us (2022), Absolute Zero (2023), Fourever You (2024), Revamp: The Undead Story (2025), Head 2 Head and My Romance Scammer (2026), and the 1990s-set When Oranges Fall (2026), which he directs for GMMTV and his own Studio Wabi Sabi.
His first credit on a series was behind the editing desk, as editor of Love Sick in 2014, and he later served as cinematographer on En of Love: Love Mechanics (2020). Double Savage (2023) carries both his writing and directing credit, and Dear Doctor, I’m Coming for Soul (2022) lists him as a producer. Among his recent director credits are A Boss and a Babe (2023), We Are and Perfect 10 Liners (2024), Beside the Sky (2025) and Be My Player Two (2026).
He later founded Studio Wabi Sabi, launching the company with the drama The Red Thread. He has spoken publicly about the social influence of BL content on young viewers and about his ambition to make a Thai series with the international reach of Netflix’s Heartstopper, and to branch out into mystery, thriller, and crime storytelling.
He shared the direction of Fourever You with Nantalit Tampacha on a 17 episode run for GMM25 and WeTV, and he is credited again on Fourever You Part 2, a 24 episode franchise arranged in three arcs of eight. When Oranges Fall, which premiered on GMM25 and OneD on May 13, 2026, runs twelve episodes on Wednesdays and was written by Thanaporn Phetcharas and Kirati Kumsat from a novel by Littleskyofme. It is set in a 1990s high school and begins with oranges falling from one boy’s tree into his neighbor’s yard, with music by Sompob Pokepoon.
New has spoken in Thai press about managing depression and about the pressure of social media as a public figure. He is active online under the handle @aloneww.
New directs When Oranges Fall for GMMTV and for the company he founded.
The series (2026) is credited to GMMTV and Studio Wabi Sabi together, so the house he started after Make It Right in 2016 now shares a production credit with the studio he has worked alongside since. See When Oranges Fall.
In my view, the career makes most sense when you start at the edit. Siwaj began as an editor, and the rhythm of his series still feels like an editor’s: short arcs, clear turns, and stories cut to fit their length. Fourever You Part 2 breaks a large franchise into eight episode units, and When Oranges Fall holds to twelve. What interests me most is the span of settings he has handled, from campus stories to a 1990s neighborhood story. For a first look at his range, I would pair Love By Chance with When Oranges Fall.
PROFILE DETAILS
- Native Name
- ศิวัจน์ สวัสดิ์มณีกุล
- Real Name
- Siwaj Sawatmaneekul
- Nickname
- New (นิว), Aloneww
- Pronouns
- he/him
- Born
- (Age 36)
- Birthplace
- Thailand
- Gender
- Male
- Western Zodiac
- Scorpio ♏
- Chinese Zodiac
- Snake 🐍
- Profession
- Nationality
- Debut
- 2016 · Make It Right (2016) as Director
- Agency / Label
- Studio Wabi Sabi (founder & director, current)
- Years Active
- 2016-present
- Languages
- Thai (native)
- Skills
- Directing, Editing, Producing, Screenwriting
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