Full Story

Kobori - Thongchai McIntyre
Ungsumalin - Apasiri Nitiphon

The movie opens with the funeral of a Japanese soldier. A Thai worker nearby asks why this soldier has been given priority over the others and is told that it is because the soldier's wife is here.

Four years before.

Ungsumalin is still a student. The name of Siam is being changed to Thailand next month. Her classmates laugh at her for being patriotic when she talks about having to defend her country in case of war. When she reaches home from school that day, she finds out that the father of her lover Vanus, who is also the village chief, has asked for her hand in marriage. Despite her relationship with Vanus, she finds herself unwilling to commit herself, and when Vanus comes to see her one last time before he goes to England, the only promise she will make is that she will meet him, when he returns, under the Lumpoo tree to give him her answer.
Meanwhile, Japan declares war and is Kobori as a new recruit saluting his parents for the last time before he leaves with his troops. Months of war pass, and when Kobori finally reaches Bangkok, he is a navy captain.
Ungsumalin is curious about the invaders and cannot resist swimming down the river to their base. Kobori is repairing a boat but as the hood of the engine is blocking him, Ungsumalin thinks the boat is empty but Kobori comes out and startles Ungsumalin, who falls back into the water. He pulls her out and tries to greet her in Thai but she splashes water in his face and swims away.

Some time later, Ungsumalin is helping her mother in the market selling vegetables. Because she is pretty and can speak Japanese, many Japanese soldiers try to buy vegetables from her but she refuses to sell them any. Kobori comes with his soldiers to the market too and recognises Ungsumalin. At first she refuses to sell him her vegetables but her mother intervenes so she is forced to let him have them. Kobori insists on buying all her vegetables so she raises the price to a hundred baht. When Kobori drives off, Ungsumalin's neighbours are jealous and make rude comments about her.
Meanwhile, two men, Pol and Bua, whom Ungsumalin knows are caught stealing from the Japanese base. They are going to be executed by water torture. When Ungsumalin sees them suffering, she speaks up for them. Kobori is in charge and is determined to execute them as a lesson for other Thais. He refuses to listen to her and even orders the soldiers to speed up the execution. Ungsumalin's mother begs her to go home as she is only making the situation worse. However after Ungsumalin leaves, Kobori stops the execution and releases the men.
Pol and Bua still bear a grudge against Kobori, and when Ungsumalin's mother invites Kobori and his friend, a Japanese doctor to dinner as they helped Ungsumalin's grandmother recover from malaria, they plot to kill him. After the dinner, when Kobori and the doctor leave, they mask themselves and try to murder him. Ungsumalin and the doctor stop them but Kobori is severely injured. Kobori thinks that Ungsumalin knew about the plot all along but she is truly sorry that he has been injured. Kobori is convinced that Ungsumalin hates him.
One day, a British prisoner escapes and swims across the river. He seeks shelter from Ungsumalin and she hides him because her father is one of the leaders of the Free Thai Movement. The Japanese want an alliance with the Thais and they decide to marry Ungsumalin to Kobori, who is the nephew of a high-ranking Japanese official. Neither Ungsumalin nor Kobori are happy about the engagement. Ungsumalin goes to ask her father to release her from the engagement. Unfortunately, when she gets to her father's house, the Japanese are questioning him and she is forced to lie. She and her father plan to smuggle the British prisoner out of Thailand. On the day of the engagement ceremony, Pol and Bua hide the British in a boat. They leave just as the party come out of Ungsumalin's house. The soldiers want to investigate the boat but Kobori tells them they are not on duty. The doctor tells Kobori that he has sacrificed duty for love.
Later Kobori tells Ungsumalin that he has known all along that the engagement was only a cover up for the British to get away, and that she did not love him. Ungsumalin feels guilty but remembers Vanus.
Both Kobori and Ungsumalin are unable to stop the wedding and they are married in a traditional Japanese ceremony. Kobori promises Ungsumalin that she will remain a virgin and that when Vanus returns, he will leave her. After the first night, Kobori returns to the base to stay and applies for a transfer to Burma. However, his application is not granted and he gets drunk. Pol and Bua bring him to Ungsumalin's house instead and Kobori rapes Ungsumalin by accident. Ungsumalin refuses to forgive him and even says that if she had a baby, she would teach him to hate Kobori. Gradually, she forgives Kobori and even begins to fall in love with him, but she still believes it would be unpatriotic to love a Japanese.
The Japanese base is bombed one night and Ungsumalin panics when she realises Kobori might be injured. She goes to look for him and is so happy when she sees he is unhurt. Now that the base is destroyed, Kobori stays with Ungsumalin and this is the happiest time of their lives. But Vanus writes that he is returning to Thailand and their peace is destroyed. Ungsumalin discovers she is pregnant. Kobori is overjoyed but she is not. When Vanus is captured by the Japanese, she uses the baby to threaten Kobori for Vanus' safety. She throws herself down the stairs to try and miscarry. Kobori thinks that she cares for Vanus enough to kill their baby and locks himself in his room at the base.
The doctor comes to check on Ungsumalin, who did not miscarry after all, and she asks him to tell Kobori she is sorry. Kobori wants to give the relationship another chance and decides to visit her before going to collect some new machinery at Bangkok Noi.
Vanus also visits Ungsumalin and when Kobori reaches her house, he sees her hugging Vanus. Kobori leaves without talking to her and does not know she has told Vanus that she does not love him any more. Vanus finally realises Ungsumalin does not care for him and gives her back her promise. He warns her not to go to Bangkok Noi because the underground is carrying out a sabotage and leaves. Ungsumalin vows never to make another mistake again and goes to the base to tell Kobori that she loves him. When she reaches the base, the doctor is mobilising troops to go to Bangkok Noi which was bombed. He tells Ungsumalin that Kobori had gone to the station. Ungsumalin insists on going to Bangkok Noi with the medical troops and when she reaches there, sees the whole station is in flames. She finally finds Kobori under a pile of wood, badly injured. She calls the doctor but Kobori knows that there is nothing he can do and tells him to go to the others who needs help. He also tells the doctor to say goodbye to everyone for him. Ungsumalin finally tells Kobori that she loves him but it is too late. Kobori promises to see her at the Milky Way and dies in her arms.