Ticket to Heaven (TV series)

In 1996, Tanrak (Nattawat Jirochtikul) is a devout student at St. Magdalene College who is training to become a priest, hoping to one day reunite with his parents in Heaven. Tanrak is tasked to watch over Barth (Norawit Titicharoenrak), the new student with a troubled background. Tanrak begins to feel conflicted as he and Barth develop a bond that goes beyond friendship. When his faith clashes with his feelings, Tanrak must choose between love and the path to God.^[4]

The series was announced during the GMMTV Riding the Wave event on 26 November 2024.^[8][9][10] In a press interview after the event, Director Aof Noppharnach shared that he was waiting for the right moment to pitch the idea for this series to Gemini and Fourth, following their collaboration in Moonlight Chicken (2023). Director Aof stated that the idea for the series came to him when he was visiting the St. Peter's Basilica.^[11][12] He was inspired to create this series with the intention to open up a conversation around the relationship between religion, faith and love.^[13] He also shared that he travelled to different churches around Rome to gather inspiration for the series.^[14]

Director Aof stated that the series was not really based on a true story, but was inspired by his own personal experiences growing up in a Catholic school.^[12] The series was set in 1996 to match his own timeline, at a time where LGBTQ people in Thailand were not accepted by society and topics about sexuality and gender identity were not often discussed publicly.^[15]

Author Kittisak Kongka shared that the Ticket to Heaven novel and the series would not be entirely identical. He and director Aof first came up with the idea of the plot together, which he then took to write the novel, a process which took several months. During that time, he and the director also continued to develop the script for the series, resulting in revisions that differ from the novel.^[16]

Fitting photos for the series were released on 26 February 2026, revealing additional cast members including Oliver Poupart (An), Peerakan Teawsuwan (Ashi), Poon Sutarom (Pun), Phakawat Tangchatkeaw (Tor) and Supakorn Kantanit (Guitar).^[17][18] A read-through with the cast was held on 28 February 2026.^[19] In March 2026, it was announced that the series had completed its workshop phase.^[20] Principal photography began on 19 March 2026 and concluded on 8 May 2026.^[21][22]

A fan sign event was held for the release of the Ticket to Heaven novel at the GMMTV Fanival 2026 event at CentralWorld Pulse on 1 April 2026.^[23][24][25]

The series was promoted with the Ticket to Heaven The Premiere screening event, held at the Iconsiam Hall on 30 May 2026.^[26] Fans were able to watch the first episode together with the cast. The event also featured special performances by the cast, as well as a chat with director Aof revealing behind-the-scenes stories.^[27]

The final episode was promoted with the Ticket to Heaven Fan Party, held at MCC Hall, The Mall Lifestore Bangkapi on 4 July 2026.^[28][29]

The series explores themes of sexuality and religion, particularly Christianity. In an interview with Teen Vogue, Director Aof shared that they did not want there to be a villain in the show, in that they did not want religion or any character to be at fault. He added that the series was not made to pass judgement or to question if religion is wrong or love is right. He highlights the importance of love as the key message of the series, such that there does not have to be a choice between one's love for God and one's love for someone. Director Aof also stated the importance of including a transgender character that could still have faith, no matter their gender identity.^[15]