Thai actor and comedian James Rusameekae Fagerlund, one of the standout contestants of Netflix’s Physical: Asia, took to social media to express his gratitude to Filipino fans who have shown immense support for him throughout the series.
On his Instagram page, James shared a video of himself lip-syncing to Roselle Nava’s iconic OPM hit “Bakit Nga Ba Mahal Kita.”
“thank you for your love and support from Philippines ❤️ 🇵🇭,” James said in a caption.
James also delighted fans by posting another clip where he strutted on a runway, channeling former Miss Universe Catriona Gray’s signature “lava walk” from Miss Universe 2018 competition held in James’s home country.
“thanks again for all your love and support from Philippine 🇵🇭❤️,” he said. “Permission to post the clip as a thank you to the fans from Philippines 😆.”
“Thank You - Khab Khun Kaa Filipino (pray emoji, flag of Thailand emoji, heart emoji and Philippine flag emoji,)” he expressed.
James also recently fangirled over boxing legend and former senator Manny Pacquiao, sharing a photo of their encounter.: “ It‘s an honor to work with a legend love ya @mannypacquiao “ #วิถีคิงคอง.”
The Thai star has quickly become a fan favorite among viewers — especially Filipinos — for his humor, charisma, and sportsmanship. One of his most memorable moments on the show was when he exclaimed a playful “Wow!” upon seeing Philippine representative and mixed martial arts champion Mark "Mugen" Striegl enter the arena for their death match challenge, where they had to keep a ball in possession until time ran out.
James first caught viewers’ attention with his bold entrance — donning a shiny robe and outfit while surrounded by elite athletes. Beyond his “diva” personality, he also impressed fans with his strength during the Shipwreck episode, where he singlehandedly carried a 50-kilogram crate.
Since then, his social media pages have been flooded with messages of love from Filipino fans.
“From now on, ‘WOW’ is our absolute favorite word! Sending love all the way from The Philippines 🇵🇭, kha!!! Lina!!! ❤️❤️,” a fan commented.
Another one expressed, “I just finished watching all four available episodes and I’m rooting for all my SEA siblings, especially Team Thailand because of you James 😂❤️ love from the Philippines!”
“Hahahaha you really got a lot of energy!!! Already watched all the finished episodes!!! U’re so entertaining to watch! Love u, James from PH 😘,” another one said.
Others even wished for a collaboration between James and Mark Striegl, commenting, “Mahal na mahal ka namin @rusameekae mag collab naman kayo ni @markmugen 🥰🥰🥰 its a WOW!!!!!👏🔥👏🔥.”
Physical: Asia is a spin-off of Netflix’s hit physical reality competition Physical: 100, where 100 athletes compete in various challenges to be crowned the GOAT. The new season marks the franchise’s first-ever international tournament, featuring elite athletes from eight countries: the Philippines, Japan, South Korea, Thailand, Mongolia, Türkiye, Indonesia, and Australia.
READ: Why Manny Pacquiao had to exit from 'Physical: Asia'
READ: Manny Pacquiao shares what made him say yes to joining Netflix’s ‘Physical: Asia’
Representing the Philippines are boxing legend Manny Pacquiao, MMA fighter Mark Striegl, rugby player Justin Coveney, strongman Ray Jefferson Querubin, Olympic athlete Robyn Lauren Brown, and CrossFit champion Lara Liwanag. In the latest episode, Filipino CrossFit athlete Justin Hernandez stepped in to replace Manny Pacquiao who had to leave due to prior commitments.