Singha highlights Jeeno Thitikul’s first believer in new film

Singha Corporation has turned Thai golfer Jeeno Thitikul's grandfather's belief in her into an eight-minute film.

The film uses her personal journey to explore the people who support us before the rest of the world recognises our potential.

Created with Ogilvy Thailand, "Dear Jeeno" captures Thitikul's unscripted reaction to a series of messages from her grandfather.

He encouraged her to take up golf when she was just six years old.

The film was released on 9 October 2026 through the golfer's personal Instagram account.

It brings Singha's "Believe Before the World Does" philosophy to life.

Thitikul is now ranked world number one.

She has recorded 11 LPGA Tour wins, including her most recent victory at the 2026 LOTTE Championship in the US.

However, the film looks beyond her achievements to the early years of her journey.

Her grandfather's initial intention was simply to encourage her to exercise and help manage her allergies.

Her family would travel from Ratchaburi to Bangkok every weekend for golf lessons.

They supported a pursuit whose eventual success was far from certain.

The film returns to this period to highlight the role her grandfather played in nurturing her interest.

He believed in her potential long before she became an internationally recognised athlete.

To bring this story to life, Ogilvy Thailand developed a film-within-a-film concept.

Rather than build the narrative around a conventional interview or a retrospective account of her achievements, the agency wanted to capture the moment Thitikul discovered just how much her grandfather had believed in her.

The team first recorded her grandfather speaking about her childhood, their time together and his longstanding confidence in her, even before she recognised her own potential.

Thitikul was subsequently invited to what she believed was an interview shoot.

Only to be shown her grandfather's recorded messages for the first time.

Cameras captured her unscripted reaction as she watched.

The resulting film brings together two perspectives on the same journey.

A grandfather reflecting on the young girl he encouraged.

And a granddaughter discovering the depth of the belief that had accompanied her along the way.

"We felt that if we made it truly authentic, without adding anything contrived, we could let the story unfold naturally," said Thasorn Boonyanate, chief creative officer at Ogilvy Thailand.

Singha's campaign is built around the idea that belief often comes from one person before the world catches up.

For Thitikul, that person was her grandfather.

The film does not show her lifting a trophy or celebrating a win.

It shows her sitting in a room, watching a screen, and realising how much someone else saw in her before she saw it in herself.

That emotional core is what sets "Dear Jeeno" apart from typical sports-brand content.

Thitikul's rise to world number one has been swift.

She turned professional in 2020 and quickly made an impact on the LPGA Tour.

Her 11 victories include major championships and regular-season wins across the United States and Asia.

Her most recent win came at the 2026 LOTTE Championship in the US.

She is a four-time winner in the 2026 season alone.

Despite her success, the film deliberately steps away from the spotlight of her career.

It focuses instead on the long drives from Ratchaburi to Bangkok, the weekend lessons, the allergies that prompted her grandfather to suggest golf as exercise.

Those details ground the story in a specific place and time.

They also make it universal: almost everyone has someone who believed in them before they believed in themselves.

Singha's "Believe Before the World Does" tagline is not new, but this execution gives it a personal anchor.

The brand has a long history of sports sponsorship in Thailand, particularly in golf.

By centering the film on Thitikul's family story rather than on product placement or brand messaging, Singha positions itself as a supporter of journeys, not just victories.

Ogilvy Thailand's creative approach was deliberately low-tech.

The film-within-a-film structure meant that no acting was required.

Thitikul's reaction is genuine because she had no idea what she was walking into.

Her grandfather's words were recorded separately, without her knowledge.

The result is a document of a real moment, not a staged recollection.

Boonyanate emphasised authenticity as the guiding principle.

The agency wanted to avoid anything that felt manufactured or rehearsed.

By letting the story unfold naturally, they captured something that a scripted interview could not replicate.

The film has been shared widely on social media since its release on October 9, 2026.

It appears on Thitikul's personal Instagram account, where her followers can watch the full eight-minute version.

Early reactions from fans and golf media have highlighted the emotional weight of the footage.

Many have noted that it offers a rare glimpse into the private life of an athlete who tends to keep her focus on the course.

Thitikul is known for her calm demeanour and consistent performance under pressure.

She is currently ranked world number one in women's golf.

Her caddie, Banpot Bunpisansaree, known as Gong Banpot, has been with her for almost a decade.

He was present during the 2026 TOTO Japan Classic, where Thitikul made headlines for a different reason.

During a pre-tournament press conference, she revealed that her caddie had asked if he could take home the tournament's special toilet prize if they won.

The exchange went viral, showing a lighter side of the golfer-caddie relationship.

Thitikul said she would love the toilet herself, noting that she has a similar automatic toilet at her home in Thailand.