The Thai pop star Albert Thongchai McIntyre was born on December 8, 1958, in Bangkok, Thailand. Under the rotating stage names of "Thongchai McIntyre," "Bird Thongchai," "Phi Bird," and "Bird," he became one of the best-selling artists in Thailand's history, mixing contemporary T-pop with the folky sounds of luk thung. His debut album, Hard-Sai Sai-Lom Song-Rao, was released in 1986, after McIntyre had already launched his career as a film actor. Sabai-Sabai and Rub-Kwun-Wan-Mai were both released in 1987, followed by Sor-Kor-Sor in 1988. It was 1990's Boomerang that turned him into a superstar, selling more than 2.5 million copies and featuring singles like "คู่กัด." 1991's Prik-Kee-Noo was even more popular, selling 3.5 million copies — more than any other album that decade — and earning a nomination for "International Viewer's Choice Awards" at the MTV Video Music Awards in the US. McIntyre continued releasing commercially successful albums throughout the decade, then set a new record with 2002's Choot Rub Kaek, whose sales of 5 million marked an all-time high in Thailand. By 2007, he'd begun to experiment with new genres, showcasing sounds like R&B and hip-hop with the record Simply Bird. Remaining active as a singer, actor, and Thai celebrity, he released 22 in 2022.
