2011–2014: Formation, UDD movement Faiyen (literally: Cool Fire) established in 2011 under the lead of
Wat Wanlayangkoon, a Thai renown
Sriburapha Award's writer. They originally called Tha Sao, originated from Wat's
pen name, Wat Tha Sao. According to
Port, the guitarist, the group officially debuted on 31 December 2011, they played in front of
Bangkok Remand Prison for the countdown event. Principle members are
Wat Wallayangkul,
Khunthong,
Jom, Yonok, Au, Gluay. In 2013, Yonok left,
Port joined the group instead. They participated in pro-democracy movement with
United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship (UDD) that has become well-known to the
red shirts and people who are critical of the monarchy. They had never played on the main stage of the UDD, the main red shirt faction affiliated with
Thaksin Shinawatra, because they challenged the monarchy and draconian law of
lese-majeste. They played only at small red-shirt stage, organized by other sub-group or on a side stage to UDD protest events. On 22 May
2014 Thai coup d'état, amid fear of life threatening and political imprison from the
military junta, all Faiyen members except Port, fled to Thailand's neighbor,
Laos, before the junta called Jom for a political re-education program, 'attitude adjustment'.
2014–2019: Exile in Laos After the coup, Faiyen members lived together in hiding places around
Vientiane,
Laos. Except for
Port, he went back and forth between Thailand and Laos since September 2014, because he was not the target from a national security.
Yammy became known by a single 'The Bitter Red Bowl' ('Khan Daeng Salaeng Jai'), sang by her, in 2016. It was a forbidden song in Thailand, ordered by the military junta. In 2016, still in Bangkok,
Port went to perform and sell CDs of Faiyen songs at the event 'August 7 Marking Democracy: Music Poetry Art.' He was arrested first time. The police claimed that the CDs were copyrighted. Port decided to quit his job and went to join the group in Laos. In July 2017, Wuthipong 'Kotee' Kochathamakun, a Red Shirt activist, was abducted in
Vientiane, Laos, by 10 Thai-speaking armed men and was presumed dead. On 10 December 2018,
Surachai Danwattananusorn, an exile activist in
Laos was disappeared. On 11 December, two of his aides, Chatchan "Phoo Chana" Boonphawal and Kraidet "Kasalong" Luelert, also in exile in Vientiane, they too disappeared and were found dead a month later along the Thai side of the
Mekong. On the same day, Faiyen received the same warning from
Laos police who looks after them as
Surachai’s group, telling them to hide while
Prayut Chan-o-cha was visiting the country. Faiyen were the last on the run Thai exiles in Laos,
Yammy gave an interview to the press that there was certainly a killing order came from
Thailand, with help on the
Laos side. She believed that the Thai government were hunting them down one by one. They had moved seven times in the span of three years for their own protection.
2019-: Exile in France On 3 August 2019, feared being kidnapped or killed,
Khunthong,
Jom,
Yam, and
Tito arrived in France from Laos on exile, after accepted as political refugees. It took them about two to three months before they were granted permission to travel to
Paris, unable to act immediately, because they did not have enough money to buy plane tickets. They were aided by Miles4Migrants group, a charity for refugees. They resumed activism again after seeking asylum period ended, by starting podcast 'Faiyen meet with the people' on YouTube channel. The podcast focuses on abolish of the monarchy topic. On 5 March 2021,
Port who was getting treatment for pancreatitis, diabetes, and peripheral neuropathy in Thailand was arrested by
Royal Thai Police on
lèse majesté in his hometown neighborhood Udom Suk,
Bangkok. Wat Wanlayangkoon, the founder of the band, died on 22 March 2022 while staying political exile in France. ==Musical style and development==