Tee Yai Born to Be Bad Ending Explained: Is Tee Dead or Alive?

Netflix’s ‘Tee Yai: Born to Be Bad’ or ‘Tee Yai Rerk Dao Jone’ is a Thai crime drama film that follows the story of a criminal named Tee Yai. He establishes himself as a dangerous robber, executing heists through his charm and skill. Along with his friend Rerk, he is able to rob jewellery stores and other places of high value. As Tee, Rerk, and the gang members extend their influence, the government hires Jakarat, a ruthless cop, to find and apprehend the criminal mastermind. As the cops and the criminals become entangled in a dangerous game of deception, the line between friend and foe becomes increasingly blurred.

While Jakarat and his men come up with newer ways to somehow locate and neutralize Tee, the criminals may have to go beyond their limits to survive in the brutal criminal world of 1980s Bangkok. At the end of the narrative, Tee faces an impossible choice, which could be the difference between survival and elimination. SPOILERS AHEAD.

Tee Yai: Born to Be Bad Plot Synopsis

The story begins in Bangkok,1980, where a jewellery store is robbed in broad daylight by a duo of men, including Rerk and Tee. The newspapers talk about “Tee Yai,” who is a wanted man with supposedly magical abilities to disappear. Tee and Rerk are transported via train by the cops. The duo disappears when the train goes through a tunnel. A cop named Jakarat is given full authority by an influential superior named Weera to nab the robber-sorcerer dubbed Tee Yai. In Damnoen Saduak, a monk named Luang Por tells Tee that he is cursed and should quit, after Tee loses his amulet. In the past, Tee’s father was arrested by the cops for performing magic. During his teenage years, Tee is stabbed by bullies, after which Luang Por heals him. Tee and Rerk forge a lifelong brotherhood, vowing to keep each other safe.

Currently, Jakarat works on the investigation in Bangkok and gets close to nabbing a member of Tee’s gang, but fails due to the latter’s intervention. The duo sells the stolen jewels to brothel owners. Dao, a sex worker, informs Rerk that the cops are looking for him. He promises to liberate her from the brothel and also marry her. During a bus ride, Tee uses an amulet and recites prayers, which somehow cause the bus to stop. He kills some passengers in the process of robbing, but Rerk gets injured by counterfire. The duo, along with another gang member, hides near the Bang Chan temple, where Jakarat and his men come looking. Tee and a gang member named Kid use Molotov cocktails and grenades to counter the firing cops. With Rerk injured, the situation becomes tougher. Tee uses the magical amulet to cause rainfall.

The guardian of the temple reveals that the gang members “magically” disappeared. The duo and Kid attack the brothel with guns and liberate Dao, while also stealing some money. Kid gets caught, but Tee and Rerk escape. The master thief disguises himself as a cop and liberates Kid from the holding cell. During the escape, Jakarat and team descend on the gang, but Rerk suddenly drives to the scene and helps them escape. Luang Por reveals to the duo and Kid that Rerk’s mother was killed by a brothel-associate cop named Sam, and that Dao survived. After killing Sam for revenge, Rerk is kidnapped, tortured, and seemingly killed by Jakarat. Pae, Kid’s jailmate, informs the latter that the cops are after Rerk. Radio news broadcasts reveal that Rerk is dead, causing agony to Tee and Dao.

Pae convinces Kid to conduct robberies on his own, without the oversight of Tee. Dao informs Tee that she is pregnant with Rerk’s child. Tee takes her to an isolated cabin near a lake, away from chaos. He stays with her, taking care of her. In a shocking twist, it is revealed that Rerk is still alive, as he returns to Tee and Dao. Rerk hopes to execute one more robbery and then go to Vietnam to lead a fresh life. Tee suspects that Kid is involved with the cops and that Pae might be a police informant. It is revealed that Pae is, in fact, a police informant working for Jakarat.

Tee plans to rob a cash transport truck outside the Thai Bank. Meanwhile, it is shockingly revealed that Rerk has also made a deal with Jakarat to earn freedom for himself and Dao, in exchange for the cops apprehending Tee. In a flashback sequence, Rerk reveals to Jakarat that he and Tee actually have no magic powers. The magical occurrences in the past are revealed to be just deceptive tricks, like the ones done by magicians. The gang gets ready for the Thai Bank robbery, as Jakarat’s men wait.

Tee Yai: Born to Be Bad Ending: Is Tee Dead or Alive?

The cash truck arrives near the Thai Bank building, after which Tee, Rerk, and Dao arrive in a car. Jakarat keeps a watchful eye while being seated in another car. Tee crashes his car into the cash truck and holds the drivers at gunpoint, injuring them. As the cop cars arrive, the entire gang engages in a shootout. Jakarat arrives and starts shooting. Tee uses grenades to cause a distraction, while Dao engages in the gunfight. Rerk tries to hotwire a car, but finds it difficult to do so. During the firing, Tee gets hit by a bullet, and so does Dao. After Rerk starts the car, he successfully drives away from the scene, escorting both Tee and Dao to safety. Amidst all the confusion, Pae and Kid happen to wait near another branch of the Thai Bank, which indicates that Tee presumably fooled Pae.

Rerk and Dao stay loyal to Tee, which means that the former was trying to fool Jakarat. Dao, seriously injured, tells Rerk that she is worried. The duo takes her to Luang Por in order to save her and the child. Tee agrees even to accept death if it can guarantee the safety of the unborn child. The monk orders Tee and Rerk to leave, just as the cops begin to converge on the place. Leaving Dao with the monk, the duo escapes in the car. Jakarat and his men wait for the two on a highway. As the car approaches closer, Jakarat takes a firing position. Tee prays to the gods, and the duo starts firing. Jakarat manages to put a hole in the windshield of the car, piercing through to hit Tee in the neck. Despite this, the two criminals escape after crashing the cop cars.

They drive to an isolated spot, where Tee says that he will probably not make it. His injury seems to be too deep for recovery. Rerk gets emotional as his friend tells him he is glad to have him as a friend. Tee orders Rerk to shoot him and then go to take care of his child. In an emotionally difficult moment, out of mercy, Rerk kills his friend by shooting him. He is overwhelmed by emotion and leaves the car. The narrative makes it clear that Rerk’s actions were motivated by his sense of mercy for his dear friend.

Even if Rerk had chosen not to kill Tee, he would’ve eventually died or even been apprehended by Jakarat’s men. By killing his friend, Rerk actually ensures his peaceful death, negating torture and other miseries. Though his actions look suspicious at an earlier point in the narrative, Rerk proves that he is a true friend, not betraying Tee till the very end. Ultimately, Tee tragically dies, but also does so in his own way, as a free man.

Who Kills Rerk? Why?

After Tee’s tragic death, the situation changes for Rerk and Dao. At an earlier point in the narrative, Rerk hints that he wishes to leave Thailand and settle in Vietnam with Dao, hoping to lead a happy life. Despite his friend’s death, he still has some belief that his life can be better. He seemingly leads an idyllic life with Dao, as they prepare to head away on a train, most likely to a fresh future in Vietnam. However, their dream is destroyed by a tragic incident. Kid, mistakenly assuming that Rerk betrayed Tee, shoots him to death at a marketplace. This is one of the most shocking twists in the tale, which occurs at an unexpected moment. Whatever happened between Rerk and Tee in the car remains between them, with no one other than Dao possibly knowing the truth.

Though the story doesn’t make it clear, it can be presumed that Kid learnt about Tee’s death from radio broadcasts, which would have led him to believe that Rerk actually betrayed Tee in the final moments. Unaware of Rerk’s reality, he shoots him in broad daylight, bringing his adventurous life to a halt. Although Rerk tries to convince Kid that he is not guilty, the latter seems to be in a position to consider mercy. In conclusion, Rerk suffers a tragic death, despite being a loyal friend.

Does Dao Become a Mother? What Does Her Vision Signify?

Hearing the gunshots, Dao realizes that her lover is dead, which makes her life chaotic. All her dreams of starting a family with Rerk come to an end in an instant, leaving her alone. Dao leaves via train, towards an uncertain future. Though the movie doesn’t show whether she gave birth to a child, it can be presumed that she will eventually become a mother. She has most likely been treated by Luang Por, which would have saved her unborn child at an earlier point in the story. She desires to become a mother, but this will be a tough choice as Rerk is no longer around to help her. It is possible that she will move to Vietnam by herself and raise her child on her own. Once she boards the train, something poignant occurs in her mind.

She imagines Tee and Rerk to be on the train, hoping to escape their fates. The imagined men jump into the water from the bridge. They now live as memories in Dao’s mind, giving her strength. The larger point conveyed by the film in this particular context is that the two men will always be with her in spirit. Life has been harsh for Dao, as it has been for Rerk and Tee. She will most likely understand that they became criminals due to their circumstances and never intended to become ruthless killers.

Does Kid Die? Why is Pae Apprehended?

Rerk’s death comes at a great price for Kid, who is suddenly shot to death by Pae, who is still working for the cops. Kid never had clues about the people working in the shadows. His association with Pae becomes one of the most dangerous points in his life. Till his last moment, he remained unaware of Pae’s real nature. It is likely that Kid was just part of the collateral damage, or even a larger conspiracy by the cops to destroy everything related to Tee’s criminal empire. Since Kid would possibly hope to build a criminal empire from the ground up, it would make him a threat to the cops. Knowing about the tricks of the game and the trajectory of power, Pae preemptively handles the threat. This also doesn’t bode well for Pae. Other cops rush to arrest Pae, who insists that he is a cop himself.

Elsewhere, Jakarat burns the police files related to Pae, indicating that he has decided to treat him as collateral damage. Pae never assumed that he, too, would be a loose end in the larger picture. The cops presumably wanted to apprehend him, as he could potentially be a dangerous individual who holds valuable information about the secrets of the police. Ultimately, both Kid and Pae are just pawns in the larger game of power.

What Does Jakarat’s Voice-over Signify?

Weera, the superior officer, holds a press conference to honor the bravery of Jakarat and his men. Tee’s death becomes national news, making him even more popular. Jakarat, in a voice-over, says that he, too, has become a criminal in the process of hunting down a criminal like Tee. He also says that Tee’s death was his mistake, and that people will turn Tee into a legend by talking about his death. This is a poignant moment in the story, as it signifies the moral complexity of Tee’s death. Though the cop intended to do good for the country by apprehending and killing Tee, the real sacrifice made by him is that of battling with his conscience. Jakarat hurts people, tortures them, and even tries to break the friendships between people, just to apprehend Tee.

He realizes that the criminal element within him came alive due to his involvement in the investigation. His moral positions also shift during his continued involvement in the mission to end the reign of Tee and his gang. All in all, his voice-over reflects a darker and deeper truth about the nature of violence. Jakarat had no other option but to stop the robberies, which is why he too had to play deceptive games in order to win.