How long have you been a coffee street vendor?
It’s been five years now. I am from Phangnga, but I started earning a living in Bangkok by selling roti. Then I began selling coffee and drinks at yellow shirt gatherings and protests.

Why did you name your stall Starbung?
I’ve used this logo for a year and a half. At first my stall had no name, then I asked someone to design a logo for me. One day, two of Starbucks’ lawyers came to inform me through a cease-and-desist letter that I was violating the chain’s copyright. I was shocked. I told them that if the two logos are really so similar then I will take mine down, but I’ll have to talk to my lawyer first. I am prepared to make a stand.

What is your family’s present financial situation?
I have six children, one of whom has moved out to get married. My second daughter is studying and I still owe the school’s B5,000 fee. I also have a debt of around B40,000 with a loan shark. How can I pay all this if I only make around B400-500 per day? Everything’s getting more and more expensive. Thankfully, people sympathize with me. Some now know about me from the news and I guess I have to thank Starbucks for helping me make more money.

What do you make of the copyright infringement claims?
Sure, my logo may look like theirs, but I don’t see it as being totally the same. I haven’t copied them. My logo has its own identity. And it’s green because the color has always had a special significance for Muslims like me. I’m dejected that a huge multi-national company should choose to take this action. They are like a giant treading on a tiny toothpick—what would happen if the toothpick stood up and stabbed the sole of their foot? It might backfire and some people might turn away from Starbucks. It’s normal for me to feel tired of vending, but on top of that now I have all this trouble that just seems nonsensical to me.

What will you do if they win the case?
I will change my logo. I will respect the decision of the court, but for now I’m not going to make any changes. If they win I will even give them my stall and go buy a new one to continue vending here as I’ve always done. But if it’s just their word against mine, I won’t do anything. I don’t even know why they warned me. I haven’t done anything wrong to them. Personally, I think they might be hiding something.

Any final words for the plaintiff?
Stop persecuting me please. I’m just a poor guy, selling coffee on the street. Fair enough if I was the founder of a big business with many branches and posed a threat to their business—but I don’t even come close to making 10% of what one Starbucks branch makes in a day.