Don’t let others dictate your dreams. I’ve always been self-confident with lots of ideas. Even though I graduated with a law degree, I decided to work as an advertising creative before becoming a TV creative.

Create a job if you can’t find the right one for you. When I was 26, I realized that I wanted to be an event organizer but there was no such thing in Thailand. So I quit my job and founded Index Creative Village 23 years ago. I didn’t see it as a business; I just wanted to do it. I didn’t even know what to name my job!

You’ll never get a job if you don’t go looking for it. I spent months walking into companies and agencies to explain what services we could offer. The Nescafe Shake campaign in 1990 was the turning point for event marketing here and it built our reputation.

Never stop creating. That’s the key to success. There are tons of event companies now, so you must constantly improve and stay fresh.

Don’t make what you love most your profession. I love to play bass more than anything in this world and at one point I even dreamed of becoming a musician. But now I feel blessed that I didn’t make it my job. It might not have been so much fun forcing myself to play better and better.

Playing music is aesthetic. If you play for happiness, you can create happiness anytime. It’s real creative expression, too. And you can play by yourself or join with friends.

Kids these days have too many choices and they don’t know what they really like to do. My advice, choose what you never get bored of.

I never waste my time. I really value it. I always feel as though time flies so fast—I mean, we are already half way through the year!

I never think of myself as successful even though my company is listed as one of the world’s top seven events companies by USA’s Special Events Magazine. There are so many people who’ve achieved more than me, like my juniors at school, or Abhisit and Yingluck, who’ve both served as Prime Minister.

I always give myself new goals to reach. Next I aim to establish Index as one of the world’s top five events companies.

The AEC is already here. It’s not coming in the next couple of years. It’s already happened. We know that there’s more to the market than just us. We’re talking about a population all over Southeast Asia. But the question is, will we be the taker or the taken?

Thailand isn’t ready for the AEC at all. Thais know about the AEC, but don’t know what they have to deal with. It will be a real challenge for every country as each has their own language and it’s only really the Philippines, Malaysia and Singapore who are good at English.

If we want to be a leader, we must move first. That’s why we decided to launch our business in Myanmar since things opened up there. If you get in first, you have more choices. You can choose the best partners to get in the best position to go further.

It’s better to walk with the people who are just getting started than try to keep pace with those already running fast. Myanmar is just awakening compared to somewhere like China. But I’m sure Myanmar will be moving faster and faster in the next couple of years.

Do your research before taking the next step. We visited Myanmar in order to meet people and prepare properly. We knew that one day, when the country opened up, we would hit the ground running. That’s why we were trusted to hold events like the countdown and Ting Yan (Songkran), which were attended by hundreds of thousands of people, something the military regime had never allowed before.

Our ministers aren’t as smart as other countries’ ministers. I’ve talked to many ministers from many countries. Our ministers are picked for self-serving reasons.

I’m disappointed by our country in many ways. As I jet around the world, I wonder why, as a Thai, we aren’t considered as cool as other countries? Maybe it’s because Thais never admire Thais. It’s annoying to see Thais admire Japanese, Koreans or Westerners more than their countrymen.

My worst moment happened when we were running the Thailand Pavilion at the World Expo in Shanghai in 2010. We were trying to do branding for Thailand as Thais were burning their homeland. I felt so dispirited and so bad for holding a Thai passport.

Just do your job. When I saw people queuing up for three hours to get into the Thailand Pavilion, I realized you can’t change some things but you still have a part to play. I’m proud of this country. I’m a small person who tries his best for his nation.

We can create great things on a par with any country in this world if we put our mind to it. We must come together to create a better future for our country.

I really admire Walt Disney for his empire: his cartoons, studios and Disneyland theme parks. It’s marvelous! Every kid knows Mickey Mouse, but many of them have never seen a cartoon with him in it.

Always dreams of goals that are reachable. It’s better to view goals as stepping stones, so you don’t get tired and have the energy to keep moving forward.

When did you start playing music?
Pretty much since I was in my mother’s womb! My parents always made me listen to music and encouraged me to play the guitar. I nearly gave it up because it hurt my fingers, though. I also played at church where I picked up a lot of music tips.

How is your life after The Voice?
It’s completely changed. It transformed me from a white collar worker to a singer. I used to be quite against reality shows as I felt they didn’t reflect the real reality. But when I watched the US and UK version of The Voice, it blew me away. The competitors are all really talented. I just wanted to have a go when The Voice Thailand arrived.

What was life like before The Voice?
I was working as a marketing consultant after I graduated from economics at Thammasat University. I didn’t know how far I would go in The Voice, but my boss was kind enough to let me chase my dream by not firing me during my time on the show. In the end, though, I decided to quit my job to continue chasing my dream to become a singer. Now I’ve just released my first single, “Free Love.”

Was it a hard decision to dump your career?
Not really. I see myself as a young man who still has lots of energy to do the things that I really want to do. My family is also cool with this.

What do you think of Thailand’s music industry?
I want Thai people broaden what they listen to, to steer away from only Thai pop or luk tung. I think we need to encourage people to really appreciate the diversity of art more, and that includes music. For instance, the price of buying an album online is the same as buying two cups of Starbucks coffee. These songs can inspire you, so respect the songs by paying for them.

What’s next for you?
I want to express myself as a musician, not just some guy who got famous from The Voice. I will continue playing the music that I love. I’m also interested in the business side of things as I studied economics, which I see as the art of understanding your consumer. Marketing, too, is the art of convincing people to buy stuff without feeling that they have been tricked. I hope to use my knowledge of marketing to advance the Thai music industry. Rewat “Ter” Buddhinan is my idol for the way he revolutionized our music industry with GMM.

I’m fucking perfect. I’m good at art, management, PR and presentations. There is no defect in me.

My success has been very well-planned, down to the smallest detail. I planned to run away from home when I was just a painter for the theater at 14 years old, and I planned to get into Poh Chang College and then attend Silpakorn University. I did it all.

I always hit my targets faster than I plan to. I aimed to win the grand prize when I was in my fifth year of study—I got it in my fourth year. I planned to own my first house within five years—I got it in three. I planned to own a Mercedes in 10 years—I had it in seven. I planned to make B10 million in 15 years—I got it in 11.

Smart people don’t necessarily come from the best families. I came from a poor and broken home. I was like an animal in the jungle, willing to do anything just to survive.

Stupid people run away from a crisis, but smart ones don’t. I’ve succeeded since I was young because I dared to take on challenges. I’ve never met with failure.

It frustrated me so much that people would look down upon Thai art and blindly favor Western art when I studied at Silpakorn. I declared that one day I would take Thai art to the world stage.

To create greatness, you must make sacrifices. I kicked all my bad habits in order to succeed. The greatest victory is when you win over your own heart.

As an artist you must have a unique style and wide knowledge. It’s important to learn other skills such as marketing, psychology and networking, too. You can’t isolate yourself and just wait to be discovered anymore.

There’s too much failure inherent in Buddhism. Our under-developed religious teachings fail to get people to the core of Buddhism. The monks in charge of preserving Buddhism are also guilty as they create religious places without truly understanding the arts.

Not only do monks destroy old art, they create new pieces that are tasteless and worthless. It’s quite upsetting to see billions worth of gold and money turned into artless trash.

I’m one of the very best artists because I understand dharma and art. I wanted to invent a new artistic style dedicated to King Rama IX, so it had to be unique. That’s the reason I built Wat Rong Khun.

When you are rich and successful, it’s imperative that you go back and develop your hometown and country. I chose to build a temple in my hometown of Chiang Rai because I wanted to bestow it with greatness. Some foreigners have even called me the Antoni Gaudí of Asia.

Art is the treasure of humanity. Religion belongs to certain races, communities or countries but art belongs to everyone. Everyone can appreciate art. I create food for the soul of all humanity.

Relying on money from others restricts your freedom. That’s why I’ve never taken donations to build Wat Rong Khun. I’ve spent nearly B800 million in the past 18 years. I plan to work on it until I die and be cremated there, so that my supporters can continue to build it for the next 60 years.

Humanity is about goodness. I strip away my entire ego and am left with only mercy. That’s why I always give opportunities to poor farmers, drug addicts or drunkards who are willing to change their life to work at the temple.

We have so many silly singing contests, so I thought, why shouldn’t we have a reality show that encourages people to make art? For the first two seasons of Ton Silapa, I stumped up my own money for the grand prize as we couldn’t attract sponsors. This season we’ve got sponsors as I think more people are realizing the importance of culture and art in society.

Thai society is blind when it comes to aesthetics. It’s foolish when it comes to art and it doesn’t know the value of sensibility.

IQ-targeted education causes all sorts of problems for our country. It makes children compete to be the best and creates egos, whereas EQ [emotional quotient]-geared teaching also creates morals, ethics and goodness. We’ve ignored this side of things for such a long time and that’s why there’s so much corruption.

Culture is art and art is the most important tool to change this country. Thai people are so unsystematic, never caring about following the rules. I noticed that in developed countries kids are sent to art museums to get inspiration. It helps train their mind and learn to respect others. Imagination is the key.

Our teachers don’t understand art. The education reform concept of making students learn about local art is good, but the problem is teachers just don’t have the knowledge base.

If you see lots of beautiful art and truly understand it, you have found happiness. And when you’re happy, you won’t be tempted by corruption and try to exploit others. Instead, you will be a watchdog for your beloved country.

Humans can’t live without art. It helps you understand the world and be able to live happily. You don’t even have to buy it because art is everywhere; it’s in architecture, nature and even your imagination.

How did the movement start?
Wiratch: One of our friends who often drives past the Makkasan area noticed that the place is really lush and green. It’s like a jungle in the middle of town. So he decided to post a picture from Google Earth of the Makkasan area saying it would be great if we could turn it into a big park. It got nearly a thousand shares, so obviously a lot of people were thinking the same as us. We then decided to open the page “Makkasan Hope” (also titled in Thai: “We Want Makkasan to be a Park and Museum"). It’s now gained more than 14,000 likes.

Where is the movement at right now?
Suwit: We’re trying to get people to sign the petition for Makkasan Hope, and we’ve already got 10,000 signees. The petition will be sent to Transport Minister Chatchart Sittipan and SRT Governor Prapat Chongsanguan in order that our voices are heard. It would be ideal if we could get hundreds of thousands of people to sign the petition so the SRT and the government would really have to listen to what we have to say.

Why is this space so important?
Wiratch: Makkasan, along with Lumpini Park, are Bangkok’s lungs. Makkasan Pond also acts like our kidney as it collects waste and floodwater. If the area is developed into another concrete monstrosity, where will we find anywhere else like this?
Jatuporn: Makkasan is the final big green space left in inner Bangkok, and if we lose it to yet another complex, the consequences don’t bear thinking about. The Makkasan area is about one-and-a-half times bigger than Lumpini Park. Imagine if we could have a bigger version of that, where people could get close to nature right here in the city.

What’s next for Makkasan Hope?
Wiratch: It all depends on people coming out and saying that we want this park. The SRT claims they have a huge debt of about B100 billion and that they need to rent out the area for 100 years in order to get B200 billion to clear their debts as fast as possible. But we want to remind everyone who the real owner of the SRT is—and that’s us, the people. So the SRT should listen. We’re just doing our civic duty.
Suwit: The future of Bangkok totally hinges on what happens with the Makkasan complex. It’s so easy to put up new buildings in just a few months, not so easy to grow big parks with 100-year-old trees. What legacy will be left for our children in this city? Do you want only malls for them? This is our only chance to ensure a brighter future.

Sign the petition at www.change.org/MakkasanHope and follow their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/MakkasanHope

Computers were not a part of everyday life when I was growing up in Nakhon Sawan. It was all pen and paper. Computers were so expensive at that time and yet my dad managed to buy me one.

I became addicted to video games. But one day I realized I wanted to create a game rather than just play one. So I started reading magazines about this stuff and created a game while I was still in high school.

When you’re young you just have so much energy to create stuff. I built Exteen.com with my friend in three days while I was a sophomore at Kasetsart University. I saw a friend’s blog, on a foreign website, and I thought, I want to do this here. It was a great way for people to share their views with others.

Actually, a blog is even more fun than making games. With a blog or website, you get feedback in real time. There’s an art to making people become attracted to your blog.

Adapting fast is the key to growing fast. We delivered new functions to people on our blog as fast as possible. In some case, people would ask for something one day, and get it the next. That’s one of the reasons why we became well-known so quickly.

I just keep getting offered jobs, even though I’m not looking for work. I’m interested in many things so opportunities just keep knocking at my door. That’s how I became a cartoonist, a writer and now I’ll be a TV host for a travel show on TPBS, this June.

My new book Universao (Sad Universe) is about a boy exploring the universe in search of happiness.

Sometimes we have everything, just not happiness. That’s what I’m asking, what is happiness?

I think the best way to find happiness might be to just list the things that make you feel like time passes fast when you do them. Well, I haven’t found happiness, not exactly, but I’m at the point where I’m quite content.

I start things for fun. But then they always get pretty serious. It’s a bad habit of mine, even if it’s also good for me in a way. Like, I started Exteen.com for fun, as well as writing and drawing. And now I have at least five pages on Facebook with over 100,000 likes. It’s a headache to handle them all.

When there are too many people in one place, conflicts always arise. In the beginning, it’s so much fun to get people on your Facebook page. But then the page outgrows you, and it’s not such a fun thing anymore. I’ve had to deal with the police twice because of things people did on my blog platforms.

It’s quite stressful being online these days. There are many conflicts and lots of negative stuff. I choose to avoid those things as much as I can.

People are rarely the same online and in real life. Being semi-anonymous on the internet makes people have a bad mouth. The internet is the key to unlocking people’s true opinions, or their real character.

Social networks are designed to be interactive and instant. You increase those two things enough, and you get less and less reason.

Social networks are very special for Thais. It’s a space where they can express their opinions freely. But sometimes it’s too just too much. I feel some issues should just be discussed in private.

Safety. That’s what’s lacking online these days. Too many online victims, people who don’t know how to protect their identity, and people even getting in trouble with the police for things they do online.

Our internet laws are new and quite hard to cope with. Once, a person visited a factory and made negative comments about it online. The factory forced him to remove those comments. It makes you wonder, can’t we tell the truth?
When talking to people who have a different background from your own, or who think differently, you need to start by listening to them.

Things go too fast with the digital world. Try to slow down. The new trend is to take a ‘digital sabbath,’ when you vow to stay offline for a certain amount of time. It’s about breaking the addiction, just like when people go on meditation trips.

My dream is to create an alternative media on the internet. Many people want unproductive, uncreative things, so social media emphasizes these things—and it generates stress. But I want something that removes stress. I want something that enhances one’s creativity and reasoning.

Bangkok is like the internet. It’s like you are fed up with malls but you’re still going anyway. You feel better and brighter in the countryside but you still live in Bangkok. It’s convenient, and it has so much going on.

Change is good. Change is adapting, it’s reaching for balance, finding out what we like or don’t like. Failure is just a way to find out what you don’t really like.

It’s easier to fail than to succeed. Being lazy, selfish, ignorant—it doesn’t take any effort. But if you set your mind to work, that’s the push that drives success.

Tell us about your background?
I was born in Roi Et province where my parents were farmers. I really admired my dad’s cooking, so I dreamed of becoming a chef. But when I grew up, I decided to study tourism and hotel management and become a waiter.

How did you become a sommelier?
I was working at a steak restaurant and I noticed that people love to eat steak with wine, so I wanted to learn more. I mostly taught myself but I also went to some training programs that the hotel sent me to and got advice from many senior sommeliers. Within a year, I could distinguish between different types of wine. I tried to test as many varieties as possible by pooling money with friends in Phuket who were also sommeliers. Finally, I got a job at Anantara Phuket Villa’ Sea.Fire.Salt as a sommelier.

How do you go about pairing wine with food, especially Thai cuisine?
Finding the perfect wine is really down to personal taste. For me, Thai food is the most difficult to pair with wine because it contains so much depth of flavor. With wine pairings, I must consider the ingredients of the food, what type of meat, sauce, herbs and even how it is cooked. In the final round of Thailand’s Best Sommelier Competition 2012, I paired a white wine with gaeng massaman nue (thick peanut curry with beef) while others paired it with red wine as it contained beef. In my personal opinion, the curry is really heavy due to the coconut milk and beef, so it’s better to lighten it with white wine. It turned out to be the right decision in that competition.

How do you take care of your senses?
I still eat my favorite somtam poo plara as per usual, but I have to have it long before I start my daily work at the restaurant. I also avoid eating things that are too hot because it destroys my taste for a couple of days. I don’t put on strong perfume and I don’t smoke. I exercise to stay healthy because taking medicine also disturbs my senses.

What is your dream?
I want to be a restaurateur who specializes in wine. I want to manage a restaurant and make it famous for great food and great wine with the very best sommelier. I hope to do this in Phuket because I know this place better than anywhere else.
 

Supida Fakmeetong with Grace and Songkran

“Grace was rescued from dog traders in Nakhon Panom. She looked so depressed when I saw her at the shelter. Her ear and tail were cut off. Her eyes told it all, so I decided to adopt her. As for Songkran, he was hit by a car when he was just a puppy. A motorist thought he was dead and tried to drag his body off the road. He found that Songkran was still breathing, so he took him to the hospital and sent a photo to a group that helps dogs. I decided to adopt him right away. His left leg still can’t move fully, but he’s really active. I beg people to consider adopting these rescued dogs because they deserve better. People always have this misconception that a dog with a tough upbringing will be aggressive. This is not true. Just choose those that are well-behaved.”

Supkanya Tripwattana and Clay Hemmerich with Blackjack

“We met Blackjack in Soi Ari. At first we thought she was dead because she was lying on the ground and not moving. When we went to check, we noticed she was badly injured. We didn’t know what had happened to her. It was quite late at night so we decided to take her to the vet. They said she might have been hurt by a person, because there was no sign that she had been bitten by a dog or hit by car. We actually didn’t want another cat, but leaving her on the streets again wasn’t an option, so we decided to adopt her. She've gotten breast cancer too but she is fat and fine now.”

Arom Petcharat with Srithong

“Srithong was dumped by someone along with her kittens at an abandoned building. Her kittens died because they were hit by cars and attacked by dogs. One day, as she was running away from a dog, Srithong slipped from the third floor of a building. The fall paralized her. Someone found her and the Pantip.com community took her to the hospital and nursed her until she got a bit better. I decided to adopt her because otherwise she would die as she couldn't walk anymore. I still have to push her stomach twice a day to make her defecate.”

Jess Barnes and Sasithon Wattanasin with Daisy

“We once bought a dog from Chatuchak Market, a pug called Khaofang, before we realized that it’s bad to support such terrible businesses. When she died after being hit by a car, we knew we wanted a new dog and that this time it must be a stray one. We saw an ad that there was a shelter for dogs near a temple in Nonthaburi. We met Daisy and her siblings there, but we decided to take her because Sasy fell in love with her eyes. I named her after my grandmother. We just took her to get spayed to do our bit to help stop the stray dog problem. People love pets when they are young and cute. But the truth is, having a pet is a commitment for life.”

Korawee Sapmanee with Olive

“I saw Olive’s story posted on the Unidog page after she was rescued by Adopt Me Please. Olive had been abused by her previous owners. Her first owner abandoned her because their dorm didn't allow dogs. Then Olive lived with another guy who hit her when he was in a bad mood. When I visited her at the vet it was love at first sight! She’s the most loved in our family now.”

Thidarat Suwannarach with Thung Nil & Kamuk Kamua

“Thung Nil was a stray but then some people locked her up in a chicken coop because they thought she looked pretty and they didn’t want her to escape. My friend, Mae Ginny from Rak Maw, and I decided to rescue her after one of the other cats they had in there was eaten by a monitor lizard. As for Kamuk Kamua, she is the reason we don’t support buying pets from irresponsible breeders. The conditions at the American Shorthair farm where we found him were really terrible. They fed the cats dirty, old cat food and forced Kamuk Kamua’s mother to keep breeding all year round. When Kamuk Kamua was born, he had no patterns like his siblings, so the owner was going to let him starve to death. I couldn’t stand that so I bought all six kittens and I take care of all of them. I heard that the owner has stopped running the farm because she got colon cancer. It might be karma.”

Rungnapa Chan with Thongsuk

“I followed the Rak Maw project and saw that Thongsuk had been taken in suffering from feline distemper. He had diarrhea and some bleeding. It was a life or death situation for him. But he’s a real fighter! I decided to shelter him after he was released from hospital. But I fell in love with him. He really buttered me up. I’d just lost one of my cats, so thought it best to adopt another one in need.”

Tan Onwimon with Boobie and Audi

“I rescued Boobie from the expressway when I was driving home late one night about two months ago. I noticed him running along the road all by himself but I’d already passed him by. I felt I couldn’t let him run around in a dangerous place like that, so I decided to pay the toll twice to go back and find him. He was freaked out by me and ran out into the fast lane. I was freaked out too! I didn’t want to be responsible for him getting hit by a car, but it took me a while to persuade him to come with me. He now lives with my other four dogs. Another adopted one is Audi, who I got from Adopt Me Please. When I walked into the shelter, I asked them which one had been there the longest. They said Audi. He just sat in the cage unresponsively unlike the other dogs. It was like he knew he was never getting out of there. I didn’t what any dog to be like that so I took him home. He's really active now!”

Praorujee Kanthasorn with Omo

“Omo was abandoned at a temple. The Adopt Me Please people rescued him as he didn’t get along well with the other dogs there. He was too old to fight with the stronger dogs. He stayed at the shelter for eight months waiting for a new home. No one wanted him because he’s really mischievous, but my mom wanted a new companion for our old dog and she specifically wanted a fluffy-haired one. I showed her a picture of him and she said yes. He really gets along well with our Bang Gaew who is normally aggressive with others. We were surprised by this. They play all the time and love jumping in the pond.”

Orawan Assavavichai with Charlie

“I used to think it was better to adopt a young dog as it would love and obey you more than an older one. But Charlie made me realize that it isn’t true at all. He had been looking for a home for nearly a year after he was rescued from dog traders at Nakhon Panom. After I lost one of my dogs, I decided to go meet him at the shelter. Straight away he jumped up to me like he already knew me. After thinking it over for days, I decided to adopt him. He gets on well with my two dogs and really, really loves me. Maybe he’s just grateful to have gotten a second chance. He’s blind in one eye and has already been through a lot. I advise people to not just choose a dog just because they are cute. There are so many ones in need—they just need a warm home.”

Tanyapat Kitipaisalnon with Pla Ngern

“Pla Ngern’s mom lived at a massage shop, but when the owner moved they just left her behind. When the new contractor came to renovate the place, they poisoned the cats. We were only able to rescue Pla Ngern and Pla Thong. Unfortunately, Pla Thong didn’t survive. Now Pla Ngern lives with me, my one other cat and three dogs. They all get along very well.”

2 Magazine with Tuna

“Tuna was found in the driveway to 2 Magazine's townhouse office a little over a year ago before he was taken in by girls in the office. Some staff tried to take him home but their places wouldn’t allow pets. So Tuna is now a permanent part of our office, and even has his own column in the magazine where he interviews other celebrity Bangkok cats.”

Nattaporn Achasappawat with Sasay

“Sasay stayed at a temple and was barely surviving on scraps from a nearby khao man gai vendor. When Mae Ginny [from Rak Maw] took her in, she had parasites, an eye infection and inflamed gums. But after he was treated for three months, I decided to take him home with me.”

Chanantida Khaocharoen with Namtal

“Namtal was a stray dog in Nakhon Pathom when she was hit by a car, which shattered her pelvis. It was feared she would never walk again. She was in hospital for a long time, then adopted. I don’t know what happened there, but soon she was in need of another home. My sister, who lives in Australia, followed the Unidog page and called me to say I should adopt Namtal. She was so skinny when she came to us and scared of everything. Luckily we have many dogs who helped her adapt and now her legs are much better as she runs around every day.”

Tom Van Blarcom with Zippy and Co.

"We have seven dogs now. At one point, we were up to 12. It just sort of happened. Zippy was dumped on the soi, with a cut so deep you could see the bone. Then a friend called us about a litter of soi dogs on their soi. Then one got pregnant, and we kept three of those, placed two in the US.  Another one I just saw in a soi, she'd been hit by a car and her hip was shattered. So we got her fixed up and kept her. Then I found one in the middle of Rama 3. I had to get a cop to stop traffic to catch her. She was pregnant and she gave birth to three more puppies. I kept one and Soi Dog Foundation placed the other two. All our dogs sleep in the bedroom, but my husband put an end to them sleeping with me in the bed."

Where to Adopt

Unidog
[email protected], www.facebook.com/unidog
Rak Maw: Generosity for Stray Cats
[email protected], www.rakmaw.com and www.facebook.com/catroompantip
Adopt Me Please, Rescued from the Dog Meat Trade
[email protected], http://on.fb.me/ZmIMbT
Doglike.com: Just Share For A Home
02-860-1142 ext. 52, http://bit.ly/WgUGXX
Home for Handicapped Animals Foundation
02-584-4896, 02-961-5625, www.home4animals.org
Thai Animal Guardians Association
02-373-2886, 02-728-1658, www.thaiaga.org
Dog Chance
02-258-7097, www.dogchance.com
Soi Dog Foundation
081-788-4222, [email protected], www.soidog.org
SOS Animals Thailand
086-303-9806, [email protected], www.facebook.com/SOS.Animals.Thailand
The Voice for Animal
085-912-2777, www.facebook.com/thevoiceforanimals
Pueng Khang Tanon
086-602-3482, www.facebook.com/midroadlover
Dog Nation Team
www.facebook.com/dognationteam
We are finding home for dogs
081-702-2708, 081-868-9521, www.facebook.com/WeAreFindingHomeForDogs

Playing guitar was considered fucking cool when I was teenager. That’s why I started playing guitar at 14 and I’ve never looked back.

You must take your passion seriously to make a living from it. My life as a musician didn’t get off to a good start, as I always got fired for not playing well enough. But I made up my mind to really make it as a professional, so I formed a band with some older friends called The President.

My involvement with Carabao was borne out of frustration. I went to see them play at a pub and asked [Carabao frontman] Ad to play their song “Lung Khee Mao” but the owner wouldn’t let them play Thai songs. I thought, is this Thailand or some other country? Why can’t Thai bands play Thai songs? We reacted angrily by kicking over some chairs. That was 30 years ago.

I love working on solo albums. Working with a large group of people, like in Carabao, inevitably leads to some conflict, which is necessary to make our music the best it can be. I keep whatever has been turned down by the band for my own personal work. It’s an escape for me.

I feel a close bond with all my guitars, as if they had feelings. I gave my favorite one to my son, but he just hung it on the wall. Recently, Hard Rock Café approached us about an exhibition of Carabao guitars. I asked my son about it and he said I could give that one away, which hurt me. I wrote a song called “My Guitar” as a tribute before donating it last month.

Real life is more fun than fiction. No two lives are the same. The Young Bao movie scriptwriters tried to twist my story, but I made them change it three times so that it stayed true to reality.

Writing books is my favorite hobby. My next one’s going to be pretty risky as it’s going to be a tell-all about my adulterous past. I had to confess all this to my wife, who’s already forgiven me. I now feel clean.

I don’t want to create the illusion that my family is always happy. I always tell the truth about my bad behavior to my friends who later slip some stories to my wife.

I really respect my wife for her patience and her perspective on life. She knows me best. Now I dedicate my life to her. I bring her with me everywhere, whether Thailand or abroad. She deserves this.

Live life according to your age. As a young musician, I gallivanted all over the place. Now, as I’m getting older, I just want to sit at home and do gardening. I hope to lead a peaceful existence some growing fruit and vegetables at home.

Teenagers would rather listen to their friends than their parents. I used this knowledge to my advantage when my son was in high school. He always argued with his mom because he played too many video games and it was affecting his grades. I called his girlfriend and told her that if she wanted to be with him, she had to make him study harder and play fewer games. It worked! He became the top student in his class.

Blocking kids from doing stupid things doesn’t help them learn. We should talk with them openly so that they know what the consequences of their actions might be, then let them decide whether they can live with it or not.

If you achieve your dreams, don’t go looking for more. As Ad says in this song he wrote, “Talay Jai,” life is like tuning the radio. I’ve already found my frequency, I don’t need to go any further.

I’m pretty much retired, but I still love hitting the road to go on tour. I’ve found my happiness, so I’m never tired when it comes to doing what I love.

I try to be as fit and healthy as I can. I used to carry all sorts of heavy stuff and it nearly broke my back. I feared that I wouldn’t be able to move and that this would affect the band.

Lam Morrison is my idol. Though there are many great guitarists all over the world, he is number one in Thailand. It’s so cool to see him play live. He inspires me to play better. I hope I can jam with him someday.

I love wearing straw hats everywhere I go. It’s just so comfortable as Thailand’s weather is really hot. One of my hats even raised more than B300,000 for charity. It just so happened that one of my fans gave me a 50 euro tip, which I decided to put it in my hat that I had placed on the floor—the donations kept coming. Finally, I put that hat on a Buddhist altar!

You don’t need to be clever all the time, just don’t do stupid things. That’s enough.

Life is like Russian roulette. Everyone should realize that we are all lucky. Earth could be hit by a meteor at any hour, so simply living is the most important thing.

How did you become the advisor of the property?
I designed landscapes for the Siam Square 1 project which is under construction, so I had the chance to meet the management team, who invited me to become their landscape advisor to oversee the Siam Square area.

What’s the most exciting thing about Siam Square 1?
We want to make public spaces as useful as possible. Siam doesn’t really have much green space. It’s all concrete. So I decided to incorporate green space into the building; there will be a lot of open space as well as a rooftop that’s all green with grass. I hope it will open later this year, as scheduled.

What’s next for Siam?
Siam is really old now. It was built 50 years ago without any idea that it would become so popular, filled with hundreds of thousands of people coming to visit the big malls every day. So now we plan to transform Siam under the three pillars of Urban Space, Green and Social Art to better facilitate the flow of people. Siam has no public space where people can gather for a purpose other than shopping or parking their cars, so we aim to make Siam an open art museum by inviting artists to show their works and encouraging people to express themselves. We want to make Siam dynamic 24/7.

What do you think about the criticism that Chulalongkorn is developing the area purely for money?
I think it’s quite unfair. I oversee the Siam area, and I can say it’s really old, both in terms of design and construction. The structures of some shophouses are built from wood that has deteriorated, and Bangkok is sinking every year. Is it to safe to let things stay like that? With the development, we aim to best meet the urban needs of people. The Siam Square 1 project, with its green roof and low maintenance, won’t be cheap at all, but we decided to do it because people desperately need more green spaces here. As for Uthentawai, I’m not sure what’s next for them.

What about conservation in the future?
I’m not sure I’m in the position to comment as I’m just an advisor. But as someone who spent tons of time here as a teenager, I see Siam as a box of memories for everyone. There are all the good times and the bad, like when it was burnt down three years ago, but it’s still there. A theater like Scala is beautiful architecturally, but not so much a place like Lido. This is something we need to examine closely: couldn’t we just create a place that offers cheap screenings but is more appealing to look at?

Studying a summer arts course at Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design opened me up to the world of fashion. I was lucky to realize what I loved when I was in the 11th grade.

Take your opportunities. I wasn’t the best student but I believe I was more diligent than most Western kids. My English couldn’t compare, but I put all my effort into creating a portfolio which landed me the chance to study fashion print design at Saint Martins.

Studying abroad doesn’t mean you’re better than anyone else, but it does help you explore the world at large. There’s so much to be learned and it also teaches you to be tougher as you have to be on your own.

If you start building a brand, you won’t have time for yourself. Or so I was told when I graduated. So I decided to come back and work as a fashion writer at Sudsupda Magazine. I really enjoyed that job.

If you don’t constantly use your skills, they will disappear. I found that I wasn’t able to design or be as creative as I was when studying. So I packed my bags to go learn more about marketing as an intern with [designer] Jill Stuart, who I still admire greatly today. It’s incredible how she made her New York-based brand so popular in Japan. So cool!

Affronts always add fire to my desire. They push me to prove myself.

My acquaintances warned me I shouldn’t start a fashion brand as the economy was so bad. They said I should just help out with my family businesses. But I told my family that I had already planned out what I wanted to do.

I didn’t know anything about running a fashion house four years ago. I didn’t even know how to make barcodes! Luckily I had great support from my friends in the fashion industry who were always there to help me.

An artist must be unique, but not a businessperson. If you make the most fabulous clothes but they don’t sell, that’s a failure. I try to balance the art and business sides of me.

Studying fashion is so trendy now. I’m happy that a new generation wants to learn more about it, but as I occasionally lecture at universities, I find that many of them just study fashion because they want to follow the trends.

It’s true that rich kids have the money to launch fashion labels, but, honestly, money only goes so far. If you don’t really concentrate on your branding or people don’t like your designs, you won’t last long.

Taking care of your colleagues is just as important as marketing. It’s hard to make everyone see the same picture and love the brand as you do, but I see the people who work with me as my family members, and that’s why they stick by me.

I get excited every time a new collection of mine hits stores. It’s proof of all my efforts, whether customers like my clothes or not. It’s hard to believe I have put out nearly 10 collections already.

The government and law enforcers must be decisive in cracking down on fake products. It really upsets me that I have to spend my own money to hire a special team to track down vendors who sell counterfeit versions of my products. It’s a real headache.

Cocktails are the inspiration for my new collection, Lady to Drink. There’s no right or wrong in mixing cocktails. I love drinking vodka cranberry, which suggests that despite appearances I’m not such a sweet girl. When you look at a cocktail, it might look sweet, but hidden away are other flavors.

I’m proud when I see women inspired by my clothes. My customers are all so pretty, from teenagers to young moms who love to dress up. They often surprise me with the fabulous ways they mix and match my clothes that I don’t even think of.

Social media empowers Thai girls to express their sense of fashion. They can share their own dynamic identity with anybody in the world. Some people used to question why Thai girls all dressed the same—not anym ore.

I enjoy surfing on waves of change. I get bored with things easily and always love to explore new things.

Apart from being a designer, I’m a real shopper as well. I can’t wear my own clothes all the time. As I live with them all year long, there must come a point where I get fed up.

Being alone is freedom. I really loved living in New York. I could go anywhere, do anything and didn’t have to stress about have too many responsibilities. I know it’s hard right now but I plan to go back to New York soon, to rekindle some of those feelings.

I want to expand my creative space. My studio today is pretty small and it crushes many of my ideas. It would be nice to have access to a big studio like I used to have at Saint Martins.

Dressing up always makes you feel good. You may not be able to change the world, but you can make yourself feel better by dressing up. Just remember to stick to your budget.