I found my love in music through praying. I was in a Buddhist school and we prayed after lunch every day. Though it was monotonous, it sounded like a song and felt so peaceful. Music also combines silence and rhythm.
I was so shy as a kid. I think music gave me more confidence. If you want to sing, you have to be confident to perform well.
The only thing that makes a good singer is practice. I have one goal and it’s to keep practicing. It’s necessary for stage performers to ward off nervousness and fear of doing something you’ve never done before.
I think we all are gifted because each of us has a voice. Maybe it’s just that not all of us have learned to use it well.
I don’t think I am that gifted, but I really love music and I have the patience to keep with it. When I won a prize at the 1989’s Nissan Award, I was terrible. But they told me, “It’s good to know you are really patient and are trying to make something from what you like.” Maybe that’s why they chose me.
After that competition I decided to go to the Faculty of Fine and Applied Arts and majored in classical music. It was painful but it was also a good learning experience.
At Berklee they taught us how to make a living out of something we loved. While there, I learned about contemporary music, soul, blues, jazz and R&B.
To be a singer, you need more than just skill—you have to be able to manage yourself.
The voice is the best musical instrument. You don’t have to buy any equipment; all you need to do is just take care of yourself. It’s good for your health, too.
I don’t regret all the money I spent on studying music at all. If we have money, we should spend it on the things we love. We can’t take money with us when we die.
Experience is something you can’t buy; but studying is something money can give you time for.
I think it’s better to sing for people who appreciate music. I like singing for people who want to listen to my kind of music because they are more attentive to what you are doing.
Still, it’s fun to sing for the masses. They welcome you like one of their family. Even when they are not all positive, they still make me happy.
Singers and musicians are thankful for every baht you spend on us. It allows us time to practice. We are very honored when you come to listen to us.
I only like the funk songs on my albums. The other songs I don’t really think are me. Half of my albums are what the record company wants me to perform because they want the album to be commercial. The other half is songs that I like.
Everybody says, “If you are rich, you can study music.” That’s something we need to fix. I am running a free workshop for teenagers at Centerpoint with Music Clay on the weekends. I’m now at the point where I can help, even if it’s just a little bit.
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One year everyone is going to Paris, the next year Bali, then Korea—what will be the next “it” destination? What about accommodation: Will we be roughin’ it in backpacker hostels or livin’ it up in luxury? And will it be planes, trains, boats or cars as our preferred means of transportation? We were curious, so we asked a few travel professionals and journalists to look into their crystal balls (globes) and tell us what to expect this year.
Smaller-scale, fashionable and smartly designed, boutique hotels are mushrooming all around the Land of Smiles. For frequent travelers who have grown tired of the cookie-cutter chain hotels, and for a generation that places a premium on style and individuality in all aspects of their lives, these are just the ticket.
According to the Tourism Authority of Thailand’s Best Boutique Hotels online guidebook, there are now 558 hotels in the “boutique” category across the country. (Most experts would probably cut that number in at least half, however. See “Is it the Size That Matters?” next page.) From Hua Hin’s hippest restaurant, Let’s Sea, which now offers not just food, drinks and a great place to chill but also a classy place to crash, to the Dusit group with D2, their trendy residence in the heart of Chiang Mai. Major international chains already have this segment covered: It won’t be long before Bangkok sports a W, joining Dream, the Eugenia, Luxx and all the rest.
The strong point of such hotels is their style, which meets with the demands of a younger clientele who are bored with the same standard vibe and feel chain hotels have to offer. Today’s travelers enjoy a more intimate, private setting, but set in the busy heart of a city. “For the same reason you don’t want to go to McDonald’s all the time, you want something with distinct features, something individualized. That’s when boutique hotels come to mind,” Sirima Eamtako of the travel trade newspaper TTG Asia, explains.
According to Surapol Vuttivakinsakul, Brand Manager of Asian Trails, a regional tour company with offices in Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos and elsewhere, the boutique trend hit Thailand several years ago and will continue to grow over the next two to three years. “We are still in the beginning of the trend. This year there are nearly 20 new boutique hotels in Chiang Mai alone, which attract quite a large amount of tourists. But compared to Hong Kong, which is much more advanced than us in this area, there are many things we can improve to catch up, and one of them is service.”
Internationally, 2007 will see the opening of hundreds of “boutique” properties all over the world, most notably by corporate chains. Examples include the 85-room Hotel Indigo in Columbus, Ohio, by the InterContinental Group, Aleenta Soliel D’Or Seychelles and the 77-room Diamant Hotel Sydney by Eight Hotels Australia.
In Thailand, TCC Land is planning a 300-room boutique hotel renovated from the old Imperial Impala on Sukhumvit 24; Siam Motors Group is renovating the Siam Hotel on Phya Thai Road into a 209-room boutique hotel; and there is a nifty 40-room property going up on the corner of Sukhumvit Soi 16, called Maduzi (“have a look” in Thai: ma doo si) which will open next year.
Isn’t it nice to swim in a stream all your own—or at least a pool? Pool villas are all the rage these days and they will become a major feature in even more 4- and 5-star hotels in 2007. Perfected by the Banyan Tree and Six Senses, pool villas offer not just a private place to splash around but more importantly matchless high-end luxury. Of course, you miss out on the hot body contest poolside, but that’s just the way it goes. You could always slum it at the common pool when you need a little eye candy. But that would be missing the point: Pool villas are for couples.
Prices start as low as B5,000 and run up to hundreds of thousands of baht per night; most are in the B10,000-20,000 range. For that, guests in a pool villa can expect a higher level of service, with amenities such as butler service, in-villa dining, in-villa spa treatments, afternoon tea and more.
The same sort of people who once stayed in suites now overwhelmingly choose pool villas (which are often suites). The 5-star guest will always choose what is more exclusive or fun, and pool villas are both. “Suites are boring,” agrees Pongpet Mekloy, the editor of the Bangkok Post travel section Horizons.
“Pool villas will grow more and more as they continue to attract both rich locals and foreigners,” Surapol says. “Compared to abroad, pool villas in Thailand are an especially good deal. For the most part pool villas here are cheaper, bigger and nicer in terms of ambiance.”
At the newly opened Putahracsa Resort Hua Hin, the owner Velvadi Sritrairatana is in the process of adding pool villas. They will be ready for guests around March next year. “I’ve seen increased demand for pool villas since I was in the planning stages of the resort. And today many guests, mostly Thai, Korean and Japanese, ask me a lot about our future pool villas,” says Velvadi.
One Thai destination that is expected to attract more travelers than ever before in 2007 is Pattaya. From Suvarnabhumi Airport, tourists can drive to Pattaya within an hour and a half. For Bangkokians, a new highway is being constructed for an even faster drive, expected to be finished early to mid next year.
Money has been pouring into Pattaya and the city has benefitted greatly. Its infrastructure is much improved, and it now sports a tourist bus service. The beachside walkway has been cleared and the beach umbrella and lounger scene is well-organized. Even though Pattaya beach will never be as it once was, or even a genuine rival of Patong, the facelift has made it look a lot better. Those who haven’t been to Jomtien recently will be surprised by its fresh new look, as well.
“There are more people and it looks more lively,” says Kanjana, 53, a bar owner in Jomtien, of the beach. “It’s also a lot cleaner and all the umbrellas are in good order. Sellers dress a more neatly and it’s now OK to look at again.”
What really signalled the change in Pattaya’s fortunes was the arrival of the international hotel chains. These include Amari, Sheraton, Marriott and Mercure. InterContinental will soon join the mix in Pattaya with its InterContinental Resort Pattaya, to be opened later this year, followed by Le Meridien Pattaya Resort in the beginning of 2009.
The most frequent international destination for Thais will still most likely be China. It’s a large country rich with culture and most importantly (let’s be honest here) cheap goods. In 2006, travel to China from Thailand was up 26.54% from 2005. And it’s said that over the next decade, China will be the second most popular vacation spot in the world, after the US.
Sirima, the TTG reporter, says that the main reason for China getting the most attention from Thai travelers is that Thais are very still cost-conscious. “What I’ve learned is that 50% of Thais consider a trip by the cost. Most of them will get on a three-day/two-night journey for around B20,000. So China has the most potential for its low cost travel. While going to Japan or Korea will cost about B35,000-40,000.”
The hype surrounding the Beijing Olympics in 2008 will contribute to the increasing popularity of China as a holiday destination. US airlines know this, and they are bidding for non-stop flights to the mainland—Northwest, United, American and Continental. Chain hotels are marching in, as well, with Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide leading the pack. Rumor has it that budget airline AirAsia will have routes to China next year.
Speaking of AirAsia, the hottest kind of transportation in 2007 will without doubt be low cost airlines. They’re cheap, they’re accessible and in some cases you can even pay for flights at 7-Eleven. The initial fear that the wings of low-cost carrier planes would fall off mid-air has worn off and people are heartily embracing this mode of travel.
OAG, a global travel and transport information company, reports that the number of low-cost airlines has more than doubled in just five years. In Thailand, AirAsia has almost doubled its passengers from 1.6 million in 2005 to 2.4 million this year. And between January and September 2006, Nok Air’s passenger count increased 20.7%.
Accordingly, low cost airlines are expanding their routes. You can now fly to Sydney and Cairns with Jetstar, to Hanoi with AirAsia, to Krabi with One-Two-Go, and next year, to the moon with Nok Air (no kidding—see “Out of This World,” page 23).
Just because you can’t afford a seat in business class doesn’t mean you have to be miserable. Expect more and more airlines on more and more routes to offer premium economy class. This trend began in the US in 1999 and has expanded to Europe and other countries, including Thailand.
EVA is well-known for its premium economy, and you can now enjoy the added comfort on flights operated by British Airways, Air France, Air New Zealand, China Southern and even Thai Airways.
Though not exactly “cheap,” it’s nowhere near as expensive as business class. Those who are willing to pay a little bit more can stretch out and relax in bigger and wider seats, with more legroom, on-demand entertainment systems, a larger luggage allowance and many other privileges—some airlines even include pre-flight Champagne. A seat in the Premier Economy Class of British Airways will cost you around B34,870 (taxes and surcharges not included) from Bangkok to London, compared to B20,361 for standard cattle class.
Travel agents aren’t happy, but one of prime drivers of growth in the travel industry is the internet. More people are using the internet to plan and book their trips. In the case of low-cost carriers, online booking is the only way to secure those amazingly cheap fares you see advertised everywhere. Even major carriers offer internet-only rates.
Many hotels are doing the same, inviting internet geeks to visit their websites for cheaper internet rates. Dusit Best Rates guarantee that it’s cheaper than any rate you can find online, for example.
Great deals can also be found on third-party sites, such as the popular asia-room.net. At the site, you can get a B1,540 deal for single room at Central Duangtawan Chiang Mai, versus the hotel’s rack rate of B1,700.
Kattiya, 29, used www.hotelsthailand.com to get a room at Casa del Mare in Hua Hin. “I paid only B2,850 per night, while the rate the hotel quoted me was more than B4,000.”
More and more tech-savvy young people, especially, will be turning to the net instead of a travel agent. “Travel agencies will need to adjust to new technology to stay alive,” Sirima from TTG points out. As travel planning becomes increasingly self-service, it will be a case of adapt or die.
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I’ve just finished my turn, the solo experimental show Notice at Patravadi Theater, and am flying to Brazil to help my A L’Abordage friends in the carnival parade at the end of February.
I have been with Patravadi Theater almost 10 years now. Working backstage for many years gave me useful skills in lighting and sound.
Kru Lek (Patravadi Mejudhon) taught me to mix acting into the dance skill that I’ve learned. It has helped expand my range.
Ballet is a fixed art—it’s classic.
I feel better when watching performances without whipped cream or sugar, like the previous performance of String of Fragmentation at Patravadi. Audiences can get the message right away without any unnecessary makeup.
I like conceptual work. I teach my students to convey a message to the audience without them having to read the written program. I want to convey things that people can understand.
Conceptual performance forces you to think and relate the idea to your own life. In contrast, a musical is like watching someone else’s life.
I’ve learned a lot in my seven years working on the ASEAN Flagship Performing Arts Tour. Most of the other artists are masters in their field in their country and they helped teach me, as the youngest kid on the tour.
The best thing I got out of it is the way to manage myself—how to preserve my energy, how to warm up and how to be consistent in every show. It’s what I had never been taught in school or learned from books, and it’s the most important thing for every performer.
Teaching is hard in a way because sometimes teachers don’t know the limits of their students. We cannot set our ability as the standard for them. Many choreographers have the same problem.
Young dancers nowadays are very good. They have very good basic skills, so I don’t teach them how to dance but how to be a performer. What I do is try to bring the best in them out on stage.
I believe that in four or five years, there will be a dance company in Thailand. There are many quality dancers now and soon they will be ready to set another level for Thailand’s performing arts.
Part of this growing trend stems from the fact that there are more dance schools that don’t just teach students how to be a presenter or a pretty.
I like performing more than teaching. I do my show once a year to reset my program. It’s a yearly reminder of how much I like to dance and a test of whether I’ve been too influenced by the styles of other people I’ve worked with.
My body is continuously getting hurt—it’s something that happens to every ballet dancer. I have to find a way of life and style of dance that allows me to stay on stage for another next ten or 15 years.
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I’ve never tried to create a strange or unique image. Let people think what they like. Those who know me know better.
I never think of adopting anyone’s singing style. If I listen to a song, I will try to find a way to sing better than the singer, in my own way.
I search for my way of singing from what I have—trying to challenge myself with how to use my voice on another level.
The most important thing is to have faith and promise to yourself you will never copy anyone. Only that will lead you to the confidence to create your unique voice.
The ones who don’t know me have a fixed idea of what I would be like. Many think, with my look, that I smoke and drink. Honestly I don’t do either.
Many people say they don’t know what I sing and they aren’t used to the way Sukie mixed the vocal sound to be almost inaudible. That’s why I write a guide of how to listen to my albums in the CD covers.
You have to change the way you listen to music. Think of classical or instrumental music—you don’t know its content but you know that it feels slow or fast, sad or happy, dim or lively. Don’t think of the lyrics; practice your sense of listening.
I change my singing style on every album. It’s like a memoir of my journey in the past year.
Many thought I would be extreme and wouldn’t be able to do something commercial. But I can, to earn a living, do things like TV commercial singing. I just have to make it clear to myself that those jobs aren’t mine and I’m just an employee.
Frankly, my CDs don’t earn me much money. I just want to create a cycle; I sell my album to gain some money to do the next one.
I don’t expect to get rich making music.
I am sufficient with what I do. I want to grow 20 degrees at a time, bit by bit. So that if I fall, it won’t be too high to climb up again on my own legs. I want to grow and blossom gradually in my way.
I am so annoyed that Thai students have to wear short ear-level hair. Some teachers are mental enough to cut the students’ hair. I don’t see how hair is relevant to studying.
The last time I had a haircut was 19 years ago.
I don’t know when I started to think about other religions and why no adults ever asked me what religion I wanted to be. I started to find out more about other religions and ended up being a Hindu.
At the end of my life when I don’t have anything left, famous or not, I will still have the voice in my soul that can take me to God, to Nirvana. That’s why I was born a chanter.
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You have your own bed, but there are still many reasons to explore the mushrooming world of small and boutique hotels around Bangkok: You might want to find a nice room for your visiting friends, or perhaps you need a place for inspiration, escape or a dirty weekend. Here are four to consider.
A true boutique hotel with just five rooms, Arun Residence (36-38 Soi Pratoo Nok Yoong, Maharat Rd., 02-221-9158) sits on the edge of (and partly over) the Chao Phraya, directly across from Wat Arun, and it’s set up to take full advantage of the view. Three of the four regular rooms have big windows onto the river, and with double-height ceilings and cozy sleeping lofts, they maintain a balance between airiness and privacy. (The walls are a bit thin, though.) The romantic Arun suite, which occupies the entire third floor, has a good-sized private deck. The décor is earthy and understated, with polished cement walls, lots of wood and all-white bed linens, but there are touches of luxury in all the right places (like beautiful, modern bathrooms, DVD players and free wireless throughout the building). The two-level, mostly alfresco restaurant, The Deck, serves high-end Western and Thai food at reasonable prices (about B100 for most Thai dishes, B650 for foie gras).
Standard room: B2,950
Arun Suite: B4,700 (all prices include taxes and continental breakfast)
You see Tata Young set the room on fire in her music video, but you’ll be glad to know that the rooms here are still safe and sound, right in the heart of the city. Dream (10 Sukhumvit Soi 15, 02-254-8534, www.dreambkk.com), is sister to Dream New York, and appropriately mixes glossy American and Thai influence in its high-ceiling lobby lounge. All 101 of the rooms are equipped with everything you could wish for, including high speed broadband internet access, Egyptian cotton sheets and blue “therapy light,” which supposedly encourages a deep, restful sleep. Its Flava restaurant is nice and chic, as long as you can afford B600 pad thai. Doesn’t that sound just like the kind of place Tata would love to stay?
Standard room: US$180 (B6,708)
Dream Suite: US$295 (B11,090)
It’s hard to resist falling in love with The Eugenia (267 Soi Sukhumvit 31, 02-259-9011, www.theeugenia.com) at first sight. Just a glance at the British-Indian decoration and the first thing that comes to mind is that “it’s not a hotel.” Feeling more like the residence of an English gentleman who cherishes the charm of the Orient, The Eugenia will make you feel like a guest invited to join an afternoon tea and spend a night resting in a nice comfortable room specially prepared to welcome an old companion back home. Limited to 12 suites, it ensures your privacy. Although decorated with antique furniture, all rooms are equipped with full facilities. Wifi, mini bar and UBC cable TV are provided. Downstairs, they have a cozy cafe, swim-able pool (if you don’t mind the neighbor construction site) and lounge serving you various cocktails (including its signature, The Eugenia at B280).
Sawasdee Suite: B5,800.
The Eugenia Suite: B6,200.
Like a lost city, the three-star boutique hotel is hidden from those who don’t look for it. With Top’s Supermarket on the first floor and the hotel sign hanging among thousands of others on Yaowarat Road, Shanghai Inn (479-481 Yaowarat Rd., 02-221-2121, www.shotw.com/shanghai-inn) sits on the fourth and fifth floors of the old Yaowarat Square. The designer hotel blends modern amenities with traditional Chinese touches. The 51 superior rooms and four junior suites are small but equipped with top-end facilities like in-room wifi, mini bar, safe deposit box and satellite TV. Only the junior suites have windows that can be opened to the view of Chinatown. The Tea House terrace, open daily 6:30am-10:30pm, serves breakfast in the morning, tea in the afternoon and sinful drinks in the early evening. For real food, guests can head downstairs for Krua Jengor and Tohkai.
Superior Room: B2,300
Junior Suite: B4,000
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My father was my ultimate idol. He was a teacher and his hobby was drawing film billboards that were hung in front of theaters. I liked watching him paint the boards and dreamed of being like him someday, not knowing that being a billboard painter isn’t a very high profile profession.
The “gift” is a characteristic that an artist possesses, like the love to paint, read, write or sing. Those who don’t have it just don’t care about these things at all.
Learning and studying helps, but in the end not every art student becomes an artist: Only the gifted ones.
Practice is also important. The skill of someone who paints 30 pictures a month is distinguishable from someone who paints one picture.
Diligence is the key to success, but wit and talent come into play, as well.
Teachers’ ethical codes stress that they should be serious and dedicated to imparting knowledge to every student equally. But art is not like that.
Art cannot be taught. What teachers can do is to encourage and suggest—the rest the students have to think and do for themselves. That’s art.
From my 30 years of teaching, I’ve realized that I shouldn’t try to make every single student good. Students will learn and adjust to their group or class.
I began writing as an art critic for Siam Rath newspaper—as I see it, it was the first art criticism column in Thailand. After five or six years I got bored with it because it earned me a new enemy every day.
Thai people don’t like criticism, but they like gossiping. I lost lots of friends. Respected artists and art teachers didn’t mind my critiques—but their students and admirers did.
Once you exhibit a picture or publish a book, the work is not yours anymore: It’s public property. People can criticize your work in every way. If you can’t accept this, you should keep your work at home.
My first book was 20th Century Nirvana, written around the time of October 14. Today when I read it I get a headache and constipation.
I decided to change to something light, easy and accessible like novels. And the result has been too good to be true. The books sell really well.
I began my art in the same way as my writing—seriously with unbendable determination. In my time, abstract art was the trend and those who did realistic works were called old-fashioned.
Abstract art encourages thinking because people don’t get it at once—or at all.
Even though I’ve received many awards from my abstract art, as I’ve grown older I’ve thought more about how to make people understand my work. So I incorporated subjects and stories into my art—and it has proved easier and more fun.
Doing realistic art reminds me of my school years. I’ve found that it’s more pleasurable than using only my imagination.
I feel like I have begun living another life by returning to my roots. I don’t need concepts and emotions anymore; I just paint what I feel like. I don’t disturb anyone’s thinking. They just see the pictures, like or don’t like them and that’s it. I want art to be like this.
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How and why did you become a driving instructor?
The main reason is I love driving, and I want people to have safety driving in mind. That’s what this course is designed for.
Do they have a test for instructors before they can get to teach?
Yes, there’s an audition. This school has been operating for two years but the course originated in Germany 30 years ago. Candidates need to drive a slalom course so the evaluators can see our basic skills. Instructors need a higher level of basic driving skills than ordinary drivers. Then there will be an interview about basic knowledge of the car and they can see our characters.
What is the most important thing for safe driving?
The principles that BMW Driving School teaches are driving position, handling the wheel, consciousness and calmness. If we sit properly, we have a better vision of the road and can take better control of the wheel when something suddenly happens. Accidents happen anytime. We also feel the car and its reaction better. The right way to hold the wheel is the universal 9 and 3 o’clock position and hook your fingers in the wheel. You’ve got to have both hands on the wheel all the time so that you know the position of the wheels, especially when you do a u-turn.
What is the difference between being able to drive and knowing how to drive?
It’s safety. Anybody can drive but if a motorcycle falls in front of your car, how one reacts is the difference. Parents always say to their kids, “Don’t run or you will fall.” But BMW’s course encourages you to run and to fall. So that you know the problems, how to avoid them and how to fix them—recognize, avoid and solve.
What is the thing that people always forget about driving?
Tires. It’s very significant because tires are the one element in contact with the road. Even if you drive a Ferrari, Lamborghini or BMW, if the tires suck, they cannot transfer the technology in the machine onto the road and the driver. Thais always ignore the condition of their tires which really are important.
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What’s the concept of the winning piece?
Chalotorn: We wanted to find new way to convey the message and came up with “Drugs are not good friends of yours.” We see that kids turn to drugs as a way out from their problems when they cannot turn to their parents, teachers or friends. It helps them forget the problem. We’re trying to say that drugs are not the answer.
How did you feel when you passed the first round?
Chalotorn: It was really good because all the finalists got to learn more about advertising from professionals. They taught us the thought process and how to interpret the theme and convey our idea. It was more like exchanging ideas than direct teaching.
Jintanuch: What they taught was very practical like what kind of image cannot be broadcast such as people injecting drugs and that sort of thing. After the learning session, every team was better in the final round.
Did you do all the work yourself?
Jintanuch: We brainstormed, came up with the concept, shot, played and cut everything ourselves. He played the main character and everyone commented on how well he did.
Why do you think they chose your work?
Chalotorn: Because it was funny.
Jintanuch: Others’ works were good, but our commercial focused on teenagers and we made it funny because that’s the best way to get the message heard.
What did you do with your prize money?
Chalotorn: One of us gave the money to his mom. But we all gave the actors a treat and put the rest in the bank.
Is this your first step into the advertising business?
Chalotorn: Yes. And we will keep producing more works and participating in competitions. We are not prize hunters—we just want to build up a portfolio.
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With my newfound free time, I’ve been traveling alone to Italy, England, Sweden and other places. I have a lot of plans and some good things are coming up. I think I’ll be active again soon.
When I retire from football, I would love to live here two or three months during the winter. I like Thailand, especially in wintertime—beautiful place, nice people, blue sea, good food and nice weather.
I have two or three books beside my bed and a history of Sweden in 10 volumes. It’s easier to read than the football books I usually read.
I’m a lucky man, I’ve been working for 30 years doing the thing that I love, which is to play football.
My goal is try to keep fit because if you are not healthy, it’s hard to keep doing what you like. I’m running, doing yoga, swimming and playing tennis.
The most memorable game in my life was the 1982 IFK Göteborg for the UEFA Cup, when a Swedish team won a big title in Europe for the first time. That was a big step for me.
My philosophy is to always try to behave and be kind to other people. I think that’s important.
My idol is Nelson Mandela. I met him and it was a real pleasure. Being that kind and understanding to other people, living with that spirit, even though he was imprisoned for 27 years—that’s fantastic. He’s so important to the whole continent of Africa.
The journalists in England write a lot about me. Some things are true; some are not.
I don’t care about these things because if you care, you lose sleep over it. I sleep very well.
My job is trying to win football games—as many as possible. Sometimes you lose, but you still have to try and win the next time.
I’d say it’s better to have pressure than not, because if there’s pressure on you it means you are coaching an important team. And I like that.
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I fell in love with the guitar at first sight. I can’t really say why, but as soon as I heard its sound, I fell for it.
Music is alluring and challenging. Music offers me something new to try almost every day.
As a kid I had to work hard to get good grades so that my parents would let me play music. My parents’ generation didn’t want their kids to become musicians.
I’ve never contemplated doing something else, and despite my degree in law I was never tempted to become a lawyer.
Talent and effort have made me who I am. Genes play an important role, too: My father plays music as a hobby, my mother loves listening to it.
The gifted ones, if encouraged and educated, can progress very quickly. They don’t have to learn and try everything by themselves.
Self-taught people usually have an original and unique style. Just look at Ad Carabao, Assanee & Wasan or Sek Loso. Their sound is very distinct due to the struggles they had to go through.
Because of music academies the alternative music market has grown. Before, there was no jazz or classical—only pop music.
There are more channels to create this alternative music segment. There are two radio stations playing jazz all day, so new compositions have channels they can be promoted through.
Jazz music in Thailand is still in its infancy, though. Most jazz bands cover international songs, so there’s not much original music.
My latest album is quite eclectic: I mix jazz with Thai music, and what comes out is a Thai-style, serious jazz album. I tried to expand my audience by adding more lyrics. I hope more people will be able to identify with the songs, which deal with life, love and other things that happen around us.
I’ve admired Wes Montgomery for a long time. He’s the guitar guru as far as jazz is concerned. His sound and tone are incredibly soulful and original.
The Thai saxophonist I like best is Vichai Ueng-amporn. He never stops learning, despite his age.
Learning keeps us young. If we stop, we can’t communicate with those in the younger generation, only with our peers.
My ultimate goal is playing with a band I like. The band I’m with now is pretty much what I’ve dreamed of. Every member can play and appreciate almost every style of music.
There’s nothing more fun than playing music. I’d be happy if I could travel around and just play here and there.
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