How did you become a band?
Mick: Toon and I got together about five years ago, but our drummer at the time had to leave to take care of his business. We went through many replacements until we met Ju through a friend of a friend in 2009. The three of us then recorded our debut album on Mind the Gap, distributed by Sony Music. But a few years later the label went out of business.
Toon: It’s funny looking back at how quickly our first album was recorded because we hadn’t really played much together at that stage.

What sort of reaction did you get from your early songs being in English?
Mick: It has varied. Especially when performing out of town, sometimes we have those moments where the audience is just shocked, but it’s up to us to ensure they have a good time.
Ju: Thailand is a country where not that many people communicate in English, so some love it, but many like to hear songs in Thai, too.
Toon: Personally, I think it’s one of the reasons why we only have a limited number of listeners. And that’s why our next single [scheduled for release next month] will be in Thai–we’d like to reach a bigger audience.

Tell us about your songwriting process.
Mick: Our songs generally start off on an acoustic guitar, just trying to find a rhythm. Then we add lyrics. We pull out all the songs from our first album to play live on occasion.

What’s been your best gig?
Toon: That would have to be the Baybeats Festival in Singapore, which featured a line-up of mostly indie bands.
Mick: In places like Singapore and Malaysia, the audience for indie bands is much wider. There’s a lot more support for live music and events. People are just a lot more receptive. The Baybeats Festival is similar to the FAT Festival, just a bit smaller.

Do you consider yourselves an indie band?
Mick: If you listen to us, you’ll notice we’re not really alternative. If anything, we’re pop-rock, but our songs have deeper meanings that we’d like to convey. A small group of fans realize this; that we’re not some mass-oriented band. Most of our fans are male, because I guess we’re basically a rock band.

Do you have any advice for aspiring musicians?
Mick: Practice and listen to music a lot, and you will get better.
Ju: I recommend that they enjoy the journey, not just look at the destination. Life is sure to be a disappointment if you’re only focused on being famous. Music can be enjoyable in so many other ways.
Toon: Just have fun. I’d like to see the domestic scene filled with all sorts of music. Just be natural, you don’t need to follow the trends.

How long have you worked as a chopping block vendor?
I’ve done this job for around 20 years, on and off, as periodically I head back to work on the farm in my hometown of Roi Et. Before this I used to be a laborer and construction worker.

Where do you source your products?
I buy them all in Bangmod district, but they’re all manufactured in Isaan, mostly Roi Et. The chopping blocks are made from tamarind wood, which most people probably don’t realize is really strong and durable.

What should you look for in a good chopping block?
With a tamarind wood chopping block, the odd small surface crack is normal and if you see a black or brown mark in the center you know you have found a strong piece of wood. If you regularly clean your chopping block it will last forever.

What’s a typical day for you?
As I live in Charoen Krung, at about 5am I generally begin walking from Wangburapa to Khlong Toei, passing through the Yaowarat area. I usually have around 10 chopping blocks in my cart and unless I sell them all then my day ends at about 10pm. It’s a lot harder to sell my products these days compared to, say, 10 years ago. With all the economic and political uncertainty, people just aren’t willing to spend any more.

What do you like most about your job?
It’s not complicated. And sometimes big-hearted people are happy to pay me a little over the going rate for my chopping blocks. For example, I’ll quote them B200 but they’ll give me B300 as they see the great effort I must go to every day. Despite the fact every family needs a chopping block, my occupation is a lot less competitive than that of other vendors.

Can you see yourself in another line of work?
I am happy to carry on like this till I can’t take it anymore. I don’t have a wife so I’m happy to help out my younger sister and her children back in my hometown. I also look after my nephew who lives in Bangkok with me. He works as a gas station attendant and studies in non-formal education.

What do you think of the young generation’s work ethic?
When I was in grade 7, I was able to transplant rice seedlings and feed the buffalos to help my parents, unlike this new generation who are already smoking in grade 10. I suppose there are too many poor role models around on TV and in movies. Some kids may have a high IQ but they lack patience, are stubborn and naive. They need to listen to their teachers and parents more.

Sing with the Filipinos

Filipino karaoke skills need no introduction. Is it in their blood? Are they given a microphone before they’re given a baby bottle? Go ask them at Kumpleto Restaurant and Karaoke (Soi Pridi Banomyong 40, Sukhumvit 71, open Mon-Fri 6pm-midnight, Fri-Sun 6pm-2am, 088-495-7700, www.kumpletorestaurant.com), where Filipino teachers and office workers gather for a few drinks, some darts and some serious vocalizing. Saowanee “Pien” Kaennonghu, the Thai owner and chef, says she learned to make Filipino dishes from her Filipino mother-in-law. She recommends tuyo (salty fried fish imported from the Philippines, B70), dinuguan (meat salad, B100) and binagoan baboy (fried pork with shrimp paste, B80). The restaurant also has many products from the Philippines, from baked crispy nuts to milk. But we say head straight to the karaoke room, open daily but especially late on Fri-Sat.

Eat with the Filipinos

If you’d like to tuck in without having to belt out a tune, just head to Mabuhay (1/31 Phetchaburi Soi 19, 02-255-2689, open daily 11am-11pm) to try the adobong manok (more commonly known as chicken adobo, B150). We just reviewed it (three stars!), so head to http://bit.ly/MVV09V for the full details.

Help out the Burmese

The Sammajivasil School (744 Soi Phayanak, Ratchathewi, www.tacdb-burmese.org) is a Thai elementary school on weekdays. But Myint Wai, a Burmese activist from the Thai Action Committee for Democracy in Burma, takes over at weekends with DEAR Burma (Development of Education and Awareness for Refugees from Burma), a Sunday school to teach Thai, English and computer skills to migrants at bargain rates. The computer program starts from only B400 for two months while both Thai and English are just B350 for three month courses. They’re always in need of volunteer teachers as the number of Burmese migrants applying is growing, with over 500 workers gathering here every weekend.

Tune in to Some
Laotian Sounds

Thai culture is steamrolling Laos, whether it’s our soap operas or pop. But Laotian pop hasn’t kicked the bucket just yet. Head to Bangbon district on Ekkachai Rd., near Rama 2 Rd., and you’ll find this massive market with the occasional DVD or CD stall selling luk-tung, mo-lam as well as pop songs, rock and boy bands from Laos. If you’d rather hear it live, head to Suksawasdee Market at the weekend. Concerts are held there at least twice a month with the promoter (Banjob “Kae”, 081-553-8074) sometimes importing Laotian artists to play local variants alongside Thai singers. Tickets are B100.

Tuck in to Some
Laotian Flavors

If you prefer to just have a genuine Isaan-Lao meal, head to Sirichai Market on Sunday to shop for Lao-isaan food at Talad Lao inside the main market. Here you will find Lao-Isaan vegetables and ingredients that you can’t find at any supermarket in town. The products range from unpasteurized plara (fermented fish sauce) to kai mod daeng (red ants eggs), but there’s also exotic grub like dried buffalo skin, tadpoles and ground crickets. Saeb!

Show Off Some
Burmese Style

Wondering where to pick up some of Burma’s famous beauty products, like thanaka? Head straight to Phra Khanong Market. At the entrance, turn left down a small alleyway seemingly packed with coloful clothing, and eventually you’ll find yourself in Little Burma. T-shirts, raw betel nuts and all manner of spices are just some of the Burmese goods on display. Not too far away is a well-known Burmese eatery, where you’ll be greeted by the smiling face of Dao Giri, the Nepalese-Burmese cook. Her most popular dish among Burmese expats and Thais alike is mohinga (Burmese kanomjean, B30). It’s cheap, tasty and served up in a matter of minutes.

Grab a Burmese Bite

On the topic of Burmese cuisine, some of the most authentic can be found on Soi Ramkhamhaeng 24, Yak 34. Here, there’s a handful of small eateries which cater to the many Burmese students and exchange teachers attending the nearby ABAC. One of the most popular is the family-run Shwe Myanmar which has served homegrown recipes here through a khao gaeng-like set-up for around two years now.

Say Hello to Halal Eateries

Bangkok has a variety of halal eateries, some of which see very little in the way of Thai customers. Malaysian restaurant Cili Padi (107/3, Thanon Pan, Silom Rd., Bangrak, open daily 11am-10pm, closed every first Friday of the month, 02-635-1167) brought its sizable expat clientele with it when it moved to its present location three months ago. Run by Fahmi Sabri, a Malaysian national, it serves famous dishes like nasi lemak (Malaysian national dish, B60) and kari ayam (chicken curry, B70) mostly eaten with roti (B20), while Thais particularly like the nasi goreng ayam and nasi goreng Pattaya (a local adaptation). Little slices of ASEAN can even be found in our shopping malls, like Jimbaran Bali (5th Floor, MBK Shopping Centre, open daily 10am-9pm, 081-443-6335), an Indonesian stall serving popular sets such as nasi campur (Indonesian mixed rice with soup, B190) and nasi goreng udang (Indonesian shrimp mixed fried rice with soup, B160). For dessert there’s Cibugatanjong Restaurant (465/2 Petchburi Rd., Rachatevee, beside Soi 7, open daily 10am-12pm, 02-612-1581), which has been a fave among Muslims for close to 12 years. Try the roti mataba with banana (B40), best served with fragrant hot tea (B30). They also serve a solid range of mains like their recommended goat curry (B130).

Explore Old
Vietnam Town

Bangkok started welcoming regional migration well before ASEAN even existed. For a little tour of our oldest migrant neighborhoods, start at Ban Yuan, a Vietnamese community at Soi Samsen 13 dubbed Little Saigon. The Vietnamese presence here can be traced back to the reign of King Rama III, when refugees poured in to escape wars between Cambodia and Vietnam. As they were Christians, the king placed them near the Catholic Cambodians and Portuguese who were already in town. A hundred years later, their descendants still cook up some amazing Vietnamese food. Start with Pa Kay (123/205 Dusit Avenue, Ratchawithi Rd., 02-243-4788, open daily 9am-7pm), open for more than 50 years. Try cháo canh aka guayjab yuan (Vietnamese noodle, B45), bun bi (rice noodle with grilled pork, B70) and nam nueng (Vietnamese sausage wrapped with veggies, B70), which comes with unlimited supplies of veggies and wrappers. Don’t skip dessert: the bua loy puek (taro in coconut milk, B20) is stunning. Another option is Orawan Nam Nueng Inter, on the corner of Soi 13 who has the same menu as Pa Kay. Opposite of Orawan, Nu Lek sells delicious moo yor (Vietnamese sausage, B40) and ben jue, which is the traditional Vietnamese steamed rice, for B80. But there’s more to culture than food and many in the community remain devout Christians. Head to St. Francis Xavier Church, in the same soi, where a mix of Vietnamese expats and old migrant families congregate every Sunday.

Meet the Mon

The Mon community, originally from Myanmar, is another long-established group in Bangkok. Located in Bangkradee, near Rama 2 Rd., some of the Mon here still speak their forefathers’ language and dress in traditional garb. Start at the Mon Cultural Center (Wat Bangkradee community, open daily 8am-5pm), which hosts displays of Mon antiques and crafts that detail their traditional life. They can also prepare a cultural trip for as cheap as B200 per head (contact Thawil “Pa Phu,” 081-383-7266). Another Mon community can be found at Prapradaeng, a district widely known for its celebration of Songkran festival in the Mon tradition. Stop at Wat Songtham, which was commissioned by King Rama II as a gift to the Mon people for their support against Burma. The brick ordination hall with its 56 round columns and 200-year-old Buddha are particularly striking, but the two pagodas built in the Mon architectural style are also worth a look.

What were you doing before this job?
I worked as a traffic conductor and tuk tuk driver in Udon Thani before my brother suggested I join him in selling pla grim kai tao. He taught me all about dessert-making. The first place I worked as a vendor was in Lopburi province. I carried the dessert around on a shoulder pole while shouting down each lane. I sold it for about B2 per cup. I moved around a lot before settling in this part of Bangkok because my pla grim is really popular here.

Where did you get your pla grim kai tao recipe from?
Back in my home community in Udon Thani, everyone makes this dessert. It’s all about getting the pla grim soft and sticky, but not too much. It’s just not tasty if it’s too hard.

What’s your regular day like?
I get up at 3am to prepare the dessert. I separate the pla grim into two portions: one for me to sell and the other for my granddaughter to sell elsewhere. We sell out every day. I’ve never had any dessert left to take home at the end of the day, even though I start with more than 500 cups worth. We have a lot of regular customers.

What’s your income?
It’s not too bad. I earn more than B5,000 a day but have to spend B2,000 on daily supplies, so my profit is around B3,000. The secret to making more profit is being economical and reducing expenses. I always stock up on ingredients from the market, like flour and sugar, and store them at my house. I rent two rooms: one for my family and the other for storage. It’s cheaper to buy in bulk.

Has the job changed?
Nowadays I use tons of sugar. In the past, coconut was five or six baht per kilo, so earning around B400 a day was enough to cover expenses and make a living. But now coconut costs more than B100 per kilo.

How do customers react to your outfit?
They often say I look clean and smart, and that this makes my dessert even more appetizing. Some customers drive up to me and ask whether I get hot dressing this way, but the truth is I’m used to this style. It’s almost to the point where I couldn’t go to work if I wasn’t dressed like this.

Do you get tired walking around in the middle of the day?
It’s tiring, but when I get home and count my earnings, I’m extremely proud of my efforts. I’m proud of being a vendor. But when I get really tired, I take a break, and just send my granddaughter out. That way we can still make a profit of about B400.

Do you have any advice for other vendors?
All vendors have different ways of selling their goods. But I think it’s a waste of time trying to think up marketing gimmicks. I just try to make my pla grim kai tao full-flavored and delicious—and that’s why my customers love it.