How does it feel being a Thai artist performing with a Brit band?
I wouldn’t say that The Standards are a British band, just like we’re not really a Thai band. Sure we have members from each country; one of us even has American citizenship. It just feels great being in The Standards because we’re a great band.

What do you normally listen to? Do you guys favor UK indie music?
When I was a teenager, bands like Suede and Blur inspired me to be in a band and The Chemical Brothers made me want to make noise on a synth. I mostly listen to electronic music and indie but not specifically UK indie.

What is the hardest part and the best part about being in a band?
When we write a song, I try to put my signature sound into it. The hardest thing is to judge what sits perfectly in a song and try not to overproduce it. The best thing is that we play good music to people who know what good music is and we all enjoy doing it.

Is there a difference between British crowds and Thai crowds?
In England, people come to see a band, stand up, pay attention and really listen. They don’t sit down, enjoy a meal or talk to friends while the band is playing.

How was your England tour? See anything good?
I learned a few good tips from a brilliant soundman, small but very important details. He actually ended up coming on half the tour with us. I also saw other bands there do different things and use different techniques, which I would never have known otherwise. I also had a chance to see huge acts attended by thousands of people, which is something that doesn’t happen here. Arcade Fire, The Vaccines, The Chemical Brothers, The Streets, all at different festivals. The music scene there is so inspiring.

What are your thoughts on the Thai music scene?
Bands we played with in England all play their own songs. They might have one cover in their set, but in Thailand it is the opposite. Most, if not all, Thai bands play covers and play a few of their own songs if any. Every venue we played there, big or small, always sounded big. The bass pumped into your heart, the middle and treble are loud and clear and the vocals sit well in the mix. Some venue owners here only think about what can reduce costs. The Thai music scene is getting better. There are more alternative bands and there are parties to enjoy different types of music. But these things need serious support and respect from Thai audiences.

Which has been your best gig?
The one at Alan Mcgee’s Greasy Lips at Brixton Jamm in London. He’s a legend and he danced to our music. Lots of people turned up to see us play and we didn’t let them down. It was the second to last gig of the tour—we were exhausted but we gave it 110%. Everyone smiled, everyone sang and everyone loved it.

What’s next? Any plans on your next album?
We’ve started writing new songs for our second album. We’ve got a few things lined up in Bangkok over the next few months; then we hit the road again to play Manila and Hanoi in January. Vasachol Quadri

Check out the band's YouTube channel at 
http://www.youtube.com/user/TheStandardsOfficial.

As a child: I loved peanut butter and wanted to become a pilot.
First job: Newspaper delivery boy.
Rule for life: “The earth is but one country and mankind its citizens.” We’re all equal no matter what.
Stupidest trend: Tight jeans and emo.
Happiest moment: Completing all the items on the list of life goals I wrote at 18.
Last thing that made me stop and think: How we are more connected to each other than ever before.
Can’t live without: Music or Captain Crunch cereal.
Hum this tune in the shower: “Somebody I Used to Know,” by Goyte featuring Kimbra, or Dr. Dre’s Chronic 2001 LP.
People always assume I’m: intimidating and hard to approach.
But I’m really: welcoming and easy to talk to and get along with.
Best gig I have ever been to: Origin Festival, New Year’s Eve 2010/2011, Perth.
Last lie: I’ll be home before the gig finishes.
Most inspirational person: My dad.
Most annoying thing I have to encounter everyday: The toaster not giving me the perfect toast.
Would like to be remembered as: Passionate, positive and inspiring.
In 20 years: I hope to still be living and following my dream with music and sharing it with a wonderful family of my own.

Barbali

02-656-6378. Open daily from 9am-2pm.
Bali style bar Barbali has a small garden out front with a waterfall and some exposed brick walls on the inside. In addition to booze, the place offers breakfast, lunch and dinner sets. There’s live acoustic music late on most evenings, and lately, the bar has been exhibiting paintings and photos by local university students.

Jazz Happens Bar

02-282-9934, 084-450-0505. Open daily from 7pm-12:30am.
Previously located on the second floor space of Barbali, the jazz influenced bar owned by a group of lecturers from the Faculty of Jazz at Silapakorn University has now moved next door with a blue theme and wooden decorations. The aim is to create a showcase space for talented young musicians. Apart from live jazz every day, the bar offers classic drinks and a Thai food menu for dinner.

Kin Duem (To-Sit)

02-629-1199. www.tosit.com
This old building is the first branch of the To-Sit pub and restaurant, opened way back in 1994. The bar offers Thai food at dinner time, booze and live pop music similar to the other branches. But this spot has bags of charm thanks to its beautiful space and the architecture of the Banglamphu area.

Popular Society

081-413-7558. Open daily from 7pm-2am.
The two-story retro bar located just opposite Phra Sumen Park gets pretty busy most evenings. The place is run by folks from an indie stage group, and during the Bangkok Theater Festival, some performances take place on the second floor. The music is largely comprised of popular Thai and international hits, with live acoustic sets on Friday and Saturday.

Ruay Rin Klin Sheva

Open Mon-Sat 6pm-2am.
Even more retro than Popular Society, Ruay Rin Klin Sheva takes you back to the 60s. The music here is eclectic—anything from rare Thai hits to the latest pop tunes. This place is also famous for its Lao Pan (Smoothie cocktails) and their bucket cocktails.

This is your first film?
Yes, and a new studio, Ork Pai Dern. Previously, I was involved with a short film competition, along with Change Fusion, which allowed teenagers to study film with our team and communicate their ideas through filmmaking. And now, we have the chance to make a film on a bigger scale, to be screened in a normal theater.

How did the project start?
From the short films, we saw a lot of potential directors. There were so many meaningful shorts from talented filmmakers, so we came up with the idea to make a new film with them. And in our work with NGOs, sex among teenagers came up a lot as an issue. So we grabbed the subject and let our director team interpret it from their perspective.

How is it different from other teen movies?
I believe we’re the first ones to take this subject and treat it very seriously, and the hope is to create awareness among everyone who comes to watch. We let the teenage perspective speak for itself, showing that in teenage life, we can do something that is wrong and we can get through it.

Do you think sex is a theme that should be present in the public and in film?
There are people who do think we shouldn’t present this subject to teenagers, but the truth is that teenagers know already, for whatever reason. I believe that teenage pregnancy is a problem partly because we try not to touch the subject of teen sexuality. If we talk about this issue straightforwardly, it might help reduce the problem.

You have been working with Mom Noi and Ploy so many times now.
This is the sixth time I’ve worked with Mom Noi and the fourth or fifth time with Ploy. Working with them is like being with family. Ploy and I had acting classes with Mom Noi when we were young, and we used to take part in the same movies. I was the first teenage actor for Mom Noi, so I was like a son on whom he placed great responsibility. There is a bit of pressure to produce work that will please him. But it’s an advantage working with people I know so well, as we already understand each other well. Some things just feel automatic.

Why did you get involved?
A while back, ML Kukrit Pramoj wrote the story based on a Broadway adaptation of [Akira Kurosawa’s] Rashomon. Ten years ago, Mom Noi wanted to make the film, but couldn’t because of the recession. But when Eternity became so successful, Sahamongkol wanted Mom Noi to make another period piece. I had wanted to be part of the film back then, too, so I’m happy I get to be involved in it now.

What are the challenges with period films?
The costumes are a struggle, plus getting a feel for the different dialect used in the past. As for acting, it’s all the same—acting is a science. I don’t have to research as this is the job of the production and costume team, and they just tell me what I need to know to build my character.

Why make period films?
Thai movies today don’t have much variety. Investing in a unique movie like this is a risk for investors. I was happy that Sahamongkol took this opportunity to create something that wasn’t just populist or trendy. They are responsible for developing the content in the film, and this is praiseworthy.

What is the difference between U Mong Pa Muang and Eternity?
These two films may be similar to each other: both period films, same actors and the same director. But Umong Pa Muang is different because the main characters don’t necessarily run the story. It’s the same story told in four different ways. The actors have to depict the same scene over and over with variations.

Any other films this year?
I’m involved in two other films that have just wrapped. One is an indie film called Hi-So, which is now touring film festivals abroad. The second is Shambala, which was shot in Tibet and tells the story of two brothers traveling together.

If you’re a fan of the famous gift festival hosted by Silpakorn University, and charmed by their art space at the Wang Tha Phra campus, V64 Art Studio is a great new alternative that’s taking hold out by Chaeng Wattana, providing another much-needed community art space for the public as well as emerging artists. The three-acre space in the middle of Vibhavadi Soi 64 is comprised of four sections: art studios, an art academy, an art gallery and art souvenirs.

The V64 Art Studio takes up over 70% of the whole space and contains 35 studio rooms housing the work spaces of over 60 artists, mostly from the Chatuchak Weekend Market. Attasit Pokpong, the founder, knows that there is still a need for a place where new artists can create and exhibit. “Nowadays, there are a lot of young emerging artists. They graduate from arts programs, but have to work in the business sector,” he says.

At V64 Art Studio, many artists share their space and work collaboratively to create new pieces. The rooms are filled with paintings, ceramics and sculptures—all of which will be on view for visitors to explore and watch the artists in action. “When we were still in school, we used to have a common room that all of us used to create our artworks. The process of working together gives us a chance to discuss and critique each other to improve our work,” says Attasit.

On the second floor of the studios is the V64 Art Academy, which will offer art courses for children, university entrance portfolio tutorials and art for adults taught by member artists who work downstairs. The Art Academy wil also offer free art activities to children who live in the neighborhood, through a program called Art for Community Program, every Sunday 2pm onwards. Head of the Art Academy Podjanee Chaybondis says, “These kids have no money to take courses, but they live in our neighborhood. Some of them don’t even know what art is, and neither do their parents. We believe that this activity could help foster a better appreciation and understanding of art. We do this on a volunteer basis, from our own unused materials. We keep an eye on them, too.”

Live art and education aside, the front portion of the building houses the V64 Art Gallery where selected pieces from member artists will be on display. Currently on view is a painting exhibition called Lady First, running through Sep 18. Right beside the gallery is the currently-under-construction V64 Art Souvenir shop which, come November, will be filled with t-shirts and other trinkets.

And if all that art and walking around gets you hungry, the last section houses the V64 Restaurant Café &Bar, which is a café by day and turns into a bar in the evening, where you can throw back an espresso or a beer while discussing the art you’ve just seen.

The grand opening of V64 is in November, but everything but the souvenir shop is already up and running.

V64 Art Studio, 143/19 Soi Chaengwattana 1 Yak 6, Laksi, 02-973-2681. www.facebook.com/V64art

How is Flying Cubes the next step from your previous exhibitions?
I’ve been passionate about the human physique, as you can probably see from my work over the past 20 years. I use the human body to express myself, through a variety of media like photography, painting, collage and sculpture. All my exhibitions are related and inspire the next one. For example, when I did an exhibition of sculpture, I was struck by how we aren’t supposed to touch the artwork. This led to my next exhibition Noon Nom, comprised of breast-shaped pillows, in 2002. My later exhibitions are very interested in how the viewer can interact with the work. This Body Borders exhibition is about that as well.

So if this exhibition is about the human body, why does it involve cubes?
I got this inspiration a couple years ago when I was in Japan and discovered an origami shape that was a cube with wings. The cube itself is a very solid shape but when we add these wings to it, the cube becomes a body to me. It really captured my imagination.

Then what happened?
From that point on, I’d been thinking about what to do with cubes. When an art event in Chiang Mai invited me to show my work, I decided to make a scarecrow comprised of flying cubes hanging on bamboo sticks. And now, the first part of Body Borders will be shown at H gallery. The cubes are made from rattan, and the final product is somewhere between art and furniture. The audience is allowed to sit on them and experience through touch.

It’s a trio of exhibitions, right? What about the other two?
I made this shape in paper, in small sizes, and hung it around The Art Center Hall; this will be mixed with breast clouds made from glass. This extends the meaning—the body as symmetric shapes that can perfectly match with abstract forms. Then I came up with the idea of Anything Can Break. There will be sound sensors on the floor and when the audience is walking about, the sensor will respond by creating a sound each time. The final exhibition is paintings, which will be shown at 100Tonson Gallery.

Do you plan to have other special programs related to this exhibition?
Blind children from Baan Rachavithee are invited to visit the exhibitions. Even though they can’t see them, they can still interact with them through other senses.

How did this project start? Is it for Mother’s Day?
I participated in the Play Reading Project last year where the theme had to do with women. Since I’d read Amy Tan’s novel before, I picked a scene to present at the event. The feedback was really good and I felt that the novel had some resonance, which inspired me to do a stage play. Actually, Mother’s Day doesn’t have much to do with it, but since the story is about mother-daughter relationships, I chose to launch the play at this time.

What sorts of things inspire your plays normally?
At New Theatre Society, we love to read a lot of foreign literature, and that’s how we pick the next play. We select an existing plot because it’s guaranteed to be good, and then we have some fun creating a Thai adaptation—not just translating it into Thai but adding elements that reflect our culture.

How did this script evolve from the original novel? Was it difficult, as the book was written in the 80s?
Things have changed a lot since the 80s, but the relationship between mothers and daughters is a classic issue that’s timeless. So that’s the question I dealt with in adapting this play and adding modern elements to set it in present day. The cast is also different; I created new characters necessary to the plot and cut others.

So what do you think are the factors impacting mother-daughter relationships?
There are a lot of factors, actually. Technology is one thing. As our world moves faster, people have less and less patience. We focus only on the final solution without being aware of the things along the way. Sensitivity is something we’ve forgotten about. This affects not only the relationship between mothers and daughters, but other relationships as well.

What do you hope the audience will take away from the production?
Of course, even after the play, mother-daughter problems will continue. That’s classic and inevitable. But I hope, at the very least, the audience will want to compromise and of listen to each other better.

How did your passion for boxing start?
I played a lot of sports when I was a kid, and my favorite was actually horse riding. But because my father is a former boxer, he taught me how to fight. I really enjoyed it and wanted to take it seriously. After three months of training, my dad sent me to a fight at a temple fair in Saraburi. I won my first match, and I was inspired to keep going.

You’ve been on an international tour. Any memorable matches?
I went to Japan last year for the Muay Thai Challenge. I defeated a Japanese female boxer, who had challenged me, and won the World Professional Muay Thai Federation female 112lbs Champion belt. My first time in Japan, I had to the defend title, and I won.

What do you like about Muay Thai?
Muay Thai is a Thai martial art. It’s called an art because of the beautiful movements we can create, not just punching like in normal boxing. In Muay Thai, we can kick, which can be quite graceful.

What do you think of today’s Muay Thai scene? Where do you fit in?
Muay Thai hasn’t been getting much attention from Thais, who only watch big events, like the Olympics and the Asian Games, neither of which include Thai boxing. I’d love to see Thai boxing become an Olympic event. As a boxer, all I can do is fight. Maybe if I fight more, Thai people will recognize me and start watching the sport.

Are there a lot of female boxers today?
Yes, I’ve seen a lot of new faces and a lot of my female friends are becoming interested and taking Muay Thai courses. But most just think of it as exercise, not a career.