I’ve achieved my dreams already. I had two dreams in life: to become a soldier and to be a singer.
I dreamed of wearing a military uniform since I was a kid. My dad was head of our village in Trang province, so soldiers and police often visited my house to discuss ways to counter the communist insurgents. The officers in uniforms looked so cool. I wanted to be like them.
I started singing when I was in high school. I traveled more than 30 kilometers every weekend to get to the studio where my seniors would play music.
I become the lead singer of my school band. It was the biggest thing that had ever happened to me. But my parents weren’t so thrilled. They didn’t want me to be a singer. They wanted me to be a civil servant.
Too much freedom can make you go wild. I couldn’t get into the army cadet schools so I switched to study at Ramkhamhaeng University. I failed eight out of nine subjects in my first year because I was always got drunk with my friends.
Being a soldier changed me completely. I was lucky that the next year I got accepted into the Royal Thai Air Force’s Air Technical Training School. Being a soldier helped me gain confidence and learn to take full responsibility for my actions.
Being asked to sing at a pub rekindled my childhood dream. I had stopped singing for a decade after graduating from high school. But my friends who owned a pub in Lop Buri, where I was stationed, insisted that I start singing there.
The Star singing contest was my turning point. I went to audition at the age of 30, which was the cut-off age. I saw it as my last chance to realize my dream. But, I didn’t make the cut. I cried in front of the GMM people and caught a bus back to my base.
Failure can push you forward. I spoke to Khai from the band Marijuana who told me to produce my own songs instead of waiting for good luck.
I was in debt before becoming a sucess. I took out a huge loan from the army co-operative in order to make my first album. I gave my songs to Nu Meter [famous luk tung singer] in the hope that he would listen to them and get me a record deal but he just told me to send it to the label he was signed to, RSiam. They later signed me, and Nu Meter has since written songs for me too.
Success isn’t down to one person. I never attribute my success solely to myself. So many people around me have contributed to where I am today, especially my beloved army.
It took me 19 years to get a degree. I stopped studying when I became a soldier, but I never stopped thinking about getting a degree. I tried going back to study political science over and over at Ramkhamhaeng and finally made it happen in 2011.
I cried at my graduation. I still get emotional every time I talk about it. I fought hard to achieve it.
I’m neutral in politics. I have friends from every political strand, from yellow shirts to red shirts, including Nuttawut Saikue and Jatuporn Prompan. But I try to avoid going to any rallies because I don’t want to hurt anyone’s feeling.
Politics is all about power. We are in this situation because politicians abuse their power, no matter what their party is.
Thais are divided. It’s dangerous. The head of each group should be aiming to unite not disrupt. It’s about sacrifice, honesty and telling the truth.
It’s sad to see the bloodshed in my Southern homeland. I don’t really know what’s happening, nor do lots of people there. I personally think the administrators have ignored the Muslim community for too long. The problem has become a cancer. I hope we can heal it one day.
I’m afraid of becoming a poor singer but I never do things just for the money. I’ll never forget the day I had only B20 in my pocket. It reminds me that I should help others whenever I can.
Football is my favorite thing in life. Any day where I play football during the day and sing at night is a perfect day. I played for Samut Prakan United FC two years ago. But now I am an assistant coach at Pathumthani FC.
I dream of owning a football team and a stadium to teach kids to play for free. I know I don’t have the musical knowledge to teach others, but I know tons about football. That would make me so happy.
Nepotism has made a mess of Thailand, and football is just like politics. There are so many talented people out there, but those who are in power will only look after their own. It’s terrible.
Family is a sensitive topic for me. I love my career and fans so much, I don’t know if I can leave them to start a family of my own.
You can forget about anyone except your parents. Though I am so proud that I just received the Luk Katanyu award, no matter what others think about you, your parents must be your top priority. You wouldn’t have today without them.
