What do you normally do?
I’ve been in New York for three years, working as a freelance photographer and making short films. But I love writing. It makes me practice how to tell stories in a different way from when I’m working on a film or on photography. It’s a good concentration and imagination exercise. My published books are Wan Korn Krub [That Day], It’s All about the Bike and, now, New York 1st Time.
What inspired you to make the Bangkok 1st Time video?
I wanted to make a video to promote my book but it would be boring to just shoot the beautiful side of New York. I wanted to make something that would get on someone’s nerves, as that’s the tone of my book, so I made the video as a side project, but flipped it: the book is about me, a Thai in New York, but in the clip, Nelson [Howe, a professor] is a New Yorker who has been in Bangkok. Making it stopped me from getting too nostalgic, too. I knew Nelson as he once hired me as a cameraman for his dance performances. We became close friends even though he is as old as my grandpa!
Why was the clip such a big hit?
It’s touching and different. Foreigners in Thailand are always presented as nice people who love to learn how to speak Thai like “mai pen rai” or “khob khun krub.” But Nelson is wild, rough and obnoxious. He’s so funny and so sincere, though, that I can’t get mad at him.
Tell us about your work in the film industry.
I was an assistant director for [Apichatpong’s] Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives then I came here, making short films. I just made a documentary film called The Words I Love. It’s about my experiences in New York as I like reading on the subway. Previously I didn’t know there was a dictionary in my phone, so I would ask strangers sitting next to me to help explain certain words. That helped me meet a lot of interesting strangers. The documentary was shown in New York, Portland, Los Angeles, Boston, and Alaska.
What’s something that still amazes you about living in the States?
Kissing! Westerners are more touchy than Asians, like when meeting or leaving, they always hug, high five, or kiss each other. When they come in a big group, it seems like such great fun to kiss each other. I wonder, don’t you guys ever get tired of kissing?
What about Thai culture do you miss the most?
I love dinner time—it’s more comfortable. We scoop food for each other, or what you don’t like in your dish you can give to another. Even street food, I’ll ask for one bite but my friends will give me a new order. But right here, it’s quite personal; they don’t usually share their meals. The bidet spray, too. People here don’t use it. The only place I can find it is in Thai restaurants. It reminds me of my hometown every time the water sprays my ass.
