How did you come up with ShowbaTV?
Ben: We all studied communication arts so wanted to go into either film or TV production, but we couldn’t find a way to get work in that field. We also share the trait of bugging and driving people crazy, so one day Jent asked, “Why we don’t turn this into something productive?” Many people see the problems in society, but are afraid to talk about them. We are curious to know how much reality Thai society can really take.
Jent: The name is derived from the Thai word for “basic” because we want to portray the basic problems that need to be discussed.

How do you come up with your topics?
Jent: Mostly it’s simply when we find a story and think something’s not quite right. For example, I used to work in Siam and I would have trouble finding a taxi home, so I decided to take up the subject and it turned out to be one of our most popular videos so far.

How do you feel when authorities don’t do anything to solve problems like these?
Ben: I was shocked at first. We, the citizens, rely on them when something goes wrong, but often the law doesn’t adequately address these issues. For example, in our “Ghost tickets” episode we found that middlemen were charging outrageous prices for normal tickets, meaning real football fans couldn’t afford them. But the police said they could not arrest the scalpers because there is no specific law against selling overpriced tickets. They can only charge them for nuisance.

What has been your favorite episode so far?
Ben: My favorite one is called “Handicapped people or handicapped society?” Life is not so easy here even for the able-bodied, so things are much more difficult for the handicapped. The authorities don’t do a lot to help. In Japan, the handicapped get very good treatment from the government and people, which reflects the development of that society.
Jent: The government here gives them 500 baht a month instead of helping them find careers that can benefit them in the long-term. They don’t have a sustainable solution for these people.

What do these problems say about Thai society?
Jent: People always want to cover their eyes and ears. They want to live in an imaginary world where everything is beautiful. But we want to present the truth. Problems at the individual level impact all of society.

What are your plans for the future?
Jent: I want to have my own internet channel with many programs that open people’s eyes and ears.
Ben: We all quit our jobs to start doing our show. Although we are a small group, we want to really change the state of Thai media. I want to dispel the commonly held perception that quality programs get low ratings.