BK: How did the “Trasher” videos get started?
Trasher has been throwing parties for five years now. At first, the people joining the parties were my friends and seniors at Silapakorn University. It grew to include other people but then it kind of plateaued. So we decided to make some videos to promote the events. We throw parties once a month and started shooting the videos once a month, too. We do it all by ourselves. The producer, the cameraman, the editor, the actors—they’re all from the Trasher gang. And we pay for it! In the first spot, we did Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Xmas is You.” And since I’m a total Rihanna lookalike, I got to be her in “We Found Love.”

BK: Your channel has nearly two million views on Youtube.
We were just doing the videos to promote our party. We didn’t think it would be that popular. The number of people watching us in Thailand was a shock, but the fact that our videos are watched worldwide is an even bigger surprise. More than half our views are from abroad. Perez Hilton, the famous blogger, even blogged about our parodies. And Katy Perry tweeted about our parody of her “The One that Got Away,” saying, “This is a bold statement. But if you haven’t seen this, you haven’t lived.” I was amazed and impressed.

BK: How do you deal with negative comments on YouTube?
I only care for people who criticize politely. But for those who are rude, it just gets worse if you reply, especially if you’re emotional. So I just ignore them, or give them an ironic or funny response. Sometimes my fans will stand up and argue for me.

BK: What did you get out of doing these videos?
People recognize me from the videos. They greet me in public places and ask to take my photo. I’m very happy with the response. Also, more sponsors are coming in. However, the sponsors are not just for the videos, they are mainly for the parties. There are even some projects being discussed: a gossip show on cable TV asked me to be their guest and some people asked me to be in their movie.

BK: What’s your plan for the future?
I want to work in the entertainment business. It’s very different being onstage and working behind the scenes. Being onstage is much easier and better paid. Working behind the scenes, in contrast, requires more hard work and brings in far less income. But I love both kinds of work. I dream of having my own TV show, maybe something like an outdoor and adventure program. If possible, I want to do everything—from producing to hosting—by myself. The show must be fun and cheap to produce. Benjamaporn Meekaeo

See Trasher’s clips at http://www.youtube.com/user/trashtele.