BK: Tell us about growing up here with Vietnamese parents?
Kom: My grandparents were from Vietnam so my father and mother weren’t registered as Thai citizens. I remember, once, our family couldn’t leave Ubon Ratchathani because we didn’t have Thai ID cards. As I was undocumented, my parents had to work very hard to send me and my siblings to a private school, which was very expensive. At school, I was discriminated against because of my race, so I decided I wanted to be a exchange student. Luckily, the government gave Thai registration to me and more than ten thousand immigrant children that year so I was able to go study abroad and then come back to study at ABAC.

BK: What was your first job?
Kom: I went back home to help my father with his contractor work for two months. Then I opened a karaoke shop and starting becoming a DJ and event promoter at a big shopping mall in Ubon Ratchathani.

BK: Why did you decide to go to Sydney, Australia?
Kom: I felt bored so I put all my money towards registering for the first semester in an event management master’s degree in Sydney. I had to work hard to be able to pay for my education and living expenses. I ate instant noodles for months. Finally I got a job at a printing house and was able to finish my master’s degree.

BK: How did you become a concert promoter in Sydney?
Kom: My final master’s degree project was a concert event where I hired a Thai band, Potato, to play there. It made me good money, so I began doing it as a job and became the partner of a Thai restaurant, Na Bangkok.

BK: How did you become a singer on Mr. Saxman’s records?
Kom: I hired Jennifer Kim and Mr. Saxman to play in Sydney and they found out that I could sing well and ask me to join them.

BK: How would you describe your album?
Kom: Easy listening pop jazz. I wrote seven songs without any music skills.

BK: Do you worry having left everything in Sydney for this album?
Kom: Yes! It was a really tough decision and I know it won’t be easy for someone to begin singing at 34. But I want to follow my dream.

BK: What's next for you?
Kom: This album helped me discover myself and my interests, especially songwriting. So I will definitely stay in the music circle for as long as I can.