Is the art of putting ink on canvas with the calculated stroke of a brush still relevant in an age where unmade beds, pickled sharks or inflatable animals have become much sought-after commodities in the art world?

While their peers in the West are busily tinkering with their assemblages and installations, artists in our backyard are still using the paint, brush and canvas as tools of artistic representation to great effect. Contemporary Thai artist Natee Utarit is one such prolific painter who has painted his way to success. About 70 of his works, some dating back to 1991, is showing at the Singapore Art Museum for his biggest show yet.

Praised by museum director Tan Boon Hui for being one of the most conceptually rich and technically sophisticated painters, After Painting surveys the artist’s vast repertoire as well as discussing the state of painting in Southeast Asian art today.
“The title, After Painting, is an apt reflection of that and what the show hopes to explore and answer—if the medium is still a relevant mode of creative expression,” explains curator Michelle Ho. The show is divided into four sections: Paintings as Narrative, Paintings About Paintings, Paintings After Photography and Beginning After Painting to fully demonstrate the artist’s artistic journey and conceptual development, as well looking at new possibilities of using the medium as a form of creative expression.

Using traditional Western techniques, particularly landscape and still life, Utarit detaches and deconstructs familiar signs, symbols and objects as a way to evoke conversations on Thai politics, history and nationalism. He paints contemporary Thai landscapes on top of paintings of classical works from the likes of Titian and John Constable to question the traditional belief in the truth of images as well as painting a triptych of his mother’s back profile to create a dialogue on the art of seeing and perception.

Perhaps the work that most stands out will be “Tales of Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow” (2009), a quasi-photorealistic depiction of characters from popular fairy tales and stories with a couple, probably a king and queen, looking down at their subjects. The artist reveals that the painting is about how fairy tales affect our understanding of society, perhaps alluding to the tumultuous political situation back home; that despite the veneer of normalcy, everything is just but a fairytale.
“Life itself is like a fairytale, a myth where we dream of ‘happily ever after’,” says the artist. “Myth is also steeped in Thai culture and that is especially so in Thai politics,” he continues while explaining a trio of brightly colored still lifes—a painting of green soldier men figurines standing in between a painting of a yellow skeleton and one of a red skeleton—as a commentary on recent political developments in Thailand.

With artists like Utarit and more like him around Asia, painting their way forward and changing the way how the medium can perpetuate societal discourse, it’s safe to say that paintings will still have its space on the wall.

A new contender for the retro-soul trophy has emerged in the form of 21-year-old, half-Iranian half-Jamaican beauty Roxanne Tataei (aka Rox). Not only did her debut album Memoirs make critics sit up and take notice; she also earned a nomination for Best New Act in the UK and Ireland at the MTV European Music Awards this year.

You've gone pretty far since your church choir days and have even gone on tour with Mark Ronson and Daniel Merriweather. How's life in the fast lane?
I love that I get to travel while doing what I love the most. I've been fortunate to be given the opportunity to see places and meet people. But it can be emotionally and physically draining. The first time is always great but by the third time, the novelty's worn off.

Any particular cities you like?
I love Paris; it's hard not to fall in love with it! Everything there is so beautiful. I also love performing in Germany. The people there are always up for it and they are really into my stuff. One of my favorite gigs was for the Newport City Radio show there. It was an amazing and wicked show in a small but beautiful theater.

How about Singapore?
I love it there! My boyfriend is Singaporean so I know all about Singapore. The weather's great because I'm not a fan of the cold. I'm a vegetarian so there's not much I can eat usually but in Singapore, there are just so many things to try! I love laksa, and the vegetarian options here have mock meat in them.

Where do you go to get inspired?
For me, it's really anywhere quiet. It's best when I'm in my house, alone with the piano. I also like to listen to music by the people I like and respect most in the industry, like Alanis Morrisette. I became a big fan of Grace Jones this year. I've seen her perform and she totally owns the stage. Everyone feels incredibly attracted to her.

What do you miss doing?
I miss spending time with my favorite people—my mom, grandparents and friends. I'm most comfortable at home when I'm with them, which doesn't happen a lot now.
 

What are some of your favorite things?
Well, I'm a red wine lover. I love to go for wine tasting sessions; they're my favorite thing to do ever. I also love writing music.

Get a dose of Rox's perky voice and charm when she performs Nov 5, 8pm. TAB, #02-29, 442 Orchard Rd., 6493-6952. $38 from TAB.

The elusive Australian pair of Pablo Calamari and Shivers are known to wreck dance floors with their raucous and unadulterated sets.

Who’s answering these questions, Pablo Calamari or Shivers?
Shivers, but I am channeling the spirit of Pablo (laughs).
 

And together you are Act Yo Age.
The name came from a cheeky reference to being “young at heart“ and of course we are both Prince fans! We have been making music together for almost two years; during which we kept a pretty chaotic touring schedule too. The relationship is sound—we are best pals first and foremost—so working together is usually a breeze (laughs).
 

Both of you have been DJing for almost 15 years now. How did it all start?
For me, it was an early infatuation with the warehouse party and early rave scenes in the UK. That grew into obsessive vinyl collecting (approximately 12,000 records) and then Djing in the mid 90s. It has been—and hopefully will always be—something I love and would probably do for free. Music is a celebration of life.
 

Having heard your sets, would you consider yourselves genre-benders?
Genres are tough; we tend to defy being boxed into just one sound. For the last year or so we have been pushing house music, but this draws on all other aspects of music too like techno, reggae, hip hop, beats and even world.
 

Rate your awesomeness from 1 to 5…
I would give us a humble 4 out of 5 awesomeness rating. This is based on the Worldwide Metric Scale of Awesomeness (WMSOA).
 

Why so?
It’s our rating and we are proud of it. We have earned it!

How has the Australian music industry been treating you?
Overall it has been fantastic, Australia is our home and we have our crew and family here. That said, tastes in Australia tend to be very trend-based and overall the kids like it kind of fluffy.
 

We've heard it said that Australian music listeners should learn to open up in terms of musical taste and acceptance.
Yes, I would agree with that, but a lot of that phenomenon has to do with population size and our generally healthy outdoor lifestyles. We are a relatively small population; we like to party but we are very laidback. In the summer everyone just bums at the beach and in winter everyone finds a partner and hibernates! In our defence, there is a great network of DJs, promoters and clubs around Australia pushing world class sounds and we have a truly epic festival program each year.
 

You guys are coming back to Home Club for the second time.
Every time we have played in Singapore it has been really wild and we have had a crazy good time! You guys can expect plenty of upfront sounds delivered with our unique style; hopefully a wild party, a new girl pal, a missing tooth, and a serious hangover the next day!

Check out Shivers and Pablo Calamari at The Terrible Twos! with Act Yo Age on Oct 30, 10:30pm. Home Club, #B1-01/06 The Riverwalk, 20 Upper Circular Rd., 6538-2928. $15-20 inclusive of one drink. Free entry inclusive of a drink for those in costumes. The first five groups of 10 or above will get a bottle of 42 below and one mixer on the house.

My parties are usually crazy because… both DJ Maar and I make sure that our tunes are always fresh and that the people who come to see us get what they came for—to party!

I explore creativity through… being involved in unique and new movements from fashion to graphic designs and have contributed to Jap pop culture.

Outside of DJing, I am currently busy with… forming a hip hop dance group; a project with visual creator Tsutomu Murofushi from Tokyo and some fresh work for my clothing label ROC STARR.

The funniest thing I ever did was… in our music video “New Jack House feat. Jon-E“. YouTube it.

Our style of music is… playing what we love from hip hop to rock 'n' roll. We take the vibes from generations before us and transform it into what we play today.

I’ve been into dance music since… a decade ago and back then, I was just another face in the crowd, experiencing fully what Tokyo’s electronic dance music scene has to offer. Now I am returning the favor.

My worst moment was when I… was playing at a club called Turnmills in London. I was really wasted and had to go to the toilet which was the filthiest I’ve ever seen.

The best thing about being a DJ is… that I get to play alongside many artists who became my friends later on.

At Zouk, we will… make you dance with the most cutting-edge and hottest music we can find.

Dance til your feet hurt at Readyset Glo with Dexpistols on Oct 29. Zouk, 17 Jiak Kim St., 6738-2988. $25-30.

Technique & medium: Portrait photography, painting on paper.

What are the thoughts behind this exhibition?
The metamorphosis my friend had to go through was so fascinating to me. Since then I made it a mission to capture the same experience shared by others. The exhibition features transgenders from both sexes and I look to transform the subject into something ethereal and iconic.

There are a lot of layers to the artworks. What are they?
I’m personally against the social structure I was brought up in, which is Catholicism. Pretty much all of the artworks contain religious references like Adam and Eve and Christ dying on the cross. I also allude to a lot of Greek mythology and old-fashioned anatomical drawings.

How did you achieve the papyrus-like quality?
The paper I use lends itself nicely to the whole concept.

What is the significance of the Chinese and Japanese texts?
The Chinese and Japanese characters further add that ancient element to the piece. Their meanings are associated with sex-related topics like pornography. Unless you can decipher these languages, it also brings to play an element of mystery. It’s fun to play around with the portrait by adding different things to it.

Catch Transcorporum Anatomiae exhibition at white Space

BK: What’s your family background?
Anthony: My American dad was born in Myanmar because my grandparents worked there before moving to Chiang Mai. Then my dad met my mum, who belongs to the Rawang ethnic group, who mostly live in Myanmar and southern China. She came from Myanmar to Chiang Mai when she was only 17. They fell in love and got married before my father moved to California to study. I was born in America.

BK: When did you study in Thailand?
Anthony: We moved back to Chiang Mai when I was three years old after my father graduated. I went to Chiang Mai International School, then went to study philosophy and religion at a university in the US and then stayed there for 10 years. 

BK: What did you do there?
Anthony: I did a lot of jobs in the US as a writer, photographer, historian, tour guide, archaeologist, extreme-sports man and a sushi chef because my uncle ran a sushi shop. 

BK: Why did you end up doing so many different jobs?
Anthony: I knew from a young age that I didn’t want to work in an office. I knew I would feel trapped, go crazy and want to jump from the building.

BK: Why did you choose to do philosophy and religion as your major?
Anthony: I always wondered where beliefs came from and why we needed religion. You have a community of faith when many people believe similar teachings, and this reaches a large scale, at the national and global levels. Not to mention that history and religions have always been connected to things like architecture through their temples and churches.  

BK: How did you land the Hidden Cities series job?
Anthony: In 2009, while I was staying in Chiang Mai, I heard that the History Channel was looking for a host for their new series. I found out two days before the deadline, so I went to Mueng Mai market to make a video clip to introduce myself. I finished it in one day, and luckily I was the one they picked.

BK: Why did you decide to do it?
Anthony: I was challenging myself. I was taking a chance, taking a risk. When I applied I thought this is a crazy dream—there are other people who are more capable at this.

BK: Were there any weird experiences while filming?
Anthony: Yes. While we were filming in an old military hospital, we heard the sound of marching all the time, even though there was nothing there.

BK: Do you believe that Thailand still has a hidden city?
Anthony: I think every place has its own story. You just have to be interested in the story behind the bricks.

Growing up with music made me have big dreams about it. I always imagined elevating Thai music to an international level when I saw the success of Sukiyaki from Japan.

I used kitchenware like chopsticks, pots, boxes and basins as my homemade drum set. I was happy playing music alone.

I was lucky to grow up in an era that had various kinds of music and where the artists were real artists. They produced their own music and were unforgettable, like Elvis, Elton John, Queen, Deep Purple and Led Zeppelin.

People might not know that I also listen to classical music.

My first instrument was a B300 guitar that I bought by saving up my pocket money.

In others countries, many heroes of society are artists and actors but in Thailand, we label them as odd jobs. No one thinks that music, arts, culture and sports are indicators of the human qualities of a country.

I chose the alias “Tik Shiro” after I worked as a DJ at a club with a Japanese guy named Yoshi. I thought it would be nice if I had an alias similar to his name. Shiro means white.

I put my music skills to the test by forming a band with friends at school. We went to any contest and gig to show our talent. My big break came when I was invited to be the drummer of Ploy band. When they broke up, I was signed to Nitithat Production.

I always take myself seriously at work even though I’m usually quite fun and easy-going.

My life has passed through a lot of storms that caused me to fail. I used to have an import business that collapsed in the 1997 financial crisis.

The teachings of Buddhism have helped me cope. No matter how badly you fail, don’t cling to things. Find a way to solve the problem. Fix things at the root.

After failing in business, I went to study a mini-MBA to learn how to run a business. Then I got a Master’s degree in political science and now I’m working towards a Ph.D. in political science.

I believe that as we grow old, we shouldn’t only be aging. Our qualities should be growing as well. Other people know things better than us, so why not learn from them?

I don’t like to let time go by. I always manage my time so I can do everything I want to do. Now I’m writing a pocket book and I’m often working as a lecturer at various universities. I’m also a painter and used to go aboard to exhibit my paintings.

I predicted 10 years ago that the music industry would be in a bad state and today it’s true. It will sink further because we’re still fixing the problem by chasing it, instead of trying to prevent it.

Technology makes things change. The era of producing an album with hundreds of thousands of baht is gone. An artist can produce his work with only a few thousand.

Concerts are a way to survive in this business.

One drawback of this era is quality screening by both artist and listener. The audience is now getting used to downloading songs, which devalues the work of the artist, while the artist produces work too quickly and easily without stopping to think.

I think the 60s, 70s and 80s were the peak of the music industry. Everyone knew who the artists and the songs were. Today people don’t even know whose song they are listening to.

In these times, it’s hard to create legends. Many people keep asking me, “Are we going to have the next Michael Jackson?” I say it’s difficult to find a person who is willing to sacrifice themselves for music.

New artists shouldn’t be worried about whether or not their music will become legendary. If you’re born to be an artist, you will find your own way of making it.

I always give love to my family. I hug my children everyday. They’re my rewards in life.

The way to be successful has to go together with morality. Then you will find great success. Interview by Monruedee Jansuttipan

Thitiwat Thiankasem, 23, personal tutor
“I want to ask Michael Jackson why he had to go so fast. He still had a lot to do, so why rush?”

Andy Thompson, 29, service manager
“Jimi Hendrix and ask him for some tips on playing the guitar and teach me if he has time.”

Piyanit Watjanarat, 27, course consultant
“William Shakespeare. I want to ask why did he have to write something so difficult. It’s so hard to translate!”

Chomponuch Jongsomjit, 27, service officer
“I want to talk to Mitr Chaibancha. I want to know why he didn’t use a stuntman and acted by himself on the day he died at the movie set. I want to ask for the cause of the accident too.”

Chatchawal Chantarasa, 32, engineer
“I want to ask Elvis Presley if he is still playing music up there because his music is still popular on earth.”

Lanu Srichainat, 32, programmer
“I would talk to my relatives who passed away and ask them how they are doing.”

You might have wondered what life after death is like but have you ever considered what life is like for those who spend their days with the dead? This Halloween, while so many people are talking about ghouls and ghosts, BK introduces you to the people whose jobs involve meeting real dead bodies every day.

Dead job #1

Burn after praying

Tri Kulchart, 40-year-old mortician at Hualampong Temple. For over ten years Tri has been caring for and preparing the bodies that come to the temple ready for their cremation.

How did you start doing this job? I used to be a street vendor before I got a job as a construction worker at Hualampong temple. Then my brother said, “Why don’t you stay at the temple?” I’d always felt like the outside world was too fussy anyway, so I just gave it a try. I have now been at the temple since 1998.
What was seeing your first body like? The first bodies were tough but you eventually get used to it.
What’s your general routine with the body? I clean, dress and then put the bodies into the coffin and then sleep with the coffin at night. Then I lead the prayer at the ceremony until the cremation, before collecting the bones and ashes for the relatives. In some cases, I also go out to bring the bodies back to the temple. The worst cases are the ones that have been hit by cars. They come in piece by piece.
What are people reactions to what you do for a living? It really depends but most are fine with it. They just always ask, “Don’t you feel afraid?” I don’t.
How much do you earn? It depends on what the relatives give me. We receive no official salary.
Do you believe in ghosts or spirits? Yes. Normally, I am not afraid of the bodies that come to the temple, but I get scared if I knew the person when they were alive.
Any supernatural experiences? Yes. I recently saw the spirit of a guy I knew. He was stabbed to death. I saw his spirit walking around the temple where he used to live. I thought it was odd that he was still around. Then I went to the hospital and found that no-one had taken his body home yet. So I contacted his family to come and get him and I didn’t see his spirit again.
Has it changed your attitude towards death? Yes. 12-years of working here and I now see death as natural. I have also realized that you don’t need to chase things for a happy, simple life.
Philosophy? Do the best to send them off peacefully.

Dead job #2

Searching for Truth

Pol. Maj. Napapat Nattasumon, 31, is the forensic medical doctor at the Institute of Forensic Medicine, Police General Hospital where she examines bodies to discover the real cause of death.

How did you start doing this job? I chose to become a forensic doctor because I loved to watch crime investigation movies. I was so fascinated by the way they searched for the truth. While others were scared watching horror movies, I was like studying it, thinking why was the blood there? How they did make it look that real? Why did the bodies look like that? So I studied medicine first and then later on I started working at the Police Hospital where I requested a scholarship to study forensic science for three years.
What was seeing your first body like? My first was at the Forensics Museum at Siriraj University while studying at medical school. I was kind of freaked out early on that this was what I had to deal with, but things changed after I began doing meditation. I started to understand how things really were.
What are people’s reactions when they find out what you do? They’re curious about how I can work with dead bodies.
How much do you earn? That depends on our police ranks. Now I get B17,000 plus professional fees and public servant welfare.
What’s your general routine when you receive the body? First of all, I have to check what bodies are waiting to have an autopsy. There are normally about 15 bodies a day split between two of us. Our job is to track down the true cause of death by carrying out a thorough medical examination. Then we tell the relatives and the police what exactly happened to the body. Sometimes, we will go out to check the body at the crime scene if the police ask us. In my team, we also spend time in the southern provinces due to the high number of deaths down there.
Do you believe in ghosts or spirits? Yes.
Any supernatural experiences? Well maybe. I am not sure if it was truly supernatural or not but there was one case where the relatives didn’t want us to perform an autopsy. I prayed to the body of the dead man and told him that if he wanted his family to find out what made him die, please convince them to let me perform the autopsy. Out of nowhere, his relatives gave me the green light. I found that the cause of death was bleeding in the stomach, a genetic condition that could have killed all his relatives if it had gone undiscovered.
Has it changed your attitude towards death? After seeing lots of causes of death, I have prepared myself for death and made sure that there will be no burdens for my family.
Philosophy? Bringing justice to the dead because they can’t speak.

Dead job #3

Guardian Angel

As ICU nurse manager at Samitivej Hospital, Nitorn Washirasawass, 39 is on the front line of the struggle between life and death and the first person to help relatives with the grieving process.

How did you start doing this job? I had a girly dream to become a nurse after watching lots of movies where nurses save the patient’s lives. That impressed me. I studied nursing at Chiang Mai University before deciding to become a nurse in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) in 1993. I felt I could use my knowledge best in this unit.
What’s your general routine with the body? I usually deal with the patients, but after they pass away, the most important people are their relatives. We will ask them what they want to do with the body and we will help them organize that. We will do everything possible to honor the dead and their memory […in tears]. I never let my tears fall in front of the patients or their relatives though. We have to be strong when they are in sorrow. They need someone to soothe them and make them feel better.
What are people’s reactions when they find out what you do? They ask me why I don’t choose another unit that doesn’t have so many critical patients or deaths.
How much do you earn? Depends on your experience and level and the hospital.
Do you believe in spirits or ghosts? Yes.
Any supernatural experiences? No.
Has it changed your attitude towards death? It’s made me appreciate that it’s a natural thing.
Philosophy? Make every minute of your life worthwhile and valuable while you’re still alive.

Dead job #4

Real-life CSI

Pol. Capt. Saralnuch Choo-klin (right), 28, and Pol. Lt. Sommhai Saengkaew, 28, are both scientists (Level 1) at the Crime Scene Investigation Sub Division of the Royal Thai Police. It’s their job to visit crime and accident scenes and pick up valuable evidence to help solve the case.

How did you start doing this job? We both graduated in science from university with the hope of working in the industrial sector, but we heard that the Royal Thai Police were recruiting scientists. We decided to take the test and after studying for two years, we became part of the Crime Scene Investigation Division.
What was seeing your first body like?
Saralnuch: Because you spend two years studying existing cases where you see lots of pictures of bodies, I actually handled it better than expected.
Sommhai: Yes, I was also already prepared for it.
What are people’s reactions when they find out what you do?
Saralnuch: They seem a little afraid of what we’re doing.
Sommhai: Some people ask us, “Are you really a CSI officer?” Because of our girly looks.
What’s your general routine with the body? Collecting evidence on and around the body, fingerprints, blood samples or any other on-scene evidence. The witnesses might change their testimony in court so we need solid evidence in a murder or robbery case. For cases of fires, we have to find if it was on purpose or an accident.
How much do you earn? Depends on your police rank.
Do you believe in ghosts or spirits? Yes.
Supernatural experiences? Never.
Has it changed your attitude towards death?
Saralnuch: I’m more alert about what I am doing.
Sommhai: Yes, I am more cautious in my everyday life.
Philosophy? Giving justice for the dead people.

Dead job #5

Real life Hero

As a rescue volunteer at the Ruamkatanyu Foundation, Anyawuth Poampai, 37, is usually one of the first on the scene of motoring accidents.

How did you start doing this job? I used to be a waen boy racing my motorcycle around. One day, I was 15, I went to drink with friends and on the way home I came across a female driver who had hit an old man. She was in shock and didn’t know what to do, while the old guy lay on the road bleeding. I parked my moto and asked her “Why don’t you help him?” and she just said, “I can’t move.” I ended up driving the old man to the hospital in her car even though I didn’t know how to drive, she had to guide me. At the hospital, the old man’s relatives were so thankful for what I had done. At that moment, I decided I wanted to be a rescue volunteer and I have now been doing it since 1989. I am now part of a permanent rescue team.
What’s your general routine? I am stationed at the Rama 9-Ratchada area from 8am-8pm. I will monitor any accidents and help transport casualties to the hospital as fast as possible.
What are people’s reactions when they find out what you do? Most people are a little afraid and ask how I cope with the blood and bodies.
How much do you earn? B13,000.
Do you believe in ghosts? Yes.
Any supernatural experiences? Yes. I once smelled a dead body in my apartment. I went out to work and was radioed that a body had been found in a building elsewhere in my area. When I arrived at the scene the scent of the body was the exact same smell as at my apartment. I think the dead man might have come looking for me to help him.
Has it changed your attitude towards death? I don’t drive or do things recklessly anymore. We can die so easily.
Philosophy? Everyone has their loved ones. Help them survive as much as possible.

Dead job #6

autopsy assistant

Squad leader Pol. Snr. Sgt. Maj. Banjong Thonghai, 39, is responsible for placing the bodies into the mortuary at the Institute of Forensic Medicine at the Police General Hospital before preparing them for autopsy.

How did you start doing this job? I graduated from the Royal Police Cadet Academy as a police lance corporal and became a crime scene police officer for six years. Then I applied to the Institute of Forensic Medicine as I thought it would be interesting.
What was seeing your first body like? I thought I was already familiar with seeing bodies at crime scenes. But in fact, I found that I really couldn’t handle seeing the bodies undergoing the autopsy operation. I couldn’t eat for weeks.
What’s your general routine with the body? I take any new bodies that have arrived to the mortuary room, then take the bodies that we received the day before to the autopsy room to prepare them for the doctor. I had to practice cutting open the bodies, as we actually cut open Thai and foreigner’s different ways. For Thais we just make an “I” shape incision while for foreigners we cut a “Y” shape. Some foreigners might have an open coffin so the Y shape is better for dressing. Once we’ve cut open the main body, I then have to saw open the head to reveal the brain. The first time I had to carry a brain, my hands were shaking. The most difficult bodies are the ones that have been injected with formalin to preserve them. It makes the body very tough and also it’s so smelly and acrid. If there is some big incident like a tsunami or plane crash, we also have to go to the scene to help identify the bodies.
What are people’s reactions when they find out what you do? Curiosity about how I can deal with it.
How much do you earn? Depends on our police ranks. Now I receive B16,000 plus.
Do you believe in ghosts and spirits? Yes.
Any supernatural experiences? I’ve never seen a ghost, but I have experienced weird feelings, like finding it hard to breathe as if something was constricting my body. But I’m not sure. Maybe I just slept in the wrong position.
Has it changed your attitude towards death? We’re all the same, we come with nothing and go with nothing. So why not try and do good things.
Philosophy? Sympathy to the dead and bring them justice.

Dead job #7

Living with the Dead

Rung Poebua, 52, is the undertaker at the 150 year old cemetery situated on Silom Road, the largest Chinese cemetery in Bangkok. He’s responsible for making sure the dead get to their final resting place without any hitches.

How did you start doing this job? My family have been undertakers for this cemetery for ages and ages. I have been working at this job since I was born.
What’s your general routine with the body? I do everything from digging the hole and decorating the graves to cleaning the cemetery for annual festivals like Chinese New Year or Qing Ming. Now there are real estate developments that are taking over parts of the old cemetery to build on, so I have to dig up the old graves and take the bodies out for relatives to move them to a new cemetery. Some bodies are now just bones, but some are all dried like a mummy. I handle the whole cemetery.
What are people’s reactions when they find out what you do? They understand what we’re doing.
How much do you earn? Depends on what the relatives give. We have to have another job because we can’t make a living just taking care of the cemetery.
Do you believe in ghosts and spirits? Yes.
Any supernatural experiences? Never.
Has it changed your attitude towards death? Handling lots of graves makes me take a more relaxed outlook on life.
Philosophy? Respect the dead.

Dead job #8

Dead Focus

As crime photographer at the Thairath Newspaper, Suvasan Chomkaew, 37, has spent the last ten years capturing some of the most grisly cases for Thailand’s biggest selling daily paper.

How did you start doing this job? I applied in 1996 right after I graduated from Siam University with a major in Advertising. I felt that this job would never be boring. New things happen every day which is kind of fun. I don’t even have to read the newspaper because I am there at the heart of the action.
What was seeing your first body like? It wasn’t actually for work. It was my friend’s brother and he had been kept in the coffin for 100 days. When they took him out, the body looked so bad I nearly threw up. The image of it stopped me from sleeping.
What are people’s reactions when they find out what you do? They keep asking me how I can encounter so many horrific incidents.
How much do you earn? B10,000 plus good welfare.
What’s your general routine with the body? I cover any news events, but in some cases there are bodies. All I have to do is be there first but not destroy the evidence at the crime scene. I have to take a great shot of the body to get it printed on the front page. Once, I even asked a volunteer to carry a severed arm of a guy and put it next to his body. That picture made the front page of the next day’s newspaper.
Do you believe in ghosts? Yes.
Any supernatural experiences? Never. Just exciting experiences covering some of the biggest news stories and trying not to get caught taking the photos!
Has it changed your attitude towards death? It makes me more careful about daily life. Some people died so easily even though they only had a tiny cut, while someone who loses an arm survives. Now I’m much less negligent.
Philosophy? Make the great shot but don’t take too much risk.

Dead job #9

The final touches

Make-up artist Manassaporn “Sri “ Amornnan, 47, who works at the Chest Disease Institute, Nonthaburi province, has the task of making sure the deceased look their best in the next life.

How did you start doing this job? I worked in a coffin shop for 17 years and have now been stationed at the Chest Disease Institute mortuary selling coffins for the pastfive years. It all started when I noticed the bodies using the coffins in the shop were so pale. I wanted to make them look better, so I started using my own cosmetics. Then some families asked me to take the job more seriously, so I decided to do it as the main part of the job. I even took a short make-up course to learn more.
What was seeing your first body like? At the beginning I was scared but now not at all. I got used to it.
What are people’s reactions when they find out what you do? They say I am such a cool woman who can be so at ease with a dead body.
How much do you earn? B9,000 plus.
What’s your general routine with the body? My work is to take care of the body once it is moved down to the morgue. I have to clean the body, handle the paper work, store the body in a frozen room, contact the family, sell them a coffin and do the make-up. In case the family can’t afford to buy a coffin, I try to arrange for a donation. I will take care of the body until it is moved to the temple.
Do you believe in ghosts? Yes.
Any supernatural experiences? Only once. I was putting make-up on the body as usual and another guy was injecting the formalin into the body at the same time. That night I had a dream that the person came to tell me that when the formalin was injected into her body, she choked, just like what you’d feel when you drown. Ever since, I speak to the body every time before we inject the formalin. It’s weird that many times, the family will come up to me and say, “How did you know that the person likes their make-up done this way or in this particular color?” So I think the spirits somehow can connect to me.
Has it changed your attitude towards death? I’m easy going and don’t expect too much. Human’s are nothing. Only good deeds will last.
Philosophy? I ask for permission from the body every time, tell him or her to somehow let me know what color I should do or which style he or she would prefer.

BK Asks: If you could talk to anyone who is already dead, who would it be?

Tales of dumb deaths from Thailand in 2010

Ready to party? Have a look at our round-up of Halloween shenanigans

Growing up in HK, I spent a lot of time in this private garden and playground we had. Everyday was about going down there to be with my friends so we could roller skate, swing on the monkey bars and play volleyball. It wasn’t like how it is now where kids get lost in the Internet.

I grew up in a single parent family. My father passed away before I was even born. That’s why I never had the heart to hurt my mother. People go through a rebellious stage at some point of their lives but I never had that because I knew how hard it was for my mom to support me and my two sisters.

I never had a chance to work as anything else; my first job was singing. I entered a singing contest in Hong Kong which was similar to American Idol. I won second place and got signed right away.

The journey I went through after high school and the singing contest, as well as being thrown into the world of entertainment was really, really hard. There was a lot of waiting. People only see the glamorous side of it all. What they don’t know is that it takes months, sometime even a year to prepare for a concert. But the audience sees only three hours of it.

Mentally, you have to accept whatever life throws at you. You have to keep an open mind. Both positive and negative news need to be taken with a grain of salt.
I have a very strong work ethic. I always believe you must treat people the way you want to be treated.

My family’s always with me. That keeps me grounded. But like any other artiste, I do have two sides of me. At home, I’m Ferren. On stage, I’m Coco. I command that stage. I’m more powerful. But when you meet me in person, I’m like a girlfriend from high school. A lot of people who meet me say that I’m very approachable.

I think there’s a lot of sacrificing to do when you’re in love. In the beginning, Bruce [Rockowitz]and I didn’t want to go public because it was our private lives but it became scary when we had the paparazzi chasing us as if we were criminals. It was very dangerous. And we thought, “Forget it, it’s probably safer to come out and tell people that we’re in love.” Now they don’t bother us as much.

We’ve all had our hearts broken and we’ll always remember the guy who did it. When it happened to me, I was very young, probably in my early 20s. I was really crazy about the guy; he was my first true love. Then, I found out he was cheating on me.

I say it’s better that you find out he’s an ass now rather than later because you can get rid of his ass sooner. If he’s cheating on you, you don’t need him. You have to love and respect yourself.

To keep a relationship going, you always have to keep it hot. You’ve got to act like the mistress, the girlfriend and the wife. You can’t just be contented with what’s there. Bruce and I have been going out for nearly eight years and it still feels like the beginning.

I only started working out when I came to HK for my singing contest. I used to eat a lot. I realized I needed to lose weight when I noticed all these guys staring at my boobs on the MTR. Everyone should work out; it makes you feel so good!