You’re free to choose what you want in life. I told my parents I wanted to quit accounting school to study art. They objected as they saw the life of an artist as too unpredictable.

I asked my parents to send me to New York to work with my aunt, instead. My parents weren’t rich so they bought me a one-way ticket and said I had to build everything on my own over there. The ticket was all they could do for me.

They said, don’t come back if you have a blonde wife and can’t get a degree. Well, I only broke one promise as I brought back my beautiful blonde wife, Fey.

New York gives everyone a chance. It gave me the strength to push myself forward. For years, I’d sleep only 3-4 hours as I had to wake up early to study then head to work from 4pm to 3am to pay for university.

Hardship is only temporary. But your goals remain. When my wife and I returned to Bangkok in 1987, we didn’t have any savings. So we did MLM [pyramid referral sales], graphic design, training courses and even opened a ballet school, Rising Star Dance Studio, more than 10 years ago.

Sometimes the going gets tough, but in the end, I believe you can always get what you want.

Give everything your best shot. You never know when your big break is going to be. I started acting for the first time in 2010 [Wade Muller’s short film, Second Chance] when I was nearly 50. And here I am.

Do your homework. Working with an international crew including director Nicolas Winding Refn and an A-list actor like Ryan Gosling was a real challenge. But if you train hard enough, it doesn’t matter if you’re A-list or C-list.

Thai boxing is really tough. I spent five months training for the role. At some points, I cried.

There’s more noir in newspapers than in this film. And I don’t see anything wrong in making a movie about the dark side of Bangkok. I even think it’s kind of good to show it because it’s the reality. These are the failings in our society. We have to admit that.

Thais should worry about reality rather than credibility. Many were outraged when Lady Gaga talked about getting a fake Rolex but those things exist. Face it and fix it.

Life isn’t a postcard. If you want to see beauty, watch wildlife documentaries.

2012 was the best and worst year in my life. I was nominated for best actor [National Film Association Award], starred alongside Ryan Gosling, but I lost my mom to cancer.

Nature is humbling. It reminds you nothing is forever.

Don’t give up. Even when things seem hopeless. I was first contacted for Only God Forgives nearly two years before it started shooting. I was told to lose weight for the role of an ex-boxer. And I started doing it right away even though nothing was certain about the project.

Don’t try to help those who won’t help themselves. I nearly lost my family because I tried to fix my parents’ problems. My dad was an alcoholic and ruining his marriage. I felt I had a duty to fix that and neglected my wife to take care of them. But as a result, she and I became estranged.

Forgive yourself to move on. I felt so guilty that I couldn’t help my parents, but I finally let it go. Luckily not only God forgives, but my wife forgives, too.

When you face a tough time, those with a bad attitude will ask God, “Why me?” Those who with a good attitude will say, “Try me.”

My wife and I tried to have children for five years but we both had fertility problems. Though, we failed many times, we never gave up. If we had, we wouldn’t have had our wonderful child.

I love kendo. It requires strength and softness to fight. It also teaches you to be humble as you have to salute your opponent both before and after the fight. I’ve done it since I was in New York and I am now the president of the Bangkok Kendo Club.

You will be respected when you respect others. I always tell my son to be humble to everyone. He has to wai the security guard at his school every day.

Starting acting in my 50s made me realize that everyone might have some hidden talent that has never been found or used to its full potential.

I’m living in a dream. I cried when I listened to “Ter Kue Kwam Fun” [Proud’s title song to Only God Forgives, which translates to “You’re my Dream”]. I never thought I would accomplish this dream of becoming an actor. Now I just wish I can do this job for a very long time.

What first drew you to music?
I saw some of my seniors play in a band in high school in Pattalung. It was so cool to see them play on stage. It was inspiring. I started playing guitar, taking a short course in classic guitar for two months, before moving on to piano for a few months. I didn’t like playing in the classical way, so I stopped. I just wanted to learn the fundamentals and continue in my own style.

How did you start your bedroom project?
I came to Bangkok to study music (vocals) at Rangsit University, where I met some friends who gave me a book called The Indie Bible. It really was a bible for me. It taught me everything about how to make music and how to distribute it on my own. I was able to produce 200 copies of my first EP on a B1,000 budget. It was so fun staying up all night burning blank CDs and printing out covers. Then I took it to Fat Fest 9 where I made contact with a few record labels, but nothing came of it. The next year I sent my follow-up EP, Superman, in to Fat’s Bedroom project. It was in the charts for 40 weeks! I won Best Bedroom Artist in 2011 and eventually signed to Believe Records. 

Why so long since we last heard from you?
I had a bit of downturn in my life. I still don’t really know what happened. Every time I tried to work with a producer, there would be some disaster leading them to drop me. It happened, like, four to five times. Luckily I’ve found the right one now. Those difficulties taught me another side of making music and how to treat and respect others. As artists and producers, we should talk and work together, rather than shun one another.

What do you do apart from being a singer?
As you know, artists can’t rely on income from downloads these days. So I do lots of work as a composer and voice coach. I work with GMM and Academy Fantasia. I also teach at a music school called Sansilp at Laksi.

What are your tips for new artists?
Music is about doing things repeatedly and putting your heart into it. Practicing is important. I always tell others that you don’t need to rush yourself making music. Doing it gradually will make it beautiful. Do it to please yourself and don’t worry too much about what others think.
Keep up to date with Pavee on facebook.com/paveeo
 

I’ve never spent more than six months in a year in Singapore since 1997. There may be lots of opportunities here but in many ways, it can be deeply conservative. I find that frustrating and depressing.

The fun culture dissipates after a year or two. Expats living here may find that very convenient, however. It takes 20 minutes to the airport compared to the two hours in other countries.

The cage that Singaporeans live in is so minimalized today. When I was growing up, I had to fight much harder to move the border. Today, everyone is simply living within a 100 square meter radius.

The desire to go abroad is much less intense now. We have so much going on here; that’s why we no longer have that desire to do something or go anywhere else. I’d like Singapore to be a desire machine again.

We certainly fight less compared to say, the Mainland Chinese. They consistently fight and struggle to better their lives. Singaporeans are not very good when they’re traumatized. They need changes that are definite and gradual.

I had a midlife crisis when I was 29. I went to New York to do my Masters.  And in 2010, I felt like I had hit my retirement crisis, which is why I went back to do my PhD.

New York is my mecca. I like to get lost in all that anonymity.

The arts are part of every New Yorkers’ daily life. It’s like doing laundry to them.  

That said, I didn’t have lots of time to catch many performances over the last few years because I was caught up reading books for school. We had to finish at least one book per day.

When I’m overseas, I plug myself into different communities, be it working with younger, hungrier artists or simply living at the edge of societies where a lot of people cannot afford a lot of things.

I also go to Italy once a year to experience the life of an ordinary person; just watching people planting vegetables or go to the local bread shops. There’s so much more land and nature and you still see lots of old monuments as well as local heritage.

When I was offered the role to take on the Arts Festival here, I felt like I was being dragged back home. But I would regret it if I didn’t take it on.

In making art, you must not know how certain things will turn out. There are things that are unknowing. Even from rehearsals sometimes you’re not quite sure of what you want and in that sense, the inability to know is quite frightening for a country like Singapore. Which also explains why programming for the arts here has always been so bureaucratic and predictable.

I do not believe that an arts festival can be everything for everybody.

Singapore can never become a festival city because we are not small enough like say, Edinburgh. We are a huge country despite being a small island. It feels like we’re on expressways all the time travelling on intercity highways.

It’s important not to be sucked into power structures, be it for money, leadership or popularity. By being a little distant and by switching communities all the time when I travel, I tend to be a little distant from the desires of each community. And that keeps me a little sane.

I’m the type of person who tries to see the silver lining in everything. Even if it’s not there, you still have to see it.

Don’t bring other people’s problems on yourself. My parents separated but I never thought of it as a problem. It was better for them to be apart than be forced to stay together and suffer for my sake.

Music brings me friends. I was sent from Uttaradit to study in Bangkok alone; I started playing in a brass band and I made so many friends. When I told my parents that I wanted to study music at university, they were against it at first as they didn’t see any future in it, but eventually they relented.

Always plan ahead. The good things that happen tomorrow are because of the good things you do today. After I graduated and become a teacher at Srinakharinwirot University, I applied for a master’s scholarship and I secured one in the US.

I hated the US at first. It was just as I had imagined. After I landed in Illinois, I saw cornfields that stretched to the horizon. All the shops closed at 5 or 6pm. I called my mom and said I would be home after two years. But after continuing onto my Ph.D., I got job after job. It has been 13 years now.

Composing a song is like playing a game with no rules. You can put notes anywhere. It’s incredible to hear all the sounds you have in your head brought to life by real instruments.

Humility makes people respect you. People treat me well as I am an artist, and I treat everyone as human beings. I love to talk to random people from the audience after a show. You get the sort of feedback that you never recieve from the critics.

I nearly cried when a disabled concert-goer came up to me in his wheelchair after a show. He said my songs made him feel that he wasn’t in pain anymore. This moment was so precious to me. I never thought that, as a composer, I would ever make anyone feel like that.

Thailand isn’t the place for a full-time classical composer. I used to be branded a traitor for not coming back to work in Thailand. But the truth is our classical music scene is sparse. Personally, I think that by working abroad I can pave the way for future generations.

Classical music in Asia is growing faster than ever. Japan, Korea and now China have all benefited from technology that help audiences access anything they want, including classical music, which has long been seen as the reserve of the upper class. Pop culture, movies and TV series now contain more classical music, too.

There is nothing complicated about music. It’s just a question of whether you like it or not. Many Thais are too afraid to listen to classical music because they’re not familiar with it. But it’s like food: if you don’t like the taste, switch to another. If you don’t like Beethoven, there are a vast number of other composers you may like. The key is just to open your mind.

We don’t need more classical musicians; we just need more of an audience for our music here.

Classical music could be popular here if it was seen as more fun and casual. It doesn’t have to be this serious thing were you get dressed up and sit in a big hall and then remain silent before breaking out in polite applause. It can be hip like going to watch a movie in your T-shirt and jeans, and grabbing a coffee beforehand.

Step out of your comfort zone. Being in the same place for too long means facing less and less challenges. I encourage Thai kids to go abroad to advance their skills.

It’s important that adults pass on their experiences to young people. That’s why I decided to host the Thailand International Composition Festival to gather some of the world’s greatest composers to pass on their knowledge and let kids know there are possibilities outside of Thailand.

Keeping others down doesn’t mean you’re better. Many people try to restrict the opportunities of others by keeping knowledge to themselves instead of sharing it. That sort of outlook doesn’t help anyone. 

Good musicians must have a good attitude towards any type of music. They must get excited to challenge themselves every time they are commissioned to play a different kind of music.

Classical music isn’t better than pop music. There is a misconception among Thai classical musicians that they automatically have a higher status than pop musicians. The truth is we’re all entertainers. There’s no point going around thinking you’re better than anyone. 

2011 was the darkest year in my life. Many of my friends were flood victims. I’d just won an award but couldn’t compose a song for the following six months. It was like I’d gone deaf.

I became depressed and even contemplated committing suicide. These thoughts vanished after my mom told me that if I killed myself, she would do the same.

Not long after, in 2012, I composed a bunch of songs, three of which helped me win the Guggenheim Memorial Foundation Award.

I want to go down in classical music history. I wish to be like Beethoven whose songs are still played today.

I don’t want to be a superstar. I want to be an inspiration.
 

How did you get your start in acting?
A scout picked me out while I was walking around Siam Square, and that was my first step in the business. I starred in some Thai TV commercials and dramas, and I also worked as a model in Malaysia, Singapore and Vietnam. Luckily, Thailand is a very popular location with international filmmakers, and this provides a lot of opportunities for Thai actors and actresses. After I was discovered by a scout, I jumped at an audition opportunity and was cast in the film Street Fighter.

Do you have any other hobbies or interests apart from acting?
Though I’m mainly an actress, I’ve also been a dancer for about two years—once I was a backup dancer for Burin Boonvisut’s concert, and at the time Chris Horwang was a choreographer for the show. I was fascinated by his career. Now whenever I listen to dance music, moves will automatically pop up in my head, so if I wasn’t an actress I would have been a choreographer. 

You’re very fit. You have any diet tips?
Actually, I love eating and I never reject any food because it has a lot of calories. But getting fat isn’t a serious problem for me because I love exercising. What works for me is eating lots vegetables and exercising daily, because working out helps you stay in good shape and keeps you healthy. If I think that I’m getting fat, I just reduce my carbohydrate intake and work out more. 

What is one of your most memorable movie experiences?
In the film Scorpion King 3, I didn’t know how to fence but the producer expected me to master it in a really limited amount of time. So after a lot of effort and training by the Ong-Bak team, I felt really good about the end result, but sometimes it was difficult. When we were filming, I didn’t get to use any protective equipment or have stunt doubles so sometimes I got injured. My producer always used the first take, too! Once, I even had to do a somersault without using a protective mattress or anything. But after I watched the film, I was so proud of myself for what I had accomplished. It was a very memorable time.

What is your passion outside of acting and dancing?
Traveling is my passion, since I have traveled a lot in my childhood because of my father’s job. Actually, now I am planning to go on safari in Africa, and I’d really love to help African children while I’m there. I’ve heard about some of them being kidnapped, turned into soldiers and then brainwashed into murdering people. Fortunately, they were rescued by the United Nations and are temporarily sheltered by an orphanage. But I’d like to go and see how their lives are, where they live and if I can do anything to help them.

What’s your next ambition?
My dream is to be an international actress—I don’t want to just work in Thailand or Hollywood because I love to work everywhere. I think working in a French or Singaporean film would be a great opportunity.

How much time do you spend at Golden Mile?
I go about twice a week. It’s important just because our suppliers can’t find just what we want. Like if I want to buy green papaya for som tum, there are so many different species that you can buy. And it’s hard to find a good supplier that’s actually going to go out and get me exactly what I want. I am quite specific with somethings so it’s good to go to Golden Mile. It keeps me up to date with what’s going on and allows me to adjust the menu where necessary.

Do you still have import a lot of stuff on your own or do you manage to get everything you need here?
We get everything we need. Nothing is grown here, it’s all imported. And most of it does come from Thailand. Some bits and bobs we do get from Malaysia too. Malaysia’s actually starting to boom in terms of their organic suppliers.

Is Isaan food getting popular?
Well it’s been slowly, but it’s not a new thing. Pok Pok did it in the States. The trend started in Portland, and then went nuts. Isaan food has started becoming popular with Westerners such as myself, Andy Ricker from Pok Pok and Jarrett Wrisley from Soul Food in Bangkok. I think we’re just trying to make it more accessible to people and especially because non-Thais, when we go to Thailand, and look at the street food, especially when we come from a country like Australia where there is no street food, we see that and I think we’re a bit put off by it. And there’s no real restaurants in Bangkok that do good Isaan food. It is tasty and for me, non-Thais have been having massaman curries and pad thai for way too long. There’s much more to Thai food.

What is it about Isaan that you like?
I think that it’s the rawness. It is what it is. A grilled piece of meat is a grilled piece of meat, with some fish sauce, lime juice and just a bit of chilli. It’s not flashy, there is no fine dining element to it. Really, it’s a peasant food. There’s no heavy creams and heavy sauces in there overpowering everything. Like the salt crusted sea bass we have at the moment. That’s what it is. That’s what you taste. And a little bit of nam jim on the side to liven it up a little. After cooking Thai food to eight to nine years, the restaurants I was working at were always more Central Plains and I was finding that on my days off, the Thai food that I was looking forward to eating was more Isaan.

We noticed the menu is listed as “Isaan-inspired” not Isaan. Was this a conscious decision?  
Kha’s been around for five years. There were some reservations whether Isaan food would work or not, whether customers would be ready for the raw, in your face flavors. And some people have said, “Wow this is really hot and this is really salty.” There is a following for the restaurant, and there are regulars who come back just for the green curry. I’m not hear to rock the boat. It’s no trouble to me to keep three curries on the menu. But what we’re focusing on is Isaan.

How authentic is your food?
The word “Issan-inspired” is trying to protect the restaurant. But the flavors are authentic to me and I’m not holding back. People have been holding back, dumbing down Thai flavors for years and what’s the point of that? 

How’s business?
Good. People do like it, especially the grilled sea bass. Isaan food is really simple so you can’t hide your mistakes and the food has to be really fresh. The reviews have been generous. 

How often do you get people saying it’s “too strong”?
You get one complaint every one or two months. It’s not actually a complaint, more just a comment. There are signs on the menu warning people this is really spicy but sometimes people don’t believe it. 

Do you have a wish list for the menu?
For me I’d like to make it more Isaan, slowly, slowly taking off those green curries and things, and then start bringing in more raw salads and interesting things like salted beef.

Chef Adam Cliff cooks at KHA.

How did you come up with the idea for Popaganda?
Valerie and I both started out in advertising and brand consulting. So I guess the itch to create our own brand from scratch, with the ability to shape every facet, was never too far off. Personally, I’ve always been inclined towards a healthier lifestyle, thanks to very health conscious parents, so I’ve always been drawn to health-related concepts and have also spent a fair bit of time toying with different health food-based ideas. Valerie shares a similar interest. In fact, that’s how we met, at a permaculture workshop at Green Circle organic farm in Kranji.

How long did it take from coming up with the idea to selling your first ice pop?
Once we narrowed down our scope to frozen desserts, things moved fairly quickly and it took us about six months to launch at the Loewen Gardens Farmers Market. It would have been sooner except as Murphy’s Law would have it, after pulling a very harrowing all-nighter, we finally had to throw in the towel and call up the organizers rather sheepishly at the last minute to drop out of our first market day because we couldn’t get our pops to freeze properly using our brand new machine. Thankfully, the organizers were very sympathetic and didn’t charge us for the booth. So we didn’t have to deal with the double whammy of also making a loss before we even started!

What were the biggest challenges you faced in starting the business?
Getting past our own fears.

How did you get word out about your ice pops?
We started out with fortnightly pop ups at the Loewen Gardens Farmers Market plus a few events here and there. From there we progressed on to home deliveries and larger scale events. Along with Facebook, these avenues garnered us some publicity as well as precious word-of-mouth from those who tried our ice pops.

How do you come up with ideas for flavors?
We find inspiration from everything around us. We’re always keeping our eyes peeled for new ideas on our travels, in books, over meals, watching TV, surfing the net, at the grocery store...But typically, we always start with a base ingredient that we want to feature and then we look to see whether we should add anything else to enhance or complement its flavor. More often than not, we’ve found that less is more, so we try to keep things simple, relying heavily on the quality of the ingredients.

How often do you come up with new varieties and what has been your personal favorite flavor so far?
In the beginning, we were launching new flavors almost every month. Less so nowadays. Perhaps every quarter. But it’s a continuous process of evolution as we’re actually spending more time revisiting old flavors to improve on them.

I don’t have a favorite as I go through phases. But I’m partial to the more refreshing, fruitier flavors, especially the tangy ones, like pineapple-passionfruit. I also really love Really Orange. I think it’s our most refreshing flavor to date. Unfortunately, it tends to get ignored when placed alongside our other more unique flavors. Most recently, I’ve been cooling off with a lot of Watermelon Gazpacho. We had a lot of fun developing this “summer” flavor and I’m really proud of it, although admittedly we get a lot of weird looks when we tell people that it’s also got bell peppers, cucumbers and celery. But happily, most people actually like it when they try it.

Why ice pops?
Because they’re a great vehicle for our health and sustainability message. You can do lots of things visually with an ice pop and who doesn’t love desserts? 

If you didn’t make ice pops, what would you make?
Something else healthy. Valerie would probably want to farm bees and make honey!

Why was it important to you to use all natural ingredients and organic herbs?
Our goal from day one was to create our own health food brand. Popaganda was always meant as a platform to promote healthy eating. Anything less wouldn’t have cut it.

What are some other local food businesses you admire?
I really admire Tea Bone Zen Mind. They’ve got both style and substance. They really know their trade and I dare say they’ve elevated it to an art form. Their attention to detail is impeccable. Try their cucumber sandwiches and you’ll know what I mean. They don’t do anything half-heartedly and we always leave inspired. I like Real Food a lot too. I admire them for their passion; for not compromising on their ideals. I believe that really pays dividends.

Is the community of local food makers close knit?
If you’re talking about local food makers who share the same ideals as we do, then yes, we’re a pretty small, tight-knit community. Interestingly, we come from different walks of life. Everyone’s pretty friendly with each other. But having said that, most SME owners are, as we often have plenty to commiserate with each other about! 

Order ice pops at the Popaganda website.

Anxieties are the norm in filmmaking, especially for a control freak like me. You would think it gets easier with time, but it only gets harder.

Filmmaking is almost always a struggle before it becomes enjoyable, that’s when you can taste the sweetness of satisfaction from completing a work. I seriously think most filmmakers are sadistic.

Making and watching films provide me with so much gratification. My wife is sometimes jealous of this. But she is another big part of my life, and I probably need her more than I think I do.

It is really quite nerve-wrecking to be reading reviews of your own work. I had that experience for the first time in Cannes.

I’m not a religious person but I have this habit of going to Guan Yin Temple at Waterloo Street to pray for good luck. I did that just before Cannes, so there might be some divine intervention involved.

The human condition is universal everywhere. I guess that’s how our little film from Singapore connected with the international audience at Cannes. But I have to say, London has more life. People tend to be richer here, not physically, but what’s inside of them. And it’s a city that really cares about its culture and heritage.

Ang Lee is my biggest hero. I can’t imagine a better role model in terms of a filmmaker or even just as a person. I actually had the opportunity to speak to him backstage after the awards ceremony at Cannes. That really made my day.

A good film will move you or conjure an emotional reaction in you, and usually the really good ones do it in ways you can’t even describe.

I’ve always wanted to be an actor. I’m actually quite keen to explore that again.I believe it makes you a better director. But I dread memorizing lines as I’m bad with that.

I was always fighting with my two younger brothers growing up. I guess that’s usual when you have just boys at home. I had a really fun childhood filled with DOS games, badminton and booby traps, games that normal boys play.

I hope that a distinctive brand of Singapore cinema that is appreciated or admired around the world will emerge. My sense is that there is a new wave of films approaching, led by young, intelligent and perceptive filmmakers with a strong personal voice. I do hope they will get the support they need, and these films will be realized. Hong Kong, Japan, Korea and Taiwan have done it. Hopefully our time is soon.

I wish I loved money more, then at least I would be less poor now, but the money will come someday, I’d like to think.

How and why did you start this project?
I have a big group of friends in a close-knit community revolving around Home Club, owners included. Inspired by a high school yearbook concept, I started documenting club nights and performers, usually right before they go on stage. It was a nice homage to the club and the local music community in Singapore.

Who were your favorites to shoot?
DJ Marky, Spectrasoul and Star Slinger. They were not afraid to smile for the camera, which made me smile when I looked at them. Also the guys from Le Palooza—they gave so much to the camera.

Are you really the super-cool girl about town you seem to be?
Not so much. Most days I'm going on photo shoots and doing retouching work for commercial projects or my personal projects, #vinyloftheday (www.vinyloftheday.com) and a new magazine, TWO edition (www.facebook.com/2edition). In my downtime, I usually hang out with my husband and our pug, watch movies or TV, and listen to records or Spotify.

Tell us about your dream photo shoot.
Anthony Bourdain. I’d travel to the locations for his Parts Unknown series on CNN, where raw locations and interesting cultures surround him. Portraiture, photojournalism, food and travel—a dream combo for me.

What and who else inspire you?
Individualism, and the ability to translate that through one's medium. I admire people who have an opinion, and who have found their method of expressing them—figures like Picasso, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Hunter S. Thompson, Banksy and Charles Saatchi.

The Home Club Portraiture Project will be launched on June 29, 8pm at Home Club. Get a copy for $25 on the night (regular price $30).

His abstract paintings are a departure from his previous works which play with the written word. Why so?
Departing from his visual research and painterly practice of his very first Book Cover Paintings, Zimmermann established the bases of reading text as image and image as meaning. His paintings, although not engaging anymore with the written word, nevertheless convey pictorial meanings and are in tune with the fortuity of contemporary existence.

What are some of the themes apparent in this new series?
Zimmermann’s works reflect upon the visually intricate environment contemporary society is subject to and determined by; and they also reflect on the improbability of images to be independently interpreted. Every modern image is a result of a multitude of visual influences and pictorial languages; the notion of the Web, in particular that of a pictorial web, is paramount in our culture.

What can artgoers expect at the show?
Curatorially, Zimmermann wanted to transform the gallery space with his large scale monochromatic paintings into a new energetic field and spiritual space into a "chapel of colour" of sorts. And this is exactly what the viewer is experiencing in our gallery space being confronted with his glossy, translucent paintings.

crystal & fruits is on through July 7 at the Michael Janssen Gallery, Gilmann Barracks.