What do you get from practicing yoga?
It makes me tune in, chill out and shape up—all at the same time. It keeps my energy level high so my vitality is still vibrant, like a young person. It works my body so I'm also strong and look younger.

How does it benefit your body?
It decompresses the spine, increases flexibility, strength, stamina, improves body awareness, reduces stress, boosts self-esteem, improves circulation, stimulates the immune system and creates a sense of well-being.

What’s hot in yoga?
Aerial yoga, aka YogaFly. I think people are looking more for inspiration than new trends. YogaFly is aerial, it is graceful, it is beautiful. And it gives the possibility for everybody to exercise in such a different way.

How does it differ from other types of yoga?
It is aerial so it requires more space. It is not always on the ground. It is more dynamic. It is a combination of aerial dance, Pilates and acrobatics. It is a real fat burner exercise as we spend lots of energy between exercising—and even laughing sometimes. Even beginners can perform inversion poses so everybody can enjoy, from their very first class, the benefits of the advanced yoga poses.

What is the basic equipment required for practicing yoga at home?
For traditional yoga, you need only a mat and if you are beginner you might need blocks and a strap. For YogaFly you can obtain a YogaFly Hammock kit with all equipment at the Pilates Station Bangkok.

What’s most difficult about yoga?
One of the most difficult, but ultimately most liberating, things about yoga is letting go of the ego and accepting that no one is better than anyone else. Everyone is just doing their best on any given day. Other people will say that the most difficult thing is to practice controlling their breath, quieting their mind, and moving their body with awareness.

What’s coming next in yoga?
Yoga dance, a choreographed dance based on yoga postures.

Is yoga for everyone?
Traditional yoga is for almost everyone if the instructor is qualified and if the class is not overloaded. YogaFly is also for everybody. However, it is recommended for people with high- and low-blood pressure, serious eye and heart disease to skip the inversion poses.

3/F, Ten Ten Bldg, Sukhumvit Rd., 02-662-3341. BTS Phrom Phong.
 

Don’t let others dictate your dreams. I’ve always been self-confident with lots of ideas. Even though I graduated with a law degree, I decided to work as an advertising creative before becoming a TV creative.

Create a job if you can’t find the right one for you. When I was 26, I realized that I wanted to be an event organizer but there was no such thing in Thailand. So I quit my job and founded Index Creative Village 23 years ago. I didn’t see it as a business; I just wanted to do it. I didn’t even know what to name my job!

You’ll never get a job if you don’t go looking for it. I spent months walking into companies and agencies to explain what services we could offer. The Nescafe Shake campaign in 1990 was the turning point for event marketing here and it built our reputation.

Never stop creating. That’s the key to success. There are tons of event companies now, so you must constantly improve and stay fresh.

Don’t make what you love most your profession. I love to play bass more than anything in this world and at one point I even dreamed of becoming a musician. But now I feel blessed that I didn’t make it my job. It might not have been so much fun forcing myself to play better and better.

Playing music is aesthetic. If you play for happiness, you can create happiness anytime. It’s real creative expression, too. And you can play by yourself or join with friends.

Kids these days have too many choices and they don’t know what they really like to do. My advice, choose what you never get bored of.

I never waste my time. I really value it. I always feel as though time flies so fast—I mean, we are already half way through the year!

I never think of myself as successful even though my company is listed as one of the world’s top seven events companies by USA’s Special Events Magazine. There are so many people who’ve achieved more than me, like my juniors at school, or Abhisit and Yingluck, who’ve both served as Prime Minister.

I always give myself new goals to reach. Next I aim to establish Index as one of the world’s top five events companies.

The AEC is already here. It’s not coming in the next couple of years. It’s already happened. We know that there’s more to the market than just us. We’re talking about a population all over Southeast Asia. But the question is, will we be the taker or the taken?

Thailand isn’t ready for the AEC at all. Thais know about the AEC, but don’t know what they have to deal with. It will be a real challenge for every country as each has their own language and it’s only really the Philippines, Malaysia and Singapore who are good at English.

If we want to be a leader, we must move first. That’s why we decided to launch our business in Myanmar since things opened up there. If you get in first, you have more choices. You can choose the best partners to get in the best position to go further.

It’s better to walk with the people who are just getting started than try to keep pace with those already running fast. Myanmar is just awakening compared to somewhere like China. But I’m sure Myanmar will be moving faster and faster in the next couple of years.

Do your research before taking the next step. We visited Myanmar in order to meet people and prepare properly. We knew that one day, when the country opened up, we would hit the ground running. That’s why we were trusted to hold events like the countdown and Ting Yan (Songkran), which were attended by hundreds of thousands of people, something the military regime had never allowed before.

Our ministers aren’t as smart as other countries’ ministers. I’ve talked to many ministers from many countries. Our ministers are picked for self-serving reasons.

I’m disappointed by our country in many ways. As I jet around the world, I wonder why, as a Thai, we aren’t considered as cool as other countries? Maybe it’s because Thais never admire Thais. It’s annoying to see Thais admire Japanese, Koreans or Westerners more than their countrymen.

My worst moment happened when we were running the Thailand Pavilion at the World Expo in Shanghai in 2010. We were trying to do branding for Thailand as Thais were burning their homeland. I felt so dispirited and so bad for holding a Thai passport.

Just do your job. When I saw people queuing up for three hours to get into the Thailand Pavilion, I realized you can’t change some things but you still have a part to play. I’m proud of this country. I’m a small person who tries his best for his nation.

We can create great things on a par with any country in this world if we put our mind to it. We must come together to create a better future for our country.

I really admire Walt Disney for his empire: his cartoons, studios and Disneyland theme parks. It’s marvelous! Every kid knows Mickey Mouse, but many of them have never seen a cartoon with him in it.

Always dreams of goals that are reachable. It’s better to view goals as stepping stones, so you don’t get tired and have the energy to keep moving forward.

When did you start playing music?
Pretty much since I was in my mother’s womb! My parents always made me listen to music and encouraged me to play the guitar. I nearly gave it up because it hurt my fingers, though. I also played at church where I picked up a lot of music tips.

How is your life after The Voice?
It’s completely changed. It transformed me from a white collar worker to a singer. I used to be quite against reality shows as I felt they didn’t reflect the real reality. But when I watched the US and UK version of The Voice, it blew me away. The competitors are all really talented. I just wanted to have a go when The Voice Thailand arrived.

What was life like before The Voice?
I was working as a marketing consultant after I graduated from economics at Thammasat University. I didn’t know how far I would go in The Voice, but my boss was kind enough to let me chase my dream by not firing me during my time on the show. In the end, though, I decided to quit my job to continue chasing my dream to become a singer. Now I’ve just released my first single, “Free Love.”

Was it a hard decision to dump your career?
Not really. I see myself as a young man who still has lots of energy to do the things that I really want to do. My family is also cool with this.

What do you think of Thailand’s music industry?
I want Thai people broaden what they listen to, to steer away from only Thai pop or luk tung. I think we need to encourage people to really appreciate the diversity of art more, and that includes music. For instance, the price of buying an album online is the same as buying two cups of Starbucks coffee. These songs can inspire you, so respect the songs by paying for them.

What’s next for you?
I want to express myself as a musician, not just some guy who got famous from The Voice. I will continue playing the music that I love. I’m also interested in the business side of things as I studied economics, which I see as the art of understanding your consumer. Marketing, too, is the art of convincing people to buy stuff without feeling that they have been tricked. I hope to use my knowledge of marketing to advance the Thai music industry. Rewat “Ter” Buddhinan is my idol for the way he revolutionized our music industry with GMM.

How is this year’s edition of Shakespeare in the Park “bigger and bolder”?
The set is huge in concept and size. We are using more projection this year, in a stylized way, to tell the story. We want the audience to walk away from the show feeling like they have had great value for money and an excellent night’s entertainment.

How do Shakespearean works inspire you?
It is some of the greatest writing in the English language. The stories he tells and the poetry he created are what stand the test of time. In my opinion, he finds ways of communicating universal human traits in his plays more successfully than any other writer.

Can you personally relate to the themes in Othello?
If the question is, “Have I felt jealousy? Or betrayed?”, then the answer is yes. “Would I deal with it in the way that some of the characters in Othello do?”, then the answer is no.

What do you think of the local theater scene?
People are beginning to appreciate it more and more. One of the reasons I love working here is that there is a sense of possibility and enthusiasm for great work.

How can theater shake off its reputation of just catering to the rich?
It’s a huge misconception. Shakespeare wrote for the common people of London. Theater is one of the oldest and most popular art forms in the world.

Shakespeare in the Park—Othello is on through May 19, 7:30pm at Fort Canning Park.

How would you describe the typical BBAXN player?
BBAXN players have the distinct passion, heart and hunger for basketball excellence. While there is a high-intensity nature of competition, our games also promote camaraderie and fun among our players.

How fit do you need to be to play?
Anyone who is fit to dribble and pass, defend and shoot the ball, or run up and down the court can play the game. Players also need to have enough physical and mental toughness to endure the playing hours; tiredness and competition to win games.The physical and mental strengths of our players are continuously enhanced and developed as each season passes.

What if we don't know anyone else who plays?
At BBAXN, everyone is treated as part of a family. Even if you do not know anyone else in the league, the mere fact that you share the same passion and excellence in playing basketball will not hinder you to play with us.As part of our initiative to assist interested players in showing their basketball passion and skills, we have created a very easy way for you to reach out to our existing teams. If you are looking at joining a team, all you have to do is to register at our “Players Looking for a Team” database. BBAXN uses this database to help players become members of existing teams. The database is visited by team managers, who are bolstering their rosters, on a daily basis. These team managers will   then get in touch and invite these prospective players for try-outs.

How competitive do games get?
BBAXN has probably the best amateur basketball teams in Singapore. These teams know how to dish out a competitive but enjoyable playing experience to all of the players involved. While offering a fun platform for basketball enthusiasts, BBAXN also offers an opportunity for those who are looking at testing their basketball skills against teams who are striving to excel in their favourite sport.

Who are the teams to beat?
The BBAXN leagues are composed of the Weekend Men’s Leagues and Midweek Men’s Leagues.For our current Weekend Men’s League, the teams to look out for are LJE Sports BC, IFS Vikings BC and Brunel BC while for our Midweek Men’s League, Gunners BC and The Wet Bandits BC are the teams to beat for this season.

Are standards in Singapore improving?
Basketball in Singapore is on an upward trend in terms of level of play. Since the launch of BBAXN in 2005, we have seen impressive improvements in the players, the coaches, and in the basketball environment in general.BBAXN teams are composed of many nationalities (Singaporeans, Malaysians, Indonesians, Americans, British, French, Greek, Chinese, Japanese and Filipinos among others), experiences and playing styles of which players can definitely learn from.It is in the vision that with the amateur leagues that BBAXN is creating, basketball will soon be part of every household in the country.

Can we use the Harry's discounts before a game?
Yes. Harry’s cards, distributed to BBAXN teams, can be used anytime. Teams who are looking at discussing their recent basketball match or who simply want to relax after a fun and hard-fought game, usually visit the Harry’s bar outlet nearest to the basketball venues and enjoy discounts on food and beverages.BBAXN is always happy to accommodate inquiries and discuss basketball. Teams and players can visit our website. They can also email us at [email protected] and [email protected] or get in touch with us by calling 8233-2820.

Who are the teams to beat?
The BBAXN leagues are composed of the Weekend Men’s Leagues and Midweek Men’s Leagues.For our current Weekend Men’s League, the teams to look out for are LJE Sports BC, IFS Vikings BC and Brunel BC while for our Midweek Men’s League,Gunners BC and The Wet Bandits BC are the teams to beat for this season.

Art is very personal; it moves, it inspires, it provokes, it questions and it should never be defined.

I aim to provide more of a critical outlook. But I do enjoy digging sensitive areas.

Singaporeans young and old, heartlanders and city drones, changing landscapes, conversations, personal experiences and loved ones inspire me in many ways. There’s always something to spark off a great idea.

My influences stem a lot from Singaporean aesthetics, from Peranakan tiles to notices at bus stops and hawker signs. Sometimes, elements I am unfamiliar with pop up in my work; possibly a result of both conscious and subconscious accumulation of imageries.

There is way too much shit around.

I find the ironies and complexities existent in everyday life funny. And people who “like” campaigns on Facebook but don’t do anything in real life.

My childhood was great. I am lucky to feel nostalgic about styrofoam birds and planes, never having enough stationery from the neighbourhood book shop, little cases of arson at tiled playgrounds every lantern festival with kids from the block, cheap custard puffs and butter cream cake with a Ninja Turtle on it.

As a child, I wanted to be a dinosaur. A stegosaurus, to be specific.

I collect memories and dust.

I was truly happy when I saw the amount of support for my work, right after I got out of the lock up. I cannot be more grateful and moved, seeing all those black circles appearing all over Facebook. Can’t forget, won’t forget.

An alternative view on things that we find trivial, but yet reminds us that there is a larger truth that we can choose to seek turns me on. Twisted minds and forlorn hearts that pine for no reason—things like that.

My routine is pretty boring actually. I wake up, skip food, head to the studio, complain about the heat in the studio and finally get some work done at 9pm.

Sometimes I head to pool, the beach, or I get on my bike to chill out.

My idea of life has changed very much since my stint as a factory worker some years back, where life was just about having one job and one career in this one lifetime.

After learning that life is too short, I’ve learnt to live life for what it is. I think we were put on this earth to fend for ourselves, to learn to be human or inhuman. To open up an alternate universe of possibilities and make sense of deja vu.

I live to love, learn, and inspire.

If you have love, maybe you can have money. Money is a bonus. Mo’ money, mo’ problems.

I’m fucking perfect. I’m good at art, management, PR and presentations. There is no defect in me.

My success has been very well-planned, down to the smallest detail. I planned to run away from home when I was just a painter for the theater at 14 years old, and I planned to get into Poh Chang College and then attend Silpakorn University. I did it all.

I always hit my targets faster than I plan to. I aimed to win the grand prize when I was in my fifth year of study—I got it in my fourth year. I planned to own my first house within five years—I got it in three. I planned to own a Mercedes in 10 years—I had it in seven. I planned to make B10 million in 15 years—I got it in 11.

Smart people don’t necessarily come from the best families. I came from a poor and broken home. I was like an animal in the jungle, willing to do anything just to survive.

Stupid people run away from a crisis, but smart ones don’t. I’ve succeeded since I was young because I dared to take on challenges. I’ve never met with failure.

It frustrated me so much that people would look down upon Thai art and blindly favor Western art when I studied at Silpakorn. I declared that one day I would take Thai art to the world stage.

To create greatness, you must make sacrifices. I kicked all my bad habits in order to succeed. The greatest victory is when you win over your own heart.

As an artist you must have a unique style and wide knowledge. It’s important to learn other skills such as marketing, psychology and networking, too. You can’t isolate yourself and just wait to be discovered anymore.

There’s too much failure inherent in Buddhism. Our under-developed religious teachings fail to get people to the core of Buddhism. The monks in charge of preserving Buddhism are also guilty as they create religious places without truly understanding the arts.

Not only do monks destroy old art, they create new pieces that are tasteless and worthless. It’s quite upsetting to see billions worth of gold and money turned into artless trash.

I’m one of the very best artists because I understand dharma and art. I wanted to invent a new artistic style dedicated to King Rama IX, so it had to be unique. That’s the reason I built Wat Rong Khun.

When you are rich and successful, it’s imperative that you go back and develop your hometown and country. I chose to build a temple in my hometown of Chiang Rai because I wanted to bestow it with greatness. Some foreigners have even called me the Antoni Gaudí of Asia.

Art is the treasure of humanity. Religion belongs to certain races, communities or countries but art belongs to everyone. Everyone can appreciate art. I create food for the soul of all humanity.

Relying on money from others restricts your freedom. That’s why I’ve never taken donations to build Wat Rong Khun. I’ve spent nearly B800 million in the past 18 years. I plan to work on it until I die and be cremated there, so that my supporters can continue to build it for the next 60 years.

Humanity is about goodness. I strip away my entire ego and am left with only mercy. That’s why I always give opportunities to poor farmers, drug addicts or drunkards who are willing to change their life to work at the temple.

We have so many silly singing contests, so I thought, why shouldn’t we have a reality show that encourages people to make art? For the first two seasons of Ton Silapa, I stumped up my own money for the grand prize as we couldn’t attract sponsors. This season we’ve got sponsors as I think more people are realizing the importance of culture and art in society.

Thai society is blind when it comes to aesthetics. It’s foolish when it comes to art and it doesn’t know the value of sensibility.

IQ-targeted education causes all sorts of problems for our country. It makes children compete to be the best and creates egos, whereas EQ [emotional quotient]-geared teaching also creates morals, ethics and goodness. We’ve ignored this side of things for such a long time and that’s why there’s so much corruption.

Culture is art and art is the most important tool to change this country. Thai people are so unsystematic, never caring about following the rules. I noticed that in developed countries kids are sent to art museums to get inspiration. It helps train their mind and learn to respect others. Imagination is the key.

Our teachers don’t understand art. The education reform concept of making students learn about local art is good, but the problem is teachers just don’t have the knowledge base.

If you see lots of beautiful art and truly understand it, you have found happiness. And when you’re happy, you won’t be tempted by corruption and try to exploit others. Instead, you will be a watchdog for your beloved country.

Humans can’t live without art. It helps you understand the world and be able to live happily. You don’t even have to buy it because art is everywhere; it’s in architecture, nature and even your imagination.

How did the movement start?
Wiratch: One of our friends who often drives past the Makkasan area noticed that the place is really lush and green. It’s like a jungle in the middle of town. So he decided to post a picture from Google Earth of the Makkasan area saying it would be great if we could turn it into a big park. It got nearly a thousand shares, so obviously a lot of people were thinking the same as us. We then decided to open the page “Makkasan Hope” (also titled in Thai: “We Want Makkasan to be a Park and Museum"). It’s now gained more than 14,000 likes.

Where is the movement at right now?
Suwit: We’re trying to get people to sign the petition for Makkasan Hope, and we’ve already got 10,000 signees. The petition will be sent to Transport Minister Chatchart Sittipan and SRT Governor Prapat Chongsanguan in order that our voices are heard. It would be ideal if we could get hundreds of thousands of people to sign the petition so the SRT and the government would really have to listen to what we have to say.

Why is this space so important?
Wiratch: Makkasan, along with Lumpini Park, are Bangkok’s lungs. Makkasan Pond also acts like our kidney as it collects waste and floodwater. If the area is developed into another concrete monstrosity, where will we find anywhere else like this?
Jatuporn: Makkasan is the final big green space left in inner Bangkok, and if we lose it to yet another complex, the consequences don’t bear thinking about. The Makkasan area is about one-and-a-half times bigger than Lumpini Park. Imagine if we could have a bigger version of that, where people could get close to nature right here in the city.

What’s next for Makkasan Hope?
Wiratch: It all depends on people coming out and saying that we want this park. The SRT claims they have a huge debt of about B100 billion and that they need to rent out the area for 100 years in order to get B200 billion to clear their debts as fast as possible. But we want to remind everyone who the real owner of the SRT is—and that’s us, the people. So the SRT should listen. We’re just doing our civic duty.
Suwit: The future of Bangkok totally hinges on what happens with the Makkasan complex. It’s so easy to put up new buildings in just a few months, not so easy to grow big parks with 100-year-old trees. What legacy will be left for our children in this city? Do you want only malls for them? This is our only chance to ensure a brighter future.

Sign the petition at www.change.org/MakkasanHope and follow their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/MakkasanHope

What do you think accounts for the enduring appeal of Shakespeare’s work and in particular, King Lear?
Shakespeare wrote with such deep insight into basic human emotions that it transcended language and culture. King Lear is the father in all of us, the daughter in all of us, the fool in all of us and the bastard brother in all of us. These are the essentials we carry wherever we are from, in place or time. We all go through love, betrayal, jealousies, existential angst, pride, old age, senility and blindness—in different forms. Those are King Lear’s existential pillars and that’s what we explore every time we revisit the show. 

What’s the most surprising thing about this staging?
That even through the most humorous rant or vaudeville act we manage to touch upon the very tragedy of this senile old king.

What’s it like playing a clown?
It’s a mask that is liberating. It gives us the license to explore acts and ideas, which we might not if we were naked without a mask. Often this exploration results in magical stuff and it is fun.

Many people find clowns scary (coulrophobia). What do you think accounts for this?
Clowns are scary like dolls are scary. Some of it is just Hollywood and Bollywood imagery. But it is real: I remember once a circus clown approached me in the audience and I wanted to disappear. When an actor walks up to you and looks into your eyes, it’s very disconcerting.

Nothing Like Lear is on May 8-9, 8pm at The Drama Centre, National Library, 100 Victoria St., 6837-8400, teamworkprod.com. $54-100 from Sistic.

What moves you most as an artist?
The idea of manifestation: Art has an immense power to cultivate a thought. That’s probably the best aspect which drives us, to be able to create something which we haven’t experienced yet.

Should there be a demarcation between high and low art? Or as the Fluxus movement said, is everyone an artist and art is for everyone?
As far as art makes sense, it’s all good. The power of creating something comes with great responsibility. With the changing notions of society, the demarcation has blurred by now, and we don’t feel the need of marginalise a practice and categorize it further.

What is your favourite medium of expression?
We are obsessed with the idea of traditional way of painting but also with playing with the senses, and interactive devices. The idea of blurring together and mixing old and new excites us, and probably it comes very naturally to us.

What projects that you’d like to work on which you haven’t had a chance to yet?
We would love to create a film. It would be an extension of our current body of work, and we have been writing and researching for a couple of months.

Tell us more about a regular day that you go through.
Daily rituals bring anxiety! Concerning our to-do list, we can’t wait to get to the studio to create and continue our knitting.

What is the role of art today?
It has always been about reciprocating ideas.

Windows of Opportunity exhibition runs through May 25 at Art Plural Gallery.