No matter which team I play for, the biggest goal for all footballers is trying to win a trophy. But this year is different as I moved to a bigger team [Muangthong United]. They’ve lost the TPL for two years in a row to Buriram, so it will be hard work.

Everyone in the team is a great footballer: they also play for the national team, well, all except me. I want to play for the national team if given a chance. If I get to play enough, I think I can do it.

The TPL marketing team has really boosted the buzz around the league, so I think we’ll have more fans attending each match. Every team really has its own fans now, that’s obviously very different compared to before. Now, they really come to see us, wear the team jersey and sing the team’s song. Every team has the same potential but I think support from our fans can really improve the performance of a team.

I play as a left winger and playmaker, it’s normal to get taken out by defenders but sometimes it’s obvious that it’s intentional. This needs to change.

We blame our fans when they fight as a hooligans but actually we also cheat in the game. I think this creates a bad image for Thai football.

Recently, I’ve been researching about water and its effect on our city. We came up with a project that helps provide new ideas on how we can live with water and protect ourselves from floods. It will be featured at the Architect 55 event at Challenger Hall on April 23-29.

Design-wise, we’ve been doing interior designs for Bangkok University: we designed something fun for the students like their club space and also a place for cheerleaders to practice.

The trend this year is for things to be more specific about addressing people’s needs—designers will have to dig deeper. Also, there are more niches, that require more personalized design. For example, people don’t just like bikes anymore, they like fixed gear bikes.

What I’m fed up with, apart from politics, is everything that’s a trend and formulaic, people who all go the same way and have no individuality, and don’t invent new things. We [Thais] only go for that one thing that everybody else is doing (or using) and we don’t use our creativity to create new ideas.

I’m eyeing two up-coming competitions; the Asia Championship and the Olympics. But actually, I’m more focused on the Olympics: it’s my dream.

I was inspired to go to the Olympics by Wijarn Polrit who won a gold medal at the Sydney Olympics in 2000. The Thai team got silver last time. This time we want gold.

We’ve been studying our closest competitors, Spain and Korea, and I think we have a chance.”

The problem with taekwondo is that people do it as children then stop. And it’s a costly sport, not like boxing or football. Competitions are also a problem as players complete only at a national level, not internationally.”

What makes Feecha different from other similar concept apps?
The local, neighborly aspect is what makes Feecha unique. A post about an amazing curry dish or a sales promotion around the corner is more relevant than something similar posted from halfway across the world on Facebook or Twitter. On Feecha, the people you talk to and the things you talk about literally share common ground.

How do you see it growing over time?
Feecha will grow one neighborhood at a time, from Tiong Bahru to Menlo Park, and then to Harlem and Mongkok. Currently, we have made Feecha available only in Singapore. Once we have achieved that and completed the Android version, we will begin to roll out Feecha globally.

Why did you choose to start it up here?
Singapore is an ideal location because for many of us, Singapore is home. It also has an excellent infrastructure and business environment though we wish it had better mobile internet. Is there any reason really for Singapore to lag so much behind Korea and Japan? Other than that, it’s an ideal test market—Singaporeans are English-speaking, smartphone-savvy, geographically isolated and quite frankly, fickle consumers. If we can win in Singapore, we can win anywhere.

What do you think of the startup scene in Singapore?
It’s young and it’s growing. I’ve been impressed with all the energy, variety, government support and media interest. We attended both Echelon and Startup Asia, which are two excellent startup events. The foundation is there for a Google to emerge from Singapore. There are still some elements missing, though. Singapore lacks mentors who have been a part of building a world class venture—everyone seems to be figuring things out for the first time. The mentorship model is what makes tech scenes like those in Silicon Valley, New York and Israel successful. Also, a lot of Singapore’s best go into finance, medicine and law, and even those with engineering backgrounds prefer to work for large corporations. Starting may be easy in Singapore but finding enough talent to scale may be a challenge. We’ve also been told that Singaporeans are not too supportive of local companies—their apps are often seen as inferior.

What have been some of the challenges involved in getting Feecha off the ground?
New users’ first instinct is to use Feecha like they do Twitter, Facebook, Foursquare and Instagram. When they do, they miss out on Feecha’s unique potential to help the user learn about a location and interact with the people in it. Our challenge has been to show users what new things are possible with Feecha. Fortunately, many have responded to our efforts with unbelievable engagement.

Is it already being used in ways you hadn’t foreseen?
We initially set out thinking Feecha was going to be a geographic directory of interesting things with social elements to it; something people check for a couple of minutes a day. What has surprised us is the unprecedented amount of social interaction and time that have gone into its usage—people love that they are interacting with others near them. They love Feecha’s “neighborhood feel”. We had two musicians who lived in the same area interacting for the first time over their common passion. It is those kinds of interactions that we have been floored to see. Feecha has become like a watering hole where animals from all walks of life in the same savannah can come together and hang out.
 

I moved from place to place when I was young.
I was born in Betong, Yala province, then moved to Songkhla, Petchburi, then came to study at a high-school in Bangkok.

When I was a teenager, I used to run away from home for months at a time to be with friends who sometimes lived in slums. I still can’t answer why I did that. Maybe I just wanted to explore the world. Luckily my grandmother taught me well so I didn’t become a drug-addict.

I grew up in the electronic era of the 80s. The Police [the band] inspired me to get into music. I am really open to any kind of musical style and I’ve produced a lot of other artists, such as Paradox.

I don’t like day jobs, so I leaned towards being a musician at night.

I got work by moving around. I travelled to all the tourist spots, from Khaosan Road to Koh Samui.

I formed T-Bone, to play blues or soul music at pubs. But they didn’t allow Thais to play as their customers were foreigners.

We switched to reggae after I played some Bob Marley songs. I liked it right away, it felt right for me and the band have never played anything else since.

One day, I felt ashamed singing other people’s songs. I thought “Why do we have to sing these songs that aren’t related to us?” It’s not original.

We decided to only play our own music. If a venue doesn’t allow us to play our songs, we don’t play. We also refused to do requests. Finally, places like Saxophone and Bluemoon let us play and the days we performed attracted the most people.

I don’t copy lyrics from other songs to compose my music like some other composers. That disgusts me. I always produce songs from my own material, based on an incident or a random quote.

I am not a music machine. I can’t create music when others want me to. I will work when I feel it is right. I’m always turning down big money because of this.

It took seven years to release our new album, Bone in Da House. I spent most of that time meeting new people. I was lucky enough to meet world famous reggae artists like Little Roy and Prince Fatty.

Music is my destiny. It shapes my life. Without it, I wouldn’t have had the chance to meet these people.

Thai producers don’t specialize. They can do all kinds of music but they don’t focus on one category, like reggae. It is a problem if we ever want to create music to international standards.

I am proud to be the best reggae producer in Thailand.

We will never play reggae as well as Jamaican people. It’s not our roots. We didn’t grow up there, so the best thing we can do is just be ourselves.

I don’t want to go to Jamaica. Friends have warned me that it has changed a lot, especially the high crime rate. Also, I already met all the Jamaican artists I admire.

It took 20 years, but T-Bone finally made reggae happen in Thailand, it’s really getting popular now.

I don’t like to play big events. Small gigs have more energy. But I do like to go to an international event like Glastonbury or even a small gig in Chennai, India. That one really impressed me. Indians really dance like they do in Indian movies! We had so much fun there.

The music industry sometimes makes me lose inspiration. Making music these days is easy, you just make it in a room. There are fewer and fewer musicians who can play live.

One day live music will be like likay, [a forgotten art] that no one wants to watch. Music will just be a game people play on their gadgets.

Technology makes musicians lose their identity. I am not against it, I also use it. But the new generation, you need to craft your work by hand. Then you will be in this business for a long time.

I love to make furniture at home. I always collect driftwood from the sea, as my house is right on the beach. I love the process of making it. It helps me get rid of any bad vibes and clear my brain before I get back to creating music.

I always buy stuff with cash. If you have debts, you will never have the freedom to work the way you like.

I don’t like to be too famous. It’s hard to live like that, I just want to be a normal person who can walk on the street. It’s funny, I’m always stopped by police or security guards at airports or gigs. They don’t know me and I love that.

My dream is to continue playing reggae until my 60s or 70s. I want to become a music legend.

 Special thanks to:  Molly Malone's Irish Pub

BK: How did you become involved in this movie?
It was kind of an accident. My friend heard that the producers of the movie were casting and she wanted to go. She asked me to tag along and the producer asked me to cast, too. We didn’t take any of this seriously. We were actually just on our way to a party. But then I was picked.

BK: So what are your plans now?
I just graduated from Suansunantha University where I studied cinema. But I don’t think I’m going to fulfill my dream as a filmmaker anymore. It’s just too difficult. Now I’m going to open a mobile shop with my brothers at MBK called Avolution. Look for us on the 4th floor, on the Tokyo side.

BK: When did you realize you’re gay?
When I was about 16. Before that, I had no idea that I actually like women. I didn’t even know what a tomboy was. All I knew was that I just love to look at girls more than boys! I studied at a mixed sex school. I was so confused. I asked myself, “Am I a tomboy?” But I finally made up my mind one night. I woke up and told my mom, “I will be a tomboy.” She didn’t take it seriously. She joked, “OK, just try for three days.” But it has lasted until now.

BK: Are your parents acceptant?
Yes, I think they like it. They are so chill. All they say is that I have to be a good person, that’s it. They also trust me to do some business for them, as if I were a guy. My two older brothers are also cool with this. One even boasts to friends that his tomboy sister is in the movies now.

BK: Do you have a girlfriend?
Not now. I’ve been single for two years after I have broke up with my girlfriend of five years. I was really hurt and worried. I wondered, who is going to love me for real? My mom even teases me about going back to being a “lady,” then I will find love. But I can’t do that. I can’t change myself. Now I feel much better and understand the problem. My ex and I had both changed. And I am happy to be single now. I feel free. I don’t want to rush into having a new lover. But if I am lucky, I will find the right one for me in the end.

BK: Do you think about working in the entertainment industry?
Not really. I don’t know what the future will hold. I will concentrate on my own business like my parents always have. I dream of opening a Thai restaurant as my mom can cook lots of great recipes that are super delicious. I also love cooking as well. I’m trying to learn more recipes from her. I can do quite a few now.

What brought you to music?
We started because of our college studies, where we were doing a broadcasting course and learning about producing for radio. In one of the courses, we had to produce a background song to be used for a radio jingle. Even though the jingle was meant to be short; we ended up writing a long instrumental. Then we kind of just carried on from there, because we wanted to and because the music scene in our hometown of Bandung is very diverse. It inspired us to show what we could do, even though we don’t have any basic skills in playing musical instruments.

What else apart from music are you working on?
Other than being a musician, we have our full-time day jobs. I work as journalist for one of the magazines in Bandung and Nobie is a producer at a radio station.

What is the Indonesian music scene like?
It has expanded, yet the music industry still sees things the same way. In their heads, it’s always about business, so they tend to focus on just one genre. So the record labels and the media always play up one type of music until the market is very saturated.

What about the electronic scene?
It is definitely experiencing a significant shift. At first, electronic music was identified with DJs and house music, but in the early 2000s many pop electronic musicians added a different set of colors and vibes into the electronic scene. This becomes energy for us and other electronic musicians, to be braver about presenting our talent to the world. Most electro musicians, at the beginning, play in their bedroom, so they need to become brave enough to bring their material to the stage.

We heard that Indonesian punk fans were banned, as it shocked conservative Muslims. What effect does government intervention have on music in Indonesia?
The view of the government is very shallow, especially about punk culture. They can’t differentiate between culture and religion. This has been a problem for a long time.

What do you think of it?
Punk culture has been rooted in our country for years; however the government only has a negative view of it. They identify it with violence and resistance against the establishment. Whereas that was the original slogan, punk culture has developed into something that is more positive.

And have you guys ever experienced similar problems?
For the electronic scene, there’s no direct intervention; however as musicians there’s always the possibility that we could be blocked. In our country, all the music scenes and genres have the same vision and mission: there’s a solidarity to help each other when the government acts unfairly. We did experience some scary problems though from religious groups when we released our album Let’s Die Together in 2012

Which is your best gig? Why?
So many, especially during our Asian Tour on 2011, but China is one of the best and most memorable experiences. We didn’t expect this to happen and we’re genuinely surprised by the way audiences have responded in the different countries. They already know about us and our music before coming to see us. It makes us very proud.

Why is this the right time for your first big concert?
People, well, sponsors, thought that I could only sing sad songs. Finally, I’m being given a chance to prove that I can do more than that.

Is that “sad song” image something you would like to get rid of?
I don’t actually. It makes me keen to go out and meet people. I love to see their reactions when they find out I’m actually very different from what they thought. People always imagine that I must be this thirty-something singer who is quiet and boring. They are all surprised to learn that I’m actually young, talkative and funny.

You don’t want to try another style?
I do like R&B. I like the rhythm but I don’t have that much skill to sing like that. Also producers say my voice is good for sad love songs.

Are you often sad?
Not at all. I always think positive and am happy with everything in my life. But I am a sensitive person. I always cry during movies that others just feel so-so about. So singing sad songs is kind of a therapy for me to get into these sad feelings that I don’t really experience in real life.

What were you up to before your comeback?
With GMM, sales didn’t go that well. I decided to sing in pubs because I wanted to get over my stage fright. And also I could earn some money.

And how did YouTube start?
I stopped singing at pubs a couple years ago, but I felt my relationship with my fans had been cut. I missed it, so YouTube allowed me to get in touch, to gauge their reactions. Another reason is also the fact that I can design anything on my channel. I can sing songs that I like, even if they’re not popular.

Have you finally made it?
I think so, yes. It’s not about how famous I am or the sales of my albums. I measure success by the fans who say my songs changed their life. There was a fan who wrote me a letter and said she was this close to committing suicide until she heard “Gon Hin Gon Nun,” and that gave her inspiration to live her life again.

What about the lesbian rumors?
It’s quite annoying. But I always say to my fans that I am a pretty lady waiting for the right guy. And I hope he loves music like me.

What is the important thing for you?
Love. I think it is the only thing that you don’t have to work hard for. It’s the thing that can make you feel rich because you never run out of it when you give it away.
 

Why khon?
I worked with Kru Chang (Chonprakal Janrueng) for five years, as production crew, then as an actor. A friend then told me that Pichet [Klunchun] was doing khon courses and asked me if I wanted to join. I had done Thai dancing when playing in one of Kru Chang’s productions, and my friends had laughed at me. I was terrible. So, I just felt like I need to know more about it. During the course, I realized that khon is far more than I had ever thought. It’s the technique of positioning your body before adding the movement. I’m lucky that I studied with Pichet. No offense to other khon masters, but his teaching style makes me understand the core of this traditional art, want to know more and more about it and makes me proud of myself as a Thai who can dance khon.

What else have you been doing apart from khon?
Once I started working with Kru Chang and Pichet,dancing became my full time job. I spend spare my time as a freelance teacher on basic acting, lighting, design and some other technical parts of stage production.

Can khon dancers make a living outside of the hotel and tourist restaurant circuit?
I never thought about how much money I’d make. I just want to learn to do it. Plus, practicing khon requires hard exercise. It’s just good for your health. I think that like any artistic career, there are only very few people who can do it professionally. Not everyone can achieve that point as it requires hard work and lots of practice. I just believe that the more knowledge you have and the harder you keep on practicing, the better your career can be.

What do you think about Thailand’s dance scene?
I got the answer to that question when I went to New York to take an acting course. I was there for a couple of months but I had a chance to watch over a hundred shows. In Thailand, one dance show per month is still hard to find, so this is kind of my answer on why there are but a few Thai people who really watch this kind of performance. When the audiences go watch a dance show, their feedback falls into narrow categories: like, dislike, understand, don’t understand… There’s just not enough shows for them to frame things into a broader picture. I’d like us to stage more productions not only to encourage the Thai dance scene but to inspire audiences as well, and broaden what dance means to them.

I always wanted to run a supermarket. I loved going to them when I was young. I loved to see how they ran. Why did they choose to place this product here? What’s the most popular product?

Having a dad and an uncle working at the Ministry of Finance influenced me to study Philosophy, Politics and Economics at Oxford. So many important figures graduated from there, like English prime ministers David Cameron, Tony Blair and Harold Wilson.

I had never worked before I graduated. My childhood was all about studying and playing sports in school.

At my first job interview, the manager asked me “How could I trust a man who has never worked before?” I answered “I’m sure you have a keen eye for spotting talent.” They asked me back but I ended up working for a London-based investment bank. I think it was a better choice.

I wanted to come back to Thailand after witnessing how far behind our financial industry was compared to Europe or even other Asian countries. I wanted to develop our financial industry and I saw an opportunity to build my own business. I opened my own securities company called JF Thanakom at the age of 24.

I didn’t take advice from others. I was fearless and daring enough to open my own company instead of working for someone to gain more experience. If I had listened to others, I’d still be working for someone else.

I saw the financial crisis coming two years before it happened in 1997. My staff wouldn’t believe me but we began implementing methods to protect ourselves from the disaster. We were one of the few to survive.

I achieved my goal. I wanted to create a good company but I always remembered my ex-boss’s words: “Don’t fall in love with your investment.” So in 2001, it was the right time to sell. That was a big decision.

You have to go against the current if you want to be successful. If they’re selling, you’re buying. If they’re buying, you’re selling. That’s how it works.

After working for 19 years, I felt I wanted to start doing something new with my life. I was 40 and I had used my knowledge to benefit my family. Now I wanted to use it to help others, like my dad and my uncle had as public servants. That spirit is still in me.

When I told them that I wanted to be a politician, they didn’t support me but they respected my decision. They said this country would be more developed if it weren’t for politicians.

I chose the Democrat Party because I like their political ideology and I already knew some members, like Abhisit Vejjajiva who was my senior at Oxford.

I was so naïve about politics. Luckily I had good teachers who are all veteran politicians in the party.

My favorite thing about being a politician is going out on the street to meet people.

The most boring thing in politics is dealing with other MPs to push policy through. They exhaust me.

I ignore people who are skeptical of how I can work for poor people coming from an elite background. I put my best effort into creating policies that help everyone. That’s all the proof you need.

The reason the Democrats always lose might be because we are too idealistic. We think we can convince people with realistic policies. Compare that to our competitors like Pheu Thai, who just use words to stir people—well, they win.

I am one of the first Thai politicians to use social networks in the political field. It’s really a good tool to communicate with people; better than waiting for the media to give you a platform to express yourself.

I prefer Facebook to Twitter. Twitter is too short and too fast to express anything important. On Facebook, I can spend time really crafting the message.

If you ask my wife what I’m crazy about, apart from politics, she would say golf.
I love the challenge. I have to plan each shot and it helps focus my thoughts.

I’m a concerned father. My daughter was approached by a modeling agency. She’s just 14. I didn’t stop her, though.

The best thing that happened to me is my family. Especially my dad and uncle who made me the man I am today.

I planned to be a politician for 15 years but I feel I want to do something else for the next chapter of my life. I don’t know what I’m going to do, though. I just let it be.