Sant Bhirom Bhakdi The marketing manager for non-alcoholic products of Boonrawd Trading, Singha’s young Turk now ascends to rockstar-hood with his band Krungthep Marathon.

I like so many things about Bangkok, the atmosphere, the people, the smile, the food. I like Bangkokians’ style of living. I have lived in many places: Bangkok, Boston, Japan, Germany, but I fi nd Bangkok the best place to live, very convenient and familiar.

Our band title comes from the marathon period we spent in the production process. Because we aren’t all Bangkokians—one is from Pai, another one is from the South—it took us almost four years to make this album.

It’s not very good to spend such a long time; an album could be done within a year. It’s also because we are very tough on ourselves. The four of us needed to like every song, or else we would do it all over again.

We think that once an album is launched, there’s no second chance. So we wanted to
make an album that we would love to listen to again and again; we still like this one. We don’t intend to make money or get profi ts from doing this.

Yes, I somehow represent Boonrawd. Wherever I go, it’s like I have a Singha logo branded on my forehead. I can’t avoid this fact.

But I’m proud to work for the company. I feel grateful that it has made me who I am today.

Sometimes when I want to do something, some people consider I’m just another rich guy who wants to make a name for himself, another hiso-turned-singer. I want people to listen to our music instead of thinking about who I am.

I’ve liked music since I was young, and it’s what has molded me. I’ve listen to different kinds of songs at different times of my life. Before I liked hip-hop because I loved the beat and the rhythm—but I never thought about being a hiphop artist. Now my favorite is rock because it’s satisfying. I can just let my feelings go.

Of course, I once thought about having professionals play the songs for our band. But they wouldn’t be able to deliver our songs the way we really are, so we ended up doing it ourselves. We had some friends come help us, like Ball Apartment Khunpa and Tone Sofa

If I only stayed at my office, I would come to a creative dead end. I like to go to fairs, or places where kids hang out. I go to observe, to open up, because we make products for the masses. Some kids pay for convenience, some for coolness, some for other things. We need to know all these types of kids.

I love the risk. I feel that anything simple or falling within a pattern is boring.

Car racing is fun and not only because it pumps up your adrenaline; it can also teach you many things. When you want to take over another lane, sometimes you can’t do it straight away, you might need to trick the leading car.

Racing is similar to business—you can’t just own a fast car to win, you will need a good team and think of many other factors.

I believe in dreams. Making music has been my dream since I was young. I’m happy when I see that some people like our songs and admire what we do.

I almost signed a contract with a music label when I was about 19. The label asked me to
drop out of school, but my family didn’t agree. So it’s stayed with me, this passion to make music.

I lost my chance then, but I now think I made the right decision. I wouldn’t have become the person I am today. If I hadn’t continued my studies, I might have hated working in an offi ce. I might have hated helping the family business. Now, as my father plans to retire, he is encouraging his kids to prove their skills. And I’m happy to return his love with my efforts in developing the company.

I’m not a star. There were some people who offered me roles in fi lms, but I didn’t accept them. It’s out of my scope and acting has never been my dream.

It’s important to love what you do. If you don’t, you can achieve only a certain level of success. You won’t be able to give it your best shot.

In 10 years? I like to risk, so I’d love to investin a new business and I have so many projects in my head. I don’t know whether by that time I will be broke, fi ne or a billionaire. Who knows?