BK: How long have you been selling fried pork?
Boy: About a year. I was a messenger for a company in Thong Lor before I decided to start helping my aunt sell fried pork. But the stall has been around for almost six years.

BK: Was it a hard decision to quit your job?
Boy: Not at all. It’s a family business and it’s fun because I get to talk to customers. I like jobs where I can talk to people. I persuade passersby to try my fried pork by talking to them in a friendly manner.

BK: What’s your daily routine like?
Boy: I sell fried pork every day except on Sundays, from 5am-6pm. We have Mondays off every two weeks. Weekdays are busier than Saturdays, though. Our customers are all ages from teeangers to people in their 60s. There are celebrities too, like DJ Chao Chao and Tong Tong Mokjok.

BK: Have you ever tried fried pork from other vendors?
Boy: No. But there are many vendors that have tried to make fried pork like ours. I’m confident in our fried pork, though, because each day I am able to sell 90 to 100 kilos [1 kilo is B340]. What’s special about Moo Tod Chao Wang is that the pork is soft and tasty. My family now has 16 branches, including Silom and Klongsan Pier.

BK: Are your stalls affected by the economy?
Boy: Yes. When the price of pork increased, I had to raise the prices a bit. I got fewer customers but I can still keep selling constantly. The palm oil is also expensive at B60 a bottle.

BK: Do you have any other dreams?
Boy: Like everyone, I want a good social status and good well-being for my family. If I have enough money I would expand this business and have more branches. I would also have new stalls under my own name and set it up in busy areas.

BK: If you were not selling fried pork, what would you be doing? Do you think you will be doing this forever?
Boy: I would go back to my previous job. I only came to help my aunt because there were not enough people. This is a family business and I think I should keep doing this until the next generation can take care of themselves. Interview by Sasinipa Wasantapruek and Aimmarin Siritantitam