We'd like to give The Voice runner-up Tachaya "Keng" Patumwan 20 brownie points upon finding out that he's one of the rare species in our non-reading population that actually reads _ despite his flamboyant and playful demeanour that might have made you think otherwise.
Losing out to winner Tanon's number of votes by a hairline 5%, the extravagant contestant's avant-garde performances have sent sensational waves across the nation; his style shows how traditional Thai music and singing can be pretty ace and darn cool. On screen, he is effervescent and ground-breaking, but in real life he is humble and polite like the wise books on the shelves. At 23, Keng already runs a music school and established himself as king of the culturally hip, but still reads what every other guy his age reads _ grabbing the usual Conan comic every now and then.
_ Parisa Pichitmarn
What are you reading?
Tuan krasae turakid kid tarng mai mee tarng tun (Going Against the Business Tides, Think Differently and Never Get Stuck) by Hirokazu Toriuchi. My family runs a business so I want to know what other brands are like. I like books that give comparisons, clear examples and pictures so you can understand easier, how one's marketing plan differs from the others and so forth.
There are many books about branding; some of them look really good and the people who wrote them are really successful but they're terrible at explaining and you don't understand what they're saying at all.
What book have you always wanted to read but haven't?
I've always wanted to read books about travelling. I've only skimmed through them but haven't really got around to really reading them seriously. Books about food too; I think books about travel and food are nice and easy to read. I'd also like to read The Secret by Rhonda Bryne.
Is there a book you've never managed to finish?
The Harry Potter books. I got to the third one and when the movies came out, I started to get lazy about reading them and just watched the movies. Lately, I feel that I like to watch films more because they are easier to consume.
Did you ever buy a book because everybody was talking about it, but when you read it you didn't like it at all?
There was a novel written by a Thai high-schooler that was all the rage since she was only 15. It was called The Mermaid Apprentices by Pieretta Dawn. I heard that the book had won prizes which would guarantee it so I picked it up. I just read the beginning but never finished it _ the story about the mermaids was interesting but not that enticing.
How many books have you bought that you haven't started reading?
Maybe up to 100, but I've already donated the ones I never got around to reading. I buy comics too when they're packed in sets, but haven't finished the whole thing yet. I also like to buy old magazines on sale.
Which book has impressed you the most?
Definitely Harry Potter. It was the first book that got me to start reading because I never read at all before. And the first book I got was actually a Xeroxed copy! I don't know how my uncle got it, but he gave it to me. When I started reading it, it got really addictive so I bought the sequels.
Now that you're becoming famous, will you ever have time to read?
I'll still read about subjects that I want to find out more, like those business books. I feel that it's something that can be adapted and used in real life, even to use in arts and music. It can become your strategy because everything is a business and if you think differently, you have an advantage.
