[VIDEO] Two Local Thais on a Mission: Introduce the World to the REAL Bangkok!

View of a Night Market in Bangkok, Thailand

Bangkok, Thailand - You either love it or you hate it. During the planning stages of my first trip through Southeast Asia, I had originally decided to use Bangkok as a hub city, a sprawling metropolis worth no more than a passing. As it turned out, some of the most endearing characters I've met during my travels were befriended in Bangkok.  

Since then, I have always had a certain affinity towards the real lives of the working class Thai. Street life was introduced to me as being a vibrant part of any capital city, a key way of getting to know the feel of what life is really like behind all the glossy tourism ads. 

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A Different Side of Bangkok

Throughout my recent course of blogging and networking with other creative travel aficionados, I discovered the cinematic works of an artistic local Thai duo. 

Their project's name is "DARK LIGHT" and their viewpoint of Bangkok was a refreshingly new and unassuming insider's look at the city most backpackers love to hate.  

Here is just one of their videos that really caught my attention:

China Town, Bangkok City, Thailand

The Faces Behind the Project

Do you want to know more about the Thai duo behind this project of visually intriguing video shorts? I took some time out to connect with and interview them. Here is what they had to say...

First of all, please introduce yourselves!

My nickname is Kueen (sounds like queen) and my partner’s name is Gof.

Your nicknames? But what about your "real" names?

We don’t wanna reveal our real name right now. But our nicknames are for real. May I explain? It’s about Thai culture. 

In Thailand, we have real names (a given name and a surname) , but we go with nicknames because Thai names are too long. 

We use our given names for formal situations, like when you are in school, going to the hospital, etc. Nicknames are used when with your "in" group, such as family, friends, and colleagues for example.  

Aah, okay...I get it. So can you tell us, where are you guys from?

Definitely! We both live in Bangkok, which is the capital city of Thailand.

What is Bangkok like, from a local's perspective?

Bangkok itself actually has a very urban feel – everyday we are faced with heavy traffic, rush hour, and so much more. 

It can be said that every standard of living is included here, from all the way at the top with technology and modernized lifestyles, down to the worst things that could ever happen at the bottom. It's all here. 

There are loads of people from everywhere, and there are lots of different careers.

I've been enjoying your videos. Why do you produce them?

The main reason we make all these videos is because we really want to create our own travel channel focused on Thailand. 

The main concept would be about travelling in Thailand.

There would also be highlights on learning more about our country and how visitors can better understand Thai culture.

What kind of Thai subjects have you approached so far?

The videos you can watch are of places such as Chinatown, Asiatique and Lumphini Public Park. These are just a few from a project series we're calling “A Part of Bangkok city”. Gof took his idea to them in short clips, and hopes that the audience will see something valuable in each part presented.

As artists, what are your viewpoints?

We believe that everyone has his or her own thoughts. 

Each of these thoughts can in turn be interpreted into different and diverse viewpoints. 

Perhaps by watching these video clips, someone might get some idea or some inspiration to go out and spend a part of their life somewhere else, maybe in Thailand or another country.

Or perhaps they would be inspired to do something creatively to fulfill their lives. Who knows? We just know that if they're coming to visit Thailand, we can show them the places they shouldn't miss!

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Contact the Creators of "Dark Light"

As you can see, there is so much more to Bangkok, Thailand than just Khao San Road and cheap sleeps. 

If you plan on passing through the city, or if you are interested in an artistic collaboration with them, please be sure to stop by and contact either one of them.

Kueen:

Gof:

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And now we ask you: What do you think of when you imagine Bangkok, Thailand?

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