Ever-popular Phi Bird |expands his fan base

 Although the pop singer is best known among Thai old-timers in their 40s and 50s, “Phi” Bird’s fan base extends to the current crop of teenagers. On Saturday, he drew loud cheers when he took to the stage of the reality talent show “The Star”, performing with the contestants – whippersnappers who weren’t even born when Bird was recording his first hits. He had high praise for each of the young singers and then mocked himself, saying “actually I could be your uncle or dad but well, you can’t blame me for looking so young”.

Bird’s joke filled the concert hall with laughter, and his brief appearance gave the show an energy that powered it through to the end.

Star power intact in Thailand, Bird headed to Myanmar the next day. His first visit with our neighbour, the pop star’s Myanmar-Thai friendship tour is being organised by Story Book Entertainment and Taw Win Garden Hotel.

Fans thronged the Yangon airport to welcome him.

“Thongchai was once very popular in Myanmar,” a spokesperson from Story Book Entertainment told our sister publication Myanmar Eleven. “His song ‘Sabai Sabai’ spread all over the whole country.”

For Story Book, the trip was a chance to test the waters in Myanmar, and judging from the enthusiastic reception, this visit certainly won’t be the last for Bird.

 

 

Waew juggles bananas

The Thai children’s rhyme “Phrajao chauy klay tod” (literally “help God fried banana”) is the inspiration behind Oh My Banana!, a new shop that is serving up the deep-fried fruit at Saladaeng BTS station.

But what customers and passersby might not know that the brains behind Oh My Banana! is none other than Tirawan “Waew” Taechaubol, the hard-working woman who manages development for Cape and Kantary Hotels, is proprietor of the Nuer Koo Premium Beef noodle shops and mother of a baby boy.

Constantly surprising her staff with her ability to juggle numerous responsibilities and try new things, the energetic Waew launched Oh My Banana! after coming across a special fried-banana recipe and falling in love with the taste.

And while running a fried-banana shop seems unrelated to the hotel and property business, Waew will surely find a way to make it work. For one thing, the new venture means Cape and Kantary office staff have something else to offer visitors other than the usual pizza and cookies from Kantary Lang Suan’s No 43 restaurant. They can now add fried bananas to the menu and show others why Waew just had to buy the recipe.