“When I think of my hometown Songkla, I think of the smell of the sea, the rain, and the food. I am lucky to have been born in such a diverse culture, a mixture of Chinese, Thai, and Muslim. I go to mosques and take a stroll in Chinese temples and everywhere I go, there’s food. I’m a southern guy; we’re used to spicy food. But, I’m no stranger to the mild taste of Chinese soups or Malaysian food like Ayam Golek and so on. I didn’t realize food was part of me growing up.

When I moved to Ari 10 years ago, I got a job in a lifestyle magazine. Because of my work, I was privileged enough to be able to learn and experience food from renowned chefs, but that didn’t stop me from taking a walk around the old town or Chinatown; the architecture reminds me of where I grew up in. I learned the subtle difference between food in Muslim culture, Persian, Arab and Malay.

Recently I opened a little food delivery shop – my mom makes real homemade Songkla style food that is hard to find in Bangkok. One day if I have enough money, I’ll open a shop that collects ingredients from different communities in Thailand and make my shop space for people to talk about food.”

Tum, editor of @dooddot and owner of Sookjai Local Grocery

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