Singto Numchok, a well-known Thai singer and songwriter, has shared his life story about how he escaped poverty and became a successful musician in Thailand to the BBC.
The 33-year-old pop star, whose name literally translates to “lucky lion,” was in London for an interview on the BBC before he releases his first international English-language album.
The interview, which is also on Youtube, was well received by Thai netizens who shared it widely on Facebook yesterday.
At the age of 12, poverty pushed Singto out of school and into a steel factory. Now seen as an inspiration to many, the artist was first inspired by seeing Thai pop singers on the television. Viewing the career as a fun, happy, and well-paying job, he started practicing the guitar and looking for jobs in pubs. Eventually, Singto ended up playing guitar in a local band called Mono. The band released two unsuccessful albums.
Singto’s life changed when he decided to leave Bangkok for Phuket. There, he recorded his first album in 2010 with the record label Pollen Sound. He also made the ukulele a popular instrument in the Thai music industry.
When asked if his success is down to luck or hard work, Singto said he has a different idea of what “hard work” is.
“I think ‘hard work’ is kinda like you don’t really like what you’re doing,” says Singto.
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