Pharadon Phonamnuai - thai entrepreneur, musician, inspiring reference in Chiang Mai, Founder of North Gate Jazz Club

Pharadon Phonamnuai - thai entrepreneur, musician, inspiring reference in Chiang Mai, Founder of North Gate Jazz Club

My first interview with a Thai entrepreneur, who I met at TEDx, where he was a speaker, a musician who made the audience emotional with his “plant a tree wherever you are” campaign to help save Chiang Mai and Thailand from the burning seasons.

Later I saw him play with his band and I was sure I had to talk to him. So humble, so cheerful and creates a great vibe wherever he goes :)

One of those talks to remind us that, very little can be just enough.

After traveling the world with his sax, hitchhiking around Japan, the US, Corea, he came back to CMai and decided to start two local businesses to inspire creative activities in the community, spreading art, music and culture to anyone who visits.

He then set up a group called Meuyen-Meungyen to promote more green spaces in CMai, “Plant some Tree Right Where you are”. When we did the interview, more than 5,000 trees had already been planted in Chiangmai. And when a tree they planted dies, they have to jump in the moat (yuk!)

He hitchhikes around Thailand once a year during  burning season spreading the word on the tree campaign. He has a creative, traveling, music project called Blowing West.

"Where are you from?  Wherever you're from you should plant some tree”

(more amazing quotes below)

We talk about:

- how to feel happy when connected with things around you, without focusing entirely on money

- why he decided to travel the world with his sax for 5 years after university(Cambodia, Laos, Japan, Paris, England, India, Nepal, New Zeland)

- how he got a scholarship to Japan, Kyoto, when he was 17

- why everyone should go to jail, join the army and be a monk

- how he got funded to go to a jazz improvision workshop in Ohio/ NY

- local tribe leaders and philosophers that inspired him

quotes:

- “just breath and just listen”

- "Where are you from?  Wherever you're from you should plant some tree”

- "If you think about MONEY, it’s everywhere. We have money, but we don’t have trees. The world is sick."

- "Stop thinking about it, go see your relatives, go out and talk, share more, talk, be naked."

- "know where you’re going and let it flow"

- "the real success is waking up and doing it, enjoying where you are right now, even if it’s not totally what you want."

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