Have you been to the new food market yet? Located in Thong Sala next to Homemart, you really can’t miss it and if you are lucky, when you stop by there will be the Thai Tea Band playing to entertain you on the Leo stage whilst you eat and drink in true ‘Thai style’.
Singer Chanon is originally from Krabi but has been on Koh Phangan almost 12 years now. He would come travelling, visit friends and family and then eventually like many others her got stuck here.
“10 years ago the island was more beautiful, very natural and very slow, now a lot has changed but I still like it. I stay in Haad Salad where it has not changed much. I fell in love with this island so it’s not so easy to move.
Chanon plays bass and sings, he is self taught with help from friends and tutorial videos.
Since aged 15 Chanon would see his friends play and thought it was cool and so started to learn but he then had a 7 year gap where he stopped until picking the music back up again when he came to Koh Phangan.
“I was 23 years old and where I was staying here there was a little bar and they had a guitar, tourists would come and play and I would listen so I began with learning Bob Marley songs as this is what I heard”.
Thai Tea Band has 4 musicians who met on the island apart from the keyboard player who they met 3 years ago.
Where does the name ‘Thai Tea Band’ come from?
It’s a story about me, I was in America in California working and we had 2 people with the same name of Tim which I go by and so to get a difference I was nicknamed ‘Thai T’.
It reminds me of when I was there, it was a good time with good friends. And Thai tea is famous in Thailand, you find it everywhere!
Thai Tea Band play original songs and covers in a reggae style. Chanon used to play Thai music before reggae and it was when he was aged around 24 that because of this island he changed to more reggae, “when I play popular songs they know and enjoy them.
At the Leo stage of the new food market you can experience a different kind of live music atmosphere, people are sitting and listening and are more relaxed.
“We can play whatever we want, you don’t need to play the real party stuff as it is a relaxed atmosphere”.
You can also see Chanon and the Thai Tea Band playing Rasta Home, Simple Bar, Climbing Bar in Mae Haad and Sabai Bar in Haad Salad.
Chanon lives his music career day by day and has hope that more people will get to know them and they can play more places around Thailand. Go and enjoy!
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