So what? Some people think of Bangkok as the Mecca of cheap copy sports wear and post-hippie travellers outfits… These people forget that this city has a life of its own, far from the mediocrity of low class tourist’s desires.

So what? Some people believe historical heritage bounds Asian people to always look backward. Well, maybe the bigger the heritage and the longer the history, the more you have to give, and the wider your influence spectrum is. History does not only start somewhere, it also leads somewhere.

So what? Some people think Thai people are stuck in millenary traditions and are unable to provide more than ethnic handicraft. These people should consider that innovation, as tolerance, has become tradition in one of the most vivacious and modern city of the world.

So what? Some people think Thailand only breeds poor quality cheap productions… Are they forgetting Thai craftsmanship has a millenary experience to be inspired from?

So what? Some people think modernity there concerns a very small category of people only copying western way of life. The city is in fact bigger than most cities in the West, and on some aspects more modern. It definitely has a huge energy and shows dynamism. Hence it has a style of its own far from mimicry.

So what? Some people think elegance is a privilege of old European creation centres which should stay undisputed by newcomers having no right to influence them… Well Asia did not wait for an authorisation to be granted …and by the way, where did silk came from in the first place?

So what? Some people think real Thailand is to be looked for in the countryside and Bangkok is a soulless wannabe western city… Bangkok is more like the sum of every part of the country, a funnel gathering its various energies, it is a pole attracting the attention of all Southeast Asia.

So what? Some think nothing coming from there would fit western needs. People in Bangkok live in a very contemporary and modern universe. Having different background doesn't mean not having similar problems, but the solutions might be different.

SoyWat is all about that: changing people's misconceptions and showing how Bangkok's original creations and culture can be relevant in their world. Read our manifesto for more details...