TIME FOR CHANGE
Back in 2007, most people in Thailand would have heard of the boy band K-otic, with the members’ cool hairstyle, dance moves and rap verses in Thai, Japanese and Korean languages. The group disbanded in 2012 but they recently reunited for a special single. Sitting and singing on stools, the five made an image of friendship that aged well with time. But fans quickly noticed something has changed over the years. One member, Pataradanai “Koen” Setsuwan, wears a dress in the video.
While their reunion alone could make headlines in local entertainment news, Pataradanai in a dress is another source of excitement but perhaps not a surprise for those who have been following him on Instagram. The singer, who has grown from his boyband career to become a psychotherapist in training and an LGBTI activist, is now out
queer and proud. His @koendanai Instagram account is filled with photos of him all very muscular, tattooed and in frocks, and it’s as fabulous as it sounds. His YouTube channel, where the latest music video premiered, also sees him trying out drag and conversing with his mother about having a gay son among other vlogs.
In the music video for Kod Dai Mai (One Last Time), a cover of UrboyTJ’s song, Pataradanai revealed he pioneered this special project to thank fellow band members for accepting him since Day 1 even at a time when no one had yet grasped what LGBTI really was. The video has garnered over 5 million views since its release and comments have been positive. Despite challenges, our society is becoming increasingly open and it’s a powerful moment to see more people having the courage to live their authentic self and breaking gender boundaries and conventions the same way Pataradanai has done.