Ped is a born-and-bred Human of Hua Hin, it being his mother’s home town. Ped was born here and attended the local Catholic school, Hua Hin Wittayalai school until Grade 9, which was a boy’s school at the time, although it is now co-educational. Accompanied by his elder brother, Ped completed his senior school studies and University education in Bangkok from the age of 15.  Ped was the youngest of the three children in the family, who all seem to have the nicknames of animals, thanks to Ped’s chef father, who is called Moo, meaning Pig.  Ped’s sister is Meaw (Cat) and his brother is Gai (Chicken), while Khun Ped is Brother Duck! While Ped’s parents are now retired, when he was a child both parents ran a Chinese-style restaurant in Hua Hin’s Night Market after his father learnt his trade in Bangkok, and Ped worked at the restaurant outside school hours serving customers, and so contributing to the family finances.

Ped soon came to the realisation that working in the hospitality industry was not for him. He recalls that he was a well-behaved student at school, but only really motivated in music lessons.  Although he didn’t consider himself sporty, Ped developed a love of table tennis.  Ped’s favourite memories from his childhood revolve around his involvement in the school’s marching band where he played snare and trio drums. So, although Ped is know best known as a guitarist, his performance career actually began in the percussion section of the band.

When it came time to choose his university studies, Ped had no doubts about studying a Bachelor’s degree in Music Education at Suan Sunandha Rajabhat University, where he majored in Classical guitar.  Although you can still see Ped jamming and playing on his acoustic guitar from time to time, it is now his Gibson ES335 electric guitar, valued at many hundreds of thousands of baht, which holds pride of place in his heart. While in his second year at university, Ped began working evenings as a musician at a bar, but gave this up after only a few months finding that night-time work was interfering with his studies. Ped looks back with great fondness on his university years.  He had fun with his good friends, had fewer responsibilities and got to develop skills with Thai classical instruments as well as western ones. Ped is also skilled with the violin, which may come as a surprise to some. 

It is Ped’s intention to remain a life-long learner. He still displays a great enthusiasm for learning new musical pieces and techniques and relishes learning more about different musical instruments such as the African finger piano, called the Kalimba, and the harmonica. Few people in Hua Hin would be aware that Ped spent a period of time working with the Bangkok Symphony Orchestra, but not in a playing capacity.  Ped’s job involved setting out the scores for the musicians in each section of the orchestra prior to the commencement of each performance.  Luckily Ped has well-developed organisational skills as well as great musicianship ones. Ped also worked in music education at NOP Music School, named after its founder Nop Sotthibandhu, who has been a treasured mentor to Ped, who calls him Father. Besides assisting Ped with his skills as both musician and educator, Nop also taught Ped important life skills which have helped Ped to become his best self. Ped learnt meditation from Nop, and currently holds a mix of Buddhist and Hindu beliefs.

Ped and Apple returned to Hua Hin seven years ago, bored with the annoyances of big city life and drawn by the convenience of an easier lifestyle in own town.  It’s family-friendliness was also a draw-card for the couple, who have decided that their daughter completes their family. When he has time to relax, Ped likes nothing better than playing with Piaow and the dog, or perhaps spending a few hours outdoors in the mountains.  Piaow is often given free rein to decide whether today should include a trip to the farm, the beach or the zoo, all among her favourites.

Ped works very hard to support his family. Both he and Apple work during the day as educators.  Apple is fluent in Korean, French and English as well as Thai and is in demand as an English tutor, working from the couple’s home.  Although Ped’s English is perfectly fine, he is aware it does not match his wife’s standard, a fact brought home to him recently when he took Piaow to eat at McDonalds, and she bruised his ego by telling him, “I need my mummy here, you don’t understand what I am saying.”  Ouch. Ped has private music students, and it is of great benefit to the community that he is passing on his skills, to young and older alike, across a wide variety of instruments including guitar, violin and ukelele as well as singing.

Ped seems to find more than the standard 24 hours in each day, somehow.  He plays music all across Hua Hin, seven nights a week, with some nights seeing him involved in two separate gigs, in 2 separate venues, including Woodstock, the Amara Resort, On the Beach in Khao Takiab, the Railway Restaurant and Rock Zone.  To say Ped is a prolific performer is not an overstatement. Although Ped is a solid single performer, his favourite times are playing in the company of other musicians, either with Ped Bluesman and Friends, his main band, or at one of the regular jam sessions he organises.  He likes to share the limelight with others and help them improve their self-confidence. Ped is a thoughtful manager of his band and is always able to reorganise the band and find additional participants if someone is ill or has family responsibilities which call them away.  Ped admits he is naturally quite shy and introverted and that it is only in recent years, with the assistance of some Australian friends, that he has almost fully overcome his fears of communicating in English.

As well as playing his music in other people’s venues, two years or so ago now, Ped opened his own bar and music venue, Woodstock, named after arguably the most famous music festival of all time, which took place on a dairy farm in Bethel, New York, some 65 kilometres from the town of Woodstock.  The 4-day festival in August 1969 became legendary, with 32 different acts performing to a crowd of over 460,000 attendees, a pivotal moment in popular music history. Ped’s vision is to see his bar present both local and national artists and bands, and become a true focal point for music, particularly his favourite styles, blues and jazz, by hosting frequent events.  Ped likes and listens to most music genres, but is not particularly fond of electronic sounds, preferring what he calls “real music”, so it seems Woodstock, located between Soi 88 and Soi 94, not far from Baan Khun Por, will not be hosting a rave any time soon. Ped much prefers to listen to and perform music from luminaries such as B.B. King, Stevie Ray Vaughan, the Allman Brothers and Jimi Hendrix. His instrument of choice is his electric guitar because he feels it gives him greater control of the sound, and can play virtually any piece of guitar music. Ped receives frequent compliments for his jazz improvisations and for his ability to play the complex scores of classic guitar music with their intricate fingering requirements.

A very kind, gentle, softly spoken and tolerant man, Ped experienced a time of great need in September 2023 and the entire music community of Hua Hin rallied to support him. One damp night after closing Woodstock to head home on his motorbike, Ped was involved in a single-vehicle accident on the corner of Soi 88 and Phetkasem Road, when his bike skidded out from under him.  Ped was pinned under the bike and fractured his left leg badly, below the knee, needing reconstructive surgery and a titanium plate to reattach the broken bones.  It was several months before Ped was able to perform again, even on crutches, and medical bills mounted.  It is a testament to the regard in which Ped is held by the local community that three separate benefit concerts were organised by three different venues, with dozens of artists performing free of charge to raise money for Ped and his family.  Pretty much anyone with any music skill volunteered to take part.  Ped was genuinely touched by the high level of support he received.

While teenage Ped knew he was going to be a musician, he had no concept of the path he would need to follow to realise his dreams.  Ped knows that it is self-discipline which has seen him arrive to his current happy position, where he has a terrific reputation, a group of dedicated band-mates and   his own venue. Despite these blessings, he is most grateful for having a great wife of 8 years, and a solid family. Admitting that numbers are not his strong suit, Ped can never forget his wedding anniversary as he was married on a highly memorable date, 29th February.

Ped Bluesman likes to think of himself as a simple man, with simple needs.  He still aims to complete further travel to India, fascinated by its culture, art and music.  Ped has long been a lover of Indian cuisine, stating a good masala is his favourite food. He will indulge himself with Bourbon, straight, accompanied by a cigar, just not around his daughter.  Getting on the stage and making all the right sounds is enough to make  Ped happy.  His only real bugbear is when patrons repeatedly request songs that are way outside his performance repertoire – he is the Bluesman, after all.

In the last week, there has been even more excitement  in Ped's life.  He has started the gruelling elimination process of the auditions for The Voice Thailand. Without doubt, the whole of Hua Hin will be cheering Ped on as he participated in this new music journey. Ped Bluesman will do himself and Hua Hin proud.

Published on 23rd June, 2024