Monstro De Bangkok: Thailand Skate Tour Video

Did you reach out to Bangkok locals? Did you have a solid tour guide?

I know Tony Rungsawang thanks to a common friend. Ben knows Jasper Dohrs as they both used to live in Seattle. Charles reached out to Isaac Aesili who's a music artist from New-Zealand living in Bangkok, who introduced us to some local skaters who became good friends: Youree Park, who's south Korean and Mark Atipat who's Thai. They even lent me a place to stay, legends!

We happened to be on those filming missions on our own most of the time, due to the late hours we were skating at, and that as a matter of fact locals don't skate the spots we were after.

How would you rate Bangkok as a skateable city? Does it have a lot of spots?

I guess it depends on what your approach to skateboarding is. If you're looking for a cruise all day long scenario, then you're at the wrong place. If you're looking for a challenging, vibrant and stimulating environment then yes, Bangkok is the place.

The main drawback for me was that most of the sidewalks are next-level sketchy—crusty ground, potholes, uneven tiles and so on. When you add the gigantic scale of the city to the equation, it results in having to take transportation from A to B, as spots tend to be spread out. However, Thailand has a solid street skating potential that's undeniable, and if you dig deep enough, there's even more. On one hand, there are known spots and plazas where skateboarding is accepted, especially outside of the city center, where we experienced absolutely no kick out. On the other hand, I found out that Bangkok has another layer of untouched architectural and sculptural gems, in areas where skateboarding is prohibited.

What caught my eye were privately owned public spaces for the most part. Those are located in front of business headquarters, shopping malls and luxury buildings, all heavily watched by security day and night. We had late night sessions with with guards sleeping at the spots, that's why those places aren't skated nor documented, this is what sparked me to make this project happen. That meant having sessions at insanely late hours, often until dawn, with lots of difficulties to work around. We had security guards asleep at the spot and had to keep it quiet between each try not to wake them up. We sometimes had to walk away after getting kicked out, then had to come back later to get the clip, then escape angry security. We got involved in some chases and had to hide. Stimulating conditions to say the least.

Did you need to travel outside of the city to hit some of the stuff?

Most of the spots you see in the film are located within the center of Bangkok. Except for the second part where Ben, Charles and myself went on a side mission for couple days to Bang Saen, a chill coastal city about an hour drive from the center, and Leo's last clip which also is in a remote area about an hour away from the center.

Did you need to rent a car or can you explore with public transportation?

We only used public transportation for the shooting of the film. The BTS and the MRT are the sky and underground trains, they're great for traveling during the day, as Bangkok gets easily congested with gnarly traffic jams. We also used lots of cab rides with Grab, which is the local equivalent to Uber, especially at nighttime when the roads were empty. It's a cheap and quick way to move from one spot to another. To give you an idea, a session would involve getting between 10 to 15 rides a night.

Skateboarding has never been as competitive as it is today, that’s why we want to make a project that gathers people rather than opposes them.

Rémi Luciani

What does the title Monstro de Bangkok mean? Who or what was the real monster?

“Monstro” is a series Leo and I started in 2018. At that time, during the filming of the first episode of the series, Leo was making jokes with our newly met friend Sergio Santoro. I remember he was shouting “Monstro De Rua” which translates to “Street Monster” in Brazilian Portuguese. Leo later explained us that “Monstro De Rua” is a reference to Tiago Lemos who called him that as a joke when they were on tour for DC shoes.

The saying stuck throughout the rest of the trip, and I decided to keep it for the title of the first episode which happened in Bordeaux, France. Later on, the title evolved. I kept “Monstro” and replaced “Rua” by the names of the cities we travelled to : “Monstro Do Rio” in Brazil ; “Monstro De Tokyo” in Japan and for this 4th episode taking place in Thailand: “Monstro De Bangkok”.

Another point is that each word of the title is in a different language emphasizing the fact that different nationalities are represented in Monstro videos. One of our goal is to meet like minded individuals worldwide that propose a creative vision of skateboarding. Skateboarding has never been as competitive as nowadays, that’s why we want to propose a project that gathers people rather than opposes them.

In Bangkok, the real monsters were either the monitor lizards wandering freely around Lumphini Park or us: Four sleep-deprived farangs (Thai word for foreigners), being delirious skating some ridiculous spots in ridiculous conditions at ridiculous hours. You choose.

What should first time travelers to Thailand know before they go?

Your tolerance to heat and humidity will be challenged, all your senses will be stimulated, you'll see, hear, taste and feel like nothing you've experienced before.

Aside from skating, what else do you do in Thailand in your down time?

Being a vinyl record enthusiast I went on a hunt for some rare Thai grooves, listening bars and local music events. Went on night outs with my local friends in incredible places from intimate live jazz bars to so called “creative parks.” Explored an isolated island, crashed a motorbike there. Had to heal my wounds before Leo’s arrival. Explored the city as much as possible and kept on discovering skate spots. Visited lots of temples, landmarks and museums. Shot as much B-roll as I could. Fixed both my VXs which couldn't take the humidity...

Tuk tuk, dragon boat, back of an uber motorcycle, or just skate—how would you rate each form of transportation and when would you use which?

Tuk Tuks are your go to for a short fun ride, especially on a night out with your friends. They're noisy, fully decorated with neon lights, screaming for skitching, filming b-roll and just being mischievous, they deserve a solid 8/10.

Some boats go slow like the tourist's floating nightclubs on the Chao Phraya river, some other like the Khlong Express fender the lime green waters in the narrow canals like there's no tomorrow. Those are available only during day time though. They're an efficient way to avoid traffic in specific areas 6/10.

For the Uber motorcycle, after some previously mentioned crash, I'd stay away from any two-wheeler at this point 0/10.

How’s the general vibe of the locals?

Thai people are respectful and disciplined people, I admire their social etiquette. The way they greet one another is very polite. In public transportation, no shouts or loud noises. No one would even think to get in front of you while waiting in queues. It truly makes a difference. The opposite side of the coin is that people won’t get involved in confrontations of any sort, fearing repercussions. That’s why local skaters won’t skate the spots we’ve been to, giving “Monstro De Bangkok” the uniqueness I’m looking for.

How’s the price of things/exchange rate?

A rule of thumb I figured out to make quick conversions is 100 Bahts = 3€, 1000 Bahts = 30€. 1000 Bahts being the highest bank note in Thai currency. It all depends on what you want to do, what your standards are etc... You can pay for goods and services with prices lining up with European ones, or have a more local lifestyle that will allow you to save up on your budget while experiencing autochthonous culture.

What kinds of food did you eat? What were your favorites?

I've been vegan for the past 6 years, I have to say I ate some of the most delicious plant based food I've ever had. From unidentified street tropical fruits, to mango sticky rice, handmade noodles, sour & spicy soups, Thai food truly has a wide range of flavors. My favorite dishes were a vegan Pad Krapao and a pineapple stir fry with cashews.