On Point With: Naarak’s Tai
Originally posted on thotyssey.com 6/21/2024
Born in Thailand, Tai became a young entrepreneur in New York and ultimately created one of the city’s best known Asian / API / Asian-American nightlife brands. And this Pride Month, he will serve many different forms of Naarak for our kiki pleasure! [Cover photo: Duke Winn]
Thotyssey: Hi Tai, thanks for talking to us today! How is Pride Month treating you so far?
Tai: So far so good! Busy juggling planning out Naarak events, client development, and social engagements. Also pretty excited that Thailand legalized gay marriage after holding their first Pride parade! How about you?
Super busy as well! Yes, that is a wonderful development regarding Thailand. Many Asian countries are very welcoming of queer citizens living freely now; where do you hope to see progress come to next? Besides here in the US of course, where it often feels like we’re moving backwards.
Facts. We really are moving backwards here. Open dialogue and mutual respect as fellow humans with different ideas have gone out the window, thanks to a certain felon! I would love to see continued support for the LGBT community not only in South East Asia, but also the East Asian countries.
Naarak is the celebrated nightlife brand you produce, and that brings people from all cultures together (with an emphasized roster of Asian and Asian-American entertainers like DJs and drag queens). What’s something you learn about people when you see them celebrating all in one place, even if they’re from all different corners of the Earth?
How hungry we are for community in this large large world, especially the Queer API community. Naarak has been able to build a home for folks all over the world; they know they can meet each other and feel safe. Providing that starting point for bonds to form is the most rewarding aspect of what I’m doing.
Can you tell us about yourself? Where are you from originally, and what sort of interests or opportunities did you have that ultimately led you down this path?
Born in Bangkok, Thailand, I was adopted at two and spent my childhood bouncing around the East Coast before finally settling in New York City in 2010. My love affair with the city began during a 2006 internship. I would make the 6-7 hour trek on the infamous Chinatown buses just to party every other weekend.
2010 New York was a different beast—pre-tech and pre-smartphone, the city thrived on in-person connections. It was in this vibrant atmosphere that I founded Naarak, leveraging the relationships I had cultivated over the years in NYC and around the world. I quickly discovered my passion for bringing people together and promoting businesses I loved, becoming an early influencer and a go-to person for many.
As a freelance creative director and designer, I focus on brand storytelling across various mediums–from branding and marketing to digital experiences and large in-person events. I spent seven years at Quartz where I built a design department from scratch, and I’m always on the lookout for new clients!
My marketing and brand storytelling experience naturally fed into my vision for Naarak. After [event producer] Weijie ended his Bond events and my Friday night event “Mao” (meaning “drunk” in Thai) wrapped up, the API community was left without a designated space. Therapy became our go-to spot, despite the blatant racism we faced in the early days. When Industry opened, many [other] people migrated there… leaving Therapy as our primary gathering spot.
In 2019, I quit my job as Quartz’s design director and spent a month in Southeast Asia, seeking clarity and refocusing. This trip reignited my passion for community building. By August 2022, I found a new venue and officially launched Naarak, marking the culmination of my journey.
A very inspiring origin story! “Narak” means “Cute” in Thai, right?
Yup! I added the extra “-a” to help with pronunciation… and for funsies.
What do you look for, or rather listen for, when you book DJs? Does Naarak have a specific sound?
I tend to lean towards DJs that can play up beat music and vocals; it is Friday night and usually people just want to to socialize and feel uplifted. We tend to have more pop / house sounds.
Naarak has brought events to VERS and Highbar, and currently has a monthly presence at both The Spot in Hell’s Kitchen (“Naarak Fridays”) and Boxers in Chelsea (“Slurrrp” Thursdays which focuses on Asian pop). It must be fun to see old friends and meet new friends every month at these residencies!
100%. Everyone is busy, so it’s nice to be able to bring people together. Definitely one of the main reasons why I started Naarak as well. It become a central meeting spot for people. Each event also brings a different crowd, too, which is a joy to see. We have people show up only for the Kpop events or social events and not for others. It goes to show that there is a niche market and experiences for everyone.
And this coming Sunday, Naarak brings “Fresh Off The Brunch” to Pinto Garden in the West Village!
Oh yes! I’ve been really excited about this one. There aren’t many shows celebrating Southeast Asian drag queens and highlighting a Thai brunch experience. Pinto Garden is owned by a dear friend Yo and Koby. When they approached me about brunch, I immediately reached out to Indonesian queen Kekoa and half Thai / half Norwegian queen Alice Howls. We want to create an upbeat lighthearted vibe, especially with all the darkness in the world. Guests can enjoy an assortment of Thai food items to choose from, as well as Pinto’s infamous lychee billinis–all while having a good laugh, and a sense of coming together and community.
Then you’ll be bringing a Naarak Pride Friday (June 28th) to a new venue, The Rose, with DJs Evanium and Aspirin.
I can’t wait! Last year’s Pride event at VERS saw around 300 people show up. It was insane, and there was an additional amount of people having to be turned away due to capacity. So, we’re really trying to push folks to get tickets online early, so we can staff properly. The Rose has two bars–indoors and outdoors–which is a nice way for people to get out and chat if they want a break from the music and stuff.
Then on Saturday, Naarak will be presiding over the 2024 Gaysian Pride Meetup at Sheeps Meadow in Central Park! What’s the history of this event?
The meet up originated during World Pride in 2019 as a gathering point for all of my international friends coming to visit. They would host me and the other Americans during events like Songkran and White Party BKK, and I wanted an easy opportunity to bring all the visitors together.
We had almost 300 people roll through at one point. It went over so well that everyone asked for it again, especially post-Covid. It really became an easy, low-friction meetup point during everyone’s busy Pride weekend schedules. We might see an evolution to it, but at the moment we want to keep it a low-pressure, lifting experience people can pop in and pop out of as they feel.
Fun! Anything else coming up that the children should know about?
Right now working on some potential projects with the Thai Department of Trade… looking forward to seeing where those net out. and looking forward to the next “HoPa” (our underwear party) in the next few months.
And finally, what do you think the Song of the Summer has been / will be?
“Nasty” by Tinashe. Maybe it’s just me, but I’m obsessed with the soft vibes paired with the lyrics. Big fan of duality and contradictions
Always mixing it up! Thanks, Tai!
