As she clips a capo onto her glossy guitar's fretboard, Patchalarwaree "Jasmine" Damrongtampraseort recounts how her life as a star of the internet began.
"My older brother was saying we should record me singing and put it on YouTube for fun. But once it went live, there were suddenly many viewers and subscribers," she said.
By "many", the 14-year-old singer means there have been over 2 million views for one of her clips, and over 100,000 views for others. In those videos, she sings and plays guitar, covering both Thai and English songs. Her sweet, charming voice has enchanted listeners in many countries.
Another feature of most of Jasmine's videos is the presence of the Uttamanusorn Bridge, or Saphan Mon — the most popular tourist landmark in the district of Sangkhla Buri — in the background as she performs in front of her brother's camera.
"Personally, I like that bridge because it is something that has always been a part of people's lives here. I've been living in Sangkhla Buri since I was born. I've always seen this bridge, and I can feel the bond that we form with this place," said Jasmine, sitting on a wooden bench in her house with a guitar across her lap as she looked forlornly at the rain outside.
The bridge — which emerged onto the public radar after it was partially destroyed two years ago and was later the subject of controversy due to the overly lengthy restoration period for it — is not far from her home.
Aside from playing guitar, Jasmine is also proficient on drums and bass.
"At first, I only wanted to find a quiet place to sing and record. The spot I chose was quiet, and it happened to overlook Saphan Mon. I ended up promoting our local attraction as well," she said.
Not many would expect a talent to emerge here, and also perhaps not from a Karen — a minority — though she currently holds Thai citizenship. But, right in this Thai-Myanmar border town, a gem has been discovered. After her breakthrough as a YouTube star and internet sensation, Jasmine is now in talks with a music label about the possibility of going professional.
"Everything pretty much caught me off guard," said Jasmine. "I think I'm still pretty normal. But nowadays people sometimes look at me when I walk by. Sometimes they ask if they could take photos with me. It's pretty exciting."
Though she could now be considered a star, Jasmine's start was from small beginnings. Things began quite humbly and simply in her home.
"When I was young, the first song I started to sing was an English song," recalled Jasmine, "It's called My Love by Westlife. My mother used to play it around the house, and I've always listened to it."
That was perhaps the moment her voice took flight. But it was not until she was in Prathom 4 that her interest in musical instruments really began, and she has SuckSeed, a 2011 Thai comedy film about a group of teenage musicians, to thank for sparking her inspiration.
"That film made me want to be able to play music. It was nothing serious back then. But once I started and kept on playing, I began to take it seriously. It became my passion," she said. "At the end of the film, when the characters become successful, it inspired me. I hoped one day I would be like that too."
Jasmine started playing guitar when she was in Prathom 5. Her mother taught her some chords and, as a member of a Christian family, she learned the rest from a local church. Aside from guitar, she is also able to play drums and bass guitar. She still plays and sings in her church regularly, while also playing at a Saturday market in Sangkhla Buri. It is one of her favourite places as it enables her to meet a lot of people, and she enjoys making new friends.
Sweet as she may be, Jasmine still has to deal with online criticism like many other "net idols" before her. Though she may be of Thai nationality, there are netizens who suggest that Jasmine may not be proud of her Karen heritage, judging from the fact that she has never put out a video of herself singing songs in the Karen language. That, Jasmine explained, is because she unfortunately can't speak Karen.
"My mother didn't really speak Karen with us [my siblings and I] when we were kids. Now, I can't speak it either. However I can speak the Myanmar language," she said.
"I don't think being a Karen had any bad effects for me. I think it even becomes my selling point, but perhaps just a small one. I think people would rather focus more on what I can do with my ability."
Jasmine and her mother outside their home in Sangkhla Buri.
