Meet Sutichai (Chai) Savathasuk

We had the good fortune of connecting with Sutichai (Chai) Savathasuk and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Sutichai (Chai), why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
At the intersection of being an introverted, autistic, 3rd-generation Thai-American middle child, I had a myriad of factors contributing to my being a silent voice. I was talked over, ignored, and bullied for most of my childhood. As a kid, I never pondered why I needed to take speech pathology classes or why my name became slang for words like ‘puto y chino’ on the playground, being the only Asian surrounded by Latinos. From my parents speaking in my place to my personality being molded by my older sibling and Saturday morning cartoons, I hunkered into the safety of my mind.

Going to California State University, Northridge for my Mechanical Engineering degree, I had more agency in my life. Choosing my schedule and how I spend my time was liberating. With my freedom to spend time throughout the weeks, I got into rock climbing, 3D-printing, hiking, and gaming. I focused heavily on my studies, my mind, and my body. I had more autonomy and the ability to understand myself and enjoy my own company.

By the time I graduated at 22, I felt empty. The tutorial phase was gone, and I no longer followed a guideline set by the route societal standards required of me. School, paper, job, live. There were no more instructions other than to exist. Something was missing.

It wasn’t until I took a risk and landed myself at an open mic did my life forever changed. Equipped with a loud brain and a quiet mouth, I didn’t have the tools or the platform to spill the Universe that hung from my head until I first came to the mic at Sunday Jump. On November 3, 2019, I had 4 minutes to open my heart to a room full of strangers, and it was incredibly bad. My words stumbled, hands shaking, sounding silly, but I felt a click in my head that I was right where I was supposed to be. I felt confidently awkward and goofy on the stage. Through the mic, I found freedom. Through the mic, I found my voice. From there, I found a community of oddball artists, singers, poets, and comedians at Palms Up Academy, where I could create anything I wanted, from stories to jokes to bars to bits. I found the people who accepted me in my wholeness, fully supporting and cheering for me. The mic helped me find the voice I lost growing up, and now, in my journey as an artist, I have discovered my calling.

My stories are for the unbelonging, the weirdos, and the burned-out gifted children. I hope I can be a safe space for anyone who feels awkward, out-of-place, outcasted, or alone. It’s a big city, but there is a community for everyone, and I’ll help anyone find their belonging. I walk these lands where I do my best to ensure the people around me feel safe, seen, and heard. After all, the strongest bond we have is human connection.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
My main mediums are comedy and poetry, often blending the two into what I call “cometry.” Coming into the poetry scene with a stand-up background has greatly influenced my public speaking style. What started as therapeutic venting sessions about random thoughts has evolved into crafted pieces intended for delivery. I learned stand-up comedy through Bobbie Oliver at Tao Comedy Studio, honed my poetry skills with the Community Literature Initiative to publish my first book, and continued to refine my public speaking through mixed mics.

Some significant moments in my artistic journey include my first one-man show, a blend of comedy, poetry, and storytelling, collaborating on a Hollywood Fringe show with fellow poets, publishing a book, and directing a music video in a collaborative effort with my Palms Up community.

I thrive on creation and find it in my soul that I am a creator. I have plans to own a workspace, possibly a café that will also serve as a performance venue someday. I want to create a space where I can design escape rooms and board games, fulfilling my diverse ambitions. In my legacy, I’d like to be known as the guy who did a little bit of everything.

Achieving big endeavors can seem daunting. I just remembered that all of the final products on my resume started in a format on a Word document. These projects take time, and it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the end goal. However, breaking them down into manageable steps makes them achievable.

I’m not afraid to make mistakes and give myself the freedom to fail. I stay goofy and authentically myself on stage. What others may see as brave is just me being comfortably (awkward) behind the mic. For those insecure about sharing their stories, remember that your biggest judge is yourself. Your biggest hater is yourself. I certainly still have that sense of self-doubt that I may not be as good as I think behind the mic as I thought I’d be, but I’d say to just go in, say what you want to say, do what you need to do, and figure out the consequences later.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
“You’re not bored, you just need more hobbies.” ~ Jut Gonzales, unhinged DJ

Here’s an example itinerary for something that my week would look like + bonus activities you can use for dates, hangs, to-do, checkout spots:

Sunday: West Hollywood/Historic Filipinotown
– start the day at Melrose Trading Post, an artisanal flea market, at Fairfax High School. Partake in food, drinks, and performances, and get a personalized poem from on-demand typewriter poets with a rotating crew of poets every week (including myself) by the Los Angeles Poet Society
– LACMA: take a photo op in front of the “Urban Light” and check out the La Brea Tar Pits.
– HiFi Kitchen: local Filipino restaurant right across from the Boba Guys
– alternately, Dollar Hits: Filipino street food
– Sunday Jump: a community arts organization that hosts an open mic every 1st Sunday of the month that highlights featured artists and merch/food vendors

Monday: Little Tokyo/Arts District
– hang around Little Tokyo plaza, several options for food, boba, and shopping
– evening: Avenue 26 Tacos, my personal favorite spot for tacos in LA
– afterward, we go to Tea at Shiloh’s, late-night tea and mic

Tuesday: Westside
– walk down Santa Monica Pier and enjoy the sunrise
– roll through Venice Boardwalk via skateboard, roller skates, or biking
– bountiful noodles/boba options on Sawtelle like Marugame Udon or Tsujita Artisan Noodles, Noble Tea or Volcano Tea for example
– Cliffs of Id on Fairfax: indoor rock climbing joint; bountiful spots for bouldering/top-roping and comes with a sauna
– Da Poetry Lounge: nation’s largest weekly poetry open mic every Tuesday night

Wednesday: Hollywood/Historic Filipinotown
– any native Angelino might tell you to avoid the crowded touristy Hollywood Walk of Fame, but watching a movie premiere at the TCL Chinese Theater is worth the experience to try out at least once
– we do an escape room, 60Out or Maze Rooms are solid options in LA
– Palms Up Academy: Recess Open Mic in the evening, break bread literally and metaphorically
– post-hang at Thunderbolt bar for drinks and snacks

Thursday: LA Forest/San Gabriel Valley
– Hiking options:
– Eaton Canyon Falls (beginner)
– Echo Ruins (light-medium) / Inspiration Point (heavy)
– Switzer Falls (medium)
– Bridge to Nowhere (heavy)
– Huntington Gardens/Arboretum: places of tranquility
– SGV is the greatest in all of LA for food and drinks. Half & Half, 7Leaves, home of 85°C Bakery Cafe, and Afters Ice Cream, Fosselman’s Ice Cream Co., Pepper Lunch
– check out any spots in the neighborhood of Whittier or Rowland Heights

Friday:
Wildcard Day
With hundreds of things going on every day, FOMO is inevitable in LA. Accept you can’t be there for everything, so enjoy the moments you can and embrace being present. Here are several things you can do:

– Round1 Bowling & Arcade
– Heritage Square Museum – I once did an immersive vampire experience at this Victorian-era style historic grounds
– Peterson Automotive Museum
– high-rise dining and drinking at 71Above/Cara Cara
– art showcase at Blaqhaus/Barclay’s/Friday at the Foxden
– hidden speakeasies if you know where to find them
– Wii Spa in Ktown
– Day trip to Catalina Island
– stay at the haunted Queen Mary in Long Beach
– cruise Mulholland Drive at nighttime

(staying in is also a viable option)

Saturday: San Fernando Valley
– Woodley Park Archery Range where I’ve taught archery has beginner classes on Saturday mornings. They’ve also got a long-range and some wooden blocks if you have your own axes (provided by me)
– Wat Thai Temple for lunch on authentic Thai cuisine – recommend getting Kanom Krok (coconut pancake dessert)
– Hiking at Griffith Park: Observatory, Hollywood sign, Old LA Zoo, Bee Rock
– Bun Me, local Vietnamese restaurant, followed by Sweet Snow (shaved ice) in the same plaza
– alternately, Garden Wok, local vegetarian restaurant
– take a stroll through California State University, Northridge; the central library may look familiar to people who’ve seen certain movies (Star Trek, Sky High)

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Honoring the roadmap of destiny for the people who guided me to become the person I am today, here’s

To Reverend Lady Lord, Arianna Basco: First of Her Name, Speaker of Words, Opener of Spaces, Gatherer of Beings, Leader of Freemen and Brave Souls, Khaleesi of the Academy of Upward Palms for cultivating/mothering the community I call home, and to the people of Palms Up Academy, the folks who come, go, stay, and prosper, expressing their authentic selves.

To Ariel Jimenez, the truest homie who kept me moving forward, late-night talks, understood me, encouraged me, and opened the world of arts to me.

To Christian Perfas/Soul Stuf, who coached my spoken-word skill, boosted my poetry prowess, and connected me to Palms Up Academy.

To Jaclyn Yangyuen/jly, who first showed me the possibility of dual-wielding engineering and artistry and being the catalyst to unlocking my voice

whom I wouldn’t have met if it weren’t for James, whom I met through magic and destiny at CSUN, along with the rest of the engineering Foos for all the road trips and adventures we go. The road was most enjoyable with y’alls company along with the 5-pound bag of Sour Patch Kids.

To Chris, my longest-running friend from Van Nuys Senior High, with philosophy, escape rooms, and board games that gave me the foundation for my baseline coding.

Bonus shout-out to Bobbie Oliver of Tao Comedy Studio, who taught me how to do stand-up comedy with intention and gave me solid public speaking skills. To the Infinite Poets, y’all the most adorable crew I could have gone to publish our books together, tour poetry together, and complete an entire Hollywood Fringe Show together.

Website: https://www.mrchaitea.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mr.chai_tea

Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/user_details?userid=gMp_NsEAHank-BkO_AVslA

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@mr.chaitea839

Other: https://morty.app/@yay842 (like Yelp but for escape rooms) https://maps.app.goo.gl/8DJiRte2HsLs1ECG9 (map of boba shops I visited) https://www.printables.com/@yay842_440078 (3D-models I designed that can be downloaded for 3D-printing) https://a.co/d/01rjR3KJ (my book, “How Chai Tea is Made”)

Image Credits
Raelene Rizo