To Infinity And Beyond

With his star on the rise, singer-actor Jeff Satur is revelling in being the master of his universe.

- Azhar Rahim

Jeff Satur cried two nights before this interview took place. The 28-year-old Thai singer and actor, whose real name is Worakamol Satur, was overcome with emotion on stage during his first solo show in Singapore. "I was looking at the crowd, listening to them sing along with me, and I just started tearing up. It was an incredible feeling to just stand there and hear them sing my songs back to me in Thai," he recalls.

Despite the language barrier (most of his songs are in Thai), his concert Live On Saturn, held in February at the Gateway Theatre, was sold out. For the uninitiated, Saturn is a play on his last name. "It's amazing to see how music can bring people together, even if we do not speak the same language," he says with childlike enthusiasm.

While this was not his first time performing in Singapore, the feeling was somewhat different, he confides. Previously, Satur came here for the world tour of the hit Thai boys' love Series KinnPorsche: The Series, where he was part the ensemble cast. This time, though, he was the main star on stage. "Honestly, I was surprised because I never knew that I had so many fans in Singapore. The show was sold out in less than an hour," he marvels.

With approximately three million followers on Instagram, his popularity is at an all-time high. But the flip side of Instafame is having to deal with criticism and nasty comments. The self-professed sensitive soul says he chooses to focus on positive and constructive feedback rather than dwelling on negative ones. He refuses to give haters the satisfaction of his acknowledgement because he doesn't want to give them power over him. "Just don't pay attention to them. They are already below you and that's why they try to bring you down to their level," he says. For him, staying true to himself and focusing on growth is key to overcoming brickbats about his shortcomings.