The Thai Guys

What do you know about Thai culture?

Three American brothers hope to expand the view.

“My brothers and I joke that we are the only Thai people we know,” says Promepetch “Nut” Suwanchote,’18.

The youngest of three filmmaking brothers, he and Khemarintr “Nuk” Suwanchote, ’17, both graduated from UW Tacoma with communications degrees and a filmmaking focus. Their older brother Khoumsup “Note” Suwanchote, ’15, graduated from UW in Seattle with a degree in English.

Recently, Nuk directed a documentary at their alma mater. “Horizon Identities: AAPI at UWT” explores the experiences of the growing community of Asian American and Pacific Islander students, staff and faculty at UW Tacoma. Making the film made Nuk and Nut think more about their experiences at UW Tacoma. It’s also one project among many as the brothers set the stage for what’s next.

Evolving Identities

Nuk credits his parents for inspiring him to work hard in a competitive industry. He shares their immigration story by starting with his maternal grandparents, successful entrepreneurs in Laos who lost everything when they had to escape to Thailand due to civil war. After watching her parents rebuild their lives, Nuk’s mother got a degree in biochemistry, created a successful business, married and started a family. Then, the family decided to move to the U.S. to give their children more opportunities.

“With the move, my parents had to have their rebuild phase, doing everything all over again in America where they didn't really know the language or culture,” said Nuk.

Nut describes how their mother went to college again in the U.S. to become a pharmacist but didn’t find the work fulfilling, so she switched to creative work and became a jewelry designer at Pike Place Market.

“At first, we heard what you might expect from Asian American parents: You have to be a doctor, or this or that,” said Nut. “But what got passed down through my mom is that you should find something worth your time that you like to do.”

Finding their power at UW Tacoma

For the brothers, that ended up being filmmaking — and also powerlifting. The UW Tacoma powerlifting club that Nuk and Nut started became wildly successful. Nuk describes how significant and unique it was that UW Tacoma gave them what they needed. “They actually financially supported us in what we wanted to do, taking us to Rhode Island, Texas and the Caribbean islands to compete, and they paid for it all,” he said.

Their parents came around to support powerlifting, too. “At first, they didn’t want us to do it because they thought it was dangerous and we might get hurt,” said Nut. “But when we invited them to watch, and we got all these awards, and we were finding our own path, they were quite proud.”

Similarly, Nuk and Nut have witnessed how the UW Tacoma campus is growing, changing, and finding its way. “UW Tacoma has a lot of Asian representation,” said Nuk. “When you’re there, you don’t feel like, ‘Oh, I feel so Asian.’ Everyone is Asian.”

When Nut started at UW Tacoma, he was looking for friends. “I went in feeling lonely, shy and scared, but through a few clubs like the Filipino American Student Association (a.k.a. “FASA sa UWT”), I got through the first year, and that opened me up and helped me as I got into powerlifting and found more of my identity.”

Increasing representation

With more than one in five students identifying as Asian American or Pacific Islander, UW Tacoma is now a federally-designated Asian American, Native American and Pacific Islander-serving (AANAPISI) institution. In 2022, the U.S. Department of Education awarded a $2-million, five-year AANAPISI grant to UW Tacoma’s AAPI THRIVE (Tacoma Husky Retention and Inclusive Vision of Excellence) Project. The funding will continue to expand offerings and opportunities.

When asked what he hopes for the future related to filmmaking, Nuk said, “I do kind of have a master plan.” It involves pitching a pilot to Netflix.

He then tells a story about how his brother Note got quoted by a Seattle media outlet, saying, “Being an Asian person, you have to work double, triple, or 10 times as hard to be average. And people skirt around that issue because you don’t have that representation, and the media changes facts.”

Ironically, the quote itself has been misrepresented. “They keep using the quote in terms of the film industry or in the context of school,” Nuk says. “But he was talking about dating.”

Nuk explains that Note was talking about how, statistically, Asian men are the least likely to be swiped on in dating apps. “And that’s where the conversation gets interesting,” he says. “Because, in my opinion, that has a lot to do with culture and individuality and the fact that Asian culture is focused on working hard, keeping your head down, and being modest, and that actually goes against you when it comes to dating.”

That is one example of many social commentary ideas they want to share in the pilot. “That’s ‘Thai Guys,’ and it’s full of clownery and it’s hilarious,” said Nuk.

Nut hopes it creates more connections. "Asian hate is happening, and it's unifying to have something to relate to rather than hate on," he said.

As they continue to grow in the filmmaking industry, Nuk looks forward to shining a light on UW Tacoma and supporting others coming up. “I like to pull whoever is with me on the journey to the next level,” he said. “And everyone wins.”