Kanchit Wanichdilokkul Sticking with the Wall of Death The roaring sounds of the motorcycle vroom vroom echoed the air and stifled the contemporary country music that was creating rhythm and excitement at the carnival. A well-built young man was maneuvering his motorcycle on the floor of an extraordinary large barrel for a few rounds before climbing the walls higher and higher until he almost reached the top, while also performing a few astonishing stunts on his bike. The barrel swayed with the movements of the two wheeled vehicle and the crowd broke into loud cheers and applause, in awe with his magnificent yet very risky performance. Amongst the cheering crowd, stood Kanchit Wanichdilokkul, thinker, writer, columnist and data analyst and broker. (As for the last one, he’s probably the only one in the nation) “Since I was a child, I’ve always liked to research and explore, cutting out and keeping interesting articles and photos. In 1996, I went to a festival of Phu Khao Tong and witnessed many ancient games and contests. It brings us back to the olden days and makes us wonder if they’ll be lost some day. The carnivals of temples have now become markets selling cheap goods. So I decided to write a book, collecting all the possible information I could about temple carnivals, from the history, ferris wheel to the carousel rides. But as I gathered data, I realized the most amazing one was the motorcycle stunts in a barrel, which was practically the highlight of any show. I became a big fan and decided to track every show I could to this very day.” “Initially, I sat down with various elderly people who were able to give me information of who was the best in this particular stunt and who were still alive. I made a chart and sought to find each person. Some were confused and did not greet me at all until I explained my research. I have found 38 groups of motorcyclists and grown close to them, so close that they have even given me their motorcycles and barrels. I would try to see every show I could ; taking my car or flying to nearby provinces.” Kanchit pulled out 40 photo albums, a photo compilation of more than 11 years of motorcycle shows and their hazardous stunts, and the people involved, as well as the ambiance of each carnival in the country. “There are many popular stunts that these artists do on their motorcycles, such as putting on and taking off their shirts; spilling drinks on the floor; and the most risky one is the striking eagle position, where the rider goes at a high speed, and stands on one foot, pointing his toes in the seat. It’s probably the most deadly stunt. There is much more than meets the eye in these stunts, as these riders go in heavy training and modify the existing stunts. As a competition, they set up a couple of barrels and the one that draws the most attention wins the competition. There have been cars in barrels, bicycles in barrels, and also people in barrels. The only difference is the barrel will be spinning as the person works his way to the top, whether it’s one person or a couple of people standing on each other.” “I love the carnivals in Nakorn Sri Thammarat the most because the organizers try their best to maintain the atmosphere of the good old times, when we had to exchange for the ancient coins and all the booths were made of wood. All the games that were played by our grandparents were reborn that night for us to play. The villagers participated joyously, dressed in colored attire with powder on their faces. There was even a competition for the stray dogs in the temple and the winner received a large ceramic pot and a huge bag of dog food.” (laughing) Whichever period we live in, we realize that entertainment and good memories help nurture our minds and body. As for this man, no matter how much has changed in the carnivals of today, we know that he will always cherish the lively events of the fun fairs in his childhood with his incredible stunts on his motorcycle.