The theme of the party is always 'Luk Toong' or 'Children of the Fields, which is a type of country/ folk music. It's a style of entertainment popular outside of Bangkok and especially, in Northeast Thailand. It's high-energy, hyper-erotic, and somehow, suitable for the entire family.
My camera wasn't taking pictures properly, so I stuck mainly to videos. I plan to collect some pictures from other people and make a follow-up post next week. Until then, I'll try to paint a picture of what the night was like.
The party was held in the factory parking lot. We finished work at noon, and the party crew set up the stage and tables all by 5 pm, when everyone came back for dinner. This is a quick panoramic view of the stage and tables.
Here is a video of the 'Luk Toong' performers. Someone said they were a group put together by a music teacher from a local high school. The dancers are supposedly her students - all over 18, I'm told.
You may notice the singer and sometimes the dancers reaching into the crowd from time to time. In an attempt to get a phone number or just a little closer, the audience, especially the excited young men, try to give tips. This group of performers made a small fortune that night.
The style of dance by the performers is a fairly standard cabaret/ burlesque. The style of dance by the audience is another story. I guess most people tend to plant their feet in the ground and rock back and forth while shaking their arms. However, there is another style that deserves recognition. I don't know the name of it, but will call it the 'epileptic chicken'. Watch the guy in the foreground. I'm convinced there is true genius behind his movements. There are also other dance moves that resemble plowing a field and harvesting rice - while on amphetamines.
What I showed you earlier was the professional dance team from Miss Nang's Dance Group. We also had entertainment from regular Trim Staffers. This is a team of engineers and production control officers who put on a traditional, though very energetic, northeastern-style performance. I pan back and forth, but try to pay attention to the guy on the far left in the white shirt. His little jump at the end made "Luk Toong" history and should be patented. I think he may have had a shot of "Vigorous Horse" from Santa's Workshop before going on stage.
Every year, one team of Trim performers seems to take the show to the next level - the next level up or next level down, I'm not so sure. But this team of girls from the leather cutting department chose to display their pole-dancing skills during a 'Coyote Dance' performance. Coyote Dance is a popular trend at night clubs and discos. Taken from the movie "Coyote Ugly", Coyote Dance is a style where cute girls (known as Coyote Girls) wearing short skirts and halter tops will dance suggestively on the top of the bar. Recently, coyote girls have achieved a certain level of notoriety in Thailand and have become almost a kind of celebrity - the US equivalent to being a back-up dancer in a Jay-Z video.
But that's not why I chose to show this video. As a prerequisite for all successful Trim Factory New Year Parties, at some time during the show a drunk guy must get on the stage and make an ass of himself. This year was no different.
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