Pete Phornprapha on a decade of wonder at Thailand’s global creative festival “Wonderfruit”

“Honestly, from day one until now, the DNA has never changed,” Pete Phornprapha begins, his voice calm against the warm, creative hum of the meeting room at Siam Patumwan House in the heart of Bangkok.

This is the command centre of Scratch First, the company behind Wonderfruit’s vision and execution—a stark contrast to the vast, dreamlike expanses of The Fields at Siam Country Club in Chonburi, where wonderers from all corners of the globe gather each year.

“In 2014, I called Jay (Montonn Jira), my childhood best friend, and asked him point-blank: let’s try to move the needle on society, on the environment, on the world—together. And let’s do it through art, culture, and music, the very things we grew up with. Maybe these things could be meaningful for other people too.”

That small spark of an idea became the seed of Wonderfruit—one that, ten years on, has grown into a fully realised dream. What began as an instinct has become a purpose Pete wakes up to every day, a vision he now holds with absolute clarity and conviction.

Read more: Celebrating Wonderfruit's 10th Anniversary

“When we first began, it wasn’t about changing the world. We simply didn’t want to be the kind of people who only talked about problems. When we saw something wrong, we wanted to truly understand it—and then find our own way of communicating it.”

From that youthful fire grew a “festival” that blends everything into one living organism—music, art, food, culture, wellness, and nature—a space for discovery, learning, and immersive experiences that unfold through one’s own senses.

For Pete, Wonderfruit has never been a “project.” It is closer to a way of life—an ethos woven into every element that he and his team create, and one that many wonderers have come to recognize and feel intuitively.

Pete shares that the foundations of Wonderfruit—the ideas, values, and creative pillars—were born from what was happening both around us and within us.

“We were always drawn to the environment, to nature, to what exists externally. But after doing this for a while, we began to understand the internal more deeply—well-being, spirituality, and even the things embedded in our society for generations: religion, culture, belief systems. All of these shape the way we live. And they naturally manifest through food, music, art, architecture. That’s the world Wonderfruit is building.”

He emphasizes that Wonderfruit has never been driven by trends. What matters is the pursuit of what is timeless—the understanding that if we look back a thousand years, people had been exploring these same ideas long before us. Wonderfruit simply re-tells them in a form that resonates with today.

“I believe that having a healthy relationship with your own spirit—that is timeless. No matter what era you’re born into. And the relationships we have with the world around us? Those, too, are timeless.”

Wonderfruit is far more than a “festival.” It is a temporary city, built across more than 500 rai (approximately 198-acre) at The Fields at Siam Country Club in Chonburi—an ever-evolving landscape of pavilions, stages large and small, and an endless stream of activities unfolding over five unforgettable days.

“Within this city, you can choose what kind of experience you want—what you want to try, learn, or who you want to interact with. That sense of wonder arises naturally,” Pete says, painting a vivid picture of the world he and his team create each year.

One of Wonderfruit’s most compelling highlights is Haan Molam, which began as a modest Molam stage and has since blossomed into a full-scale theatre. From just a few hundred people in its early years, it now draws crowds of 3,000–4,000.

“We love seeing international visitors dancing to molam with us. It’s a symbol of our folk heritage—an entry point for people to understand Thailand through its music.”

When asked which stage he feels most connected to, Pete laughs. “Honestly, they’re all like my children. I love every single one. If I didn’t, I wouldn’t have built them. And each one has its own personality.”

He points to The Quarry, Forbidden Fruit, and Creature Stage, which encourage audiences to explore a broader spectrum of music; Unconditional Space, a new arena for artistic expression that proves art need not be confined to galleries; and the Forest Zone, which invites wonderers to rediscover a deeper relationship with nature.

Food, too, is a pillar of the Wonderfruit ethos.

“In the past, the food we ate reflected the surrounding landscape—it told you whether the area had rivers or canals, what kind of animals lived there. You could understand the context of the area through its cuisine. Today, everything comes from the same sources. So one of the stories we want to tell through Wonderfruit is how people can reconnect with those origins.”

One of the most compelling indicators of Wonderfruit’s success is its continuously growing attendance. Today, the festival welcomes 27,000–28,000 participants from more than 140 nationalities, with a remarkably loyal community—a retention rate of 60–70 percent among returning Wonderers.

“In the early years, we never imagined the community would become this strong,” Pete reflects. “We were simply focused on what we wanted to create, and how we could personally relate to the work we were doing. For me, Wonderfruit isn’t just a five-day event; it is a living organism—one that continues to evolve over the long term. We grow alongside our collaborators every single day, which is why the relationships formed here are so strong. There’s a shared spirit, a clarity of purpose that you can truly feel.”

Another reason people keep coming back is the festival’s constant state of reinvention. Everything—from its structures and architectural forms to its programming and activities—changes each year, becoming a signature of Wonderfruit itself. This ever-evolving landscape invites wonderers to return, eager to experience what new stories await them in the fields.

As Wonderfruit marks its tenth anniversary, Pete reveals a host of special highlights created to celebrate the festival’s remarkable journey. One of the most meaningful is the three-year-old forest, now standing almost ten metres tall—a living testament to Wonderfruit’s long-term vision and the team’s commitment to reforestation efforts at The Fields.

“It’s incredible how fully this forest has grown in just three years,” Pete says with unmistakable excitement. “So this year, we’ve built all sorts of experiences within it. Some are permanent, others are rotating art installations—each designed for people to step into and truly feel.”

Several new pavilions also await Wonderers, including one of this year’s standout creations: Baan Bardo, a collaboration with artist Wit Pimkanchanapong.

“It’s like bringing ten years of Wonderfruit together,” Pete explains. “We developed a concept that blends mind, nature, sound, and imagination into one.”

The result is a kinetic labyrinth—an immersive journey designed to guide visitors back to themselves, encouraging reflection, awareness, and playful rediscovery.

Meanwhile, the Living Village has been reimagined to allow for even deeper engagement with diverse ways of living, offering intimate encounters and hands-on experiences throughout the space.

“One more special thing,” Pete adds, “is that Wonderfruit will no longer exist in just one moment of the year. We’re creating additional chapters that will unfold throughout the calendar. It’s a way for the Wonderfruit spirit to live on beyond the five-day programme at The Fields.”

When asked what the next decade of Wonderfruit will bring, Pete breaks it down into three clear pillars that will guide the festival’s evolution.

The first is The Fields itself. He explains that the site has already come a long way—and still holds tremendous potential.
“We want to create new experiences and new expressions that will increasingly shape The Fields into a defined cultural platform,” he says.

The second pillar is the programming—the ideas and content embedded within the platform. These centre around the interplay of mind, nature, and sound, designed not only to grow within Wonderfruit but to live beyond it. The goal is to translate these concepts into other contexts, ensuring they can thrive outside the confines of the festival.

The third pillar is the way Wonderfruit captures and tells stories. “We recently launched a podcast series called Pineapple Eyes, and we’re working on a collection of short documentary films,” Pete shares. “We also have a music label, Fields Tape, which just released its first album. These are all ways for us to extend Wonderfruit’s narratives—through sound, visuals, and conversation—so they continue to live and breathe beyond the festival.”

We asked Pete how, after more than a decade, a global festival like Wonderfruit reflects the essence of Thailand. His answer comes without hesitation: the connection is inherent—because the people who build it are Thai, grounded in this land.

“What Wonderfruit creates is something that grows from the ground. It isn’t imported or adapted from somewhere else. If we want to build a strong, sustainable Thai industry—socially, culturally, environmentally, and economically—I believe the most meaningful way is to grow it ourselves.”

He pauses before offering an analogy that perfectly encapsulates the Wonderfruit philosophy.

“I’ve always loved the phrase from the ground. It’s a law of nature. Think of a tree that’s already three or four metres tall—if you dig it up and move it, it loses its taproot, its strength. It might survive, but only with constant support. But if you grow a forest from seeds or young saplings, letting them take root naturally, the strength is incomparable.”

Pete shares that Wonderfruit has transformed every aspect of his life over the past decade.

“I’ve always believed that the energy and dedication you give will return to you. Wonderfruit has given me love, friendships, knowledge—and a sense of wonder every single morning. It makes me feel like a child again, full of questions, curiosity, and the desire to explore.”

And his invitation to those who have never experienced Wonderfruit is simple, warm, and disarmingly genuine.

“If you’ve never been, just come. Experience it for yourself. Whether you end up liking it or not—that’s secondary. But if you’re someone who loves art, culture, community, and learning new things, you’ll probably find something here that truly connects with you.” He smiles.

A decade of Wonderfruit, then, is not merely a story of music, forests, or pavilions. It is the story of something that has grown from Thai soil—into a global community of people searching for a deeper understanding of themselves and the world around them. And this is only the beginning of a new chapter of Live. Love. Wonder. for the decade ahead...

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