Fridae

Thailand's first lifestyle TV program targeted at men will add English-language subtitles starting in July as its producers hope to widen the programme's audience to includenon-Thai speaking foreigners in Thailand and viewers outside the country.

It is also looking to add more talent to the mix.

"We've spent several months fine-tuning our product, and now we're ready to bring it to a wider stage," said Vitaya Saeng-Aroon, a Fridae columnist, director of Cyberfish Media and one of the show's four producers in partnership with PFM Production.

The programme was first profiled by Fridae in early March and numerous readers wrote to suggest adding English subtitles.

"Reaction from viewers has been great from both Thais and non-Thais. The most requests we get are for English subtitles, and we're happy to oblige," Saeng-Aroon told Fridae.

He added that every episode, current and past, would be subtitled, so viewers will be able to follow the series from its beginning.

Featuring three twenty-something male hosts Tong, Chan and Beige, the programme offers three segments "Living and Dining," "Travel and Lifestyle" and "Fashion and Fun."

Focusing on general living and lifestyle trends, producers say the programme is suited to men regardless of their sexual orientation.

"What should a guy who cares about his looks do? How does he find a great condo? Or prepare a quick and healthy meal? All men need advice on these topics," Vitaya said.

To further expand the audience, the producers are in talks to broadcast the show on a major Bangkok cable TV channel and expand distribution via the Internet.

While clips of episodes have appeared on video-sharing Web sites such as YouTube, Cyberfish and PFM Production are planning to stream Passport for Men on a dedicated server and are looking for a network partner to broadcast via the Internet for overseas market.

"While Thailand's domestic Internet is fast, international bandwidth is slow and limited," Vitaya said. "We're looking for a partner to host the show on a server outside Thailand with reliable, high-speed connections for our international audience."

Distribution via Bangkok's subscriber-based cable TV network is awaiting final contract talks, Vitaya added. Once an agreement is reached, the switch from its current satellite carrier could be made as early as July - just as English subtitles are added.



Passport for Men is on the lookout for another Thai-language-speaking host to join the team. Anyone interested should email recent photos and resume to Passportformen@gmail.com by 13 June 2008.

Archives of earlier shows are available at its Web site: www.ppformen.com.