Parbun “Earth” Bunragsatrakul
Co-founder and Head Bartender, Brine 

Earth, born in Bangkok and now based in Chiang Mai, has always been driven by a passion for food and drinks. He spent six years in Washington, DC, working as both a Japanese food chef and bartender –  skills he learned entirely on the job. When he returned to Thailand, he moved almost immediately to Chiang Mai, where the vibrant food-and-drink scene felt like the right place to grow. There, he co-founded Brine and now leads the program as head bartender.

With a culinary background, Earth naturally gravitates toward savory cocktails, which he views as an extension of cooking. For him, cocktails aren’t just alcoholic beverages: they are opportunities to play with ingredients, apply thoughtful techniques and create specific flavors that tell stories. The same instincts that guide him in a kitchen shape his style behind the bar: understanding balance, respecting ingredients and building layers of flavor. Beyond the drinks themselves, he loves the human side of bartending: talking to guests, hearing their stories and helping them feel a little better by the time they leave.

Ambitious and future-focused, Earth hopes to expand his success beyond Chiang Mai, potentially returning to Bangkok to broaden his reach. He aims to grow at both the national and international level. Bartender competitions play a key role in this plan for he sees them as stepping stones that offer exposure, new ideas, fresh perspectives and connections across the industry.