When parties meet astrology, a new brand of wild superstition ensues
As soon as the line got through, an instant connection was formed. Filled with fun vibes and friendliness, the voice on the other end of the line belongs to Chayanan “Tam” Sarnsinthorn, the wizard behind Horoza, an astrology-themed party that fuses fun with the otherworldly.
Like a star revolves around the sun, our parties revolve around our destiny
Horoza is a gathering of “sai mu” (those partial to superstition) set to dance music and all manners of astrology. Truly one of its kind, the party is where revelers, booze, and fortune telling get rolled into one. Speaking of parties, there’s no denying that booze often acts as a main draw, which makes sense because people go to parties to essentially let off steam. Horoza takes that idea and incorporates it with a superstitious, stress-relieving element based on the mysterious art of astrology.
Party founder Chayanan “Tam” Sarnsinthorn told us that the concept for Horoza came about when he was unemployed and wanted to try new things. Being a nightlife lover and a social butterfly, he toyed with the idea of throwing his own party. Not wanting any plain old shindig, he decided to add his other passion, astrology, to the mix. Before the interviewer could even hope to get some reading from Tam, he was quick to clarify that he’d like to have his fortune told and not the other way round. In other words, where there’s a Horoza party, you can bet that there will also be a fab fortune teller.
Tam recalled the first installment of Horoza. “I was so superstitious that I went to pray to the goddess, asking her to grant me some fortune so that I could throw the party because I was super broke at the time. I promised the goddess that I’d bring her a traditional Thai dress, but not before I could use it as party props” (laughs).
But the fun only just started. “Reader discretion advised,” Tam warned us before proceeding to tell a story about an incident with a fortune teller. “I declined a call from my fortune teller because I was so caught up with the party. Then came a loud bang! Turned out that some stuff fell and broke. I rushed to check my phone and saw a message from the fortune teller, telling me to be careful of stuff breaking at the party.”
The burning question
So, what do people get down to at an astrology-themed party? Getting drunk first and having their fortune told or vice versa? “We get all kinds of people coming to Horoza BKK,” Tam told us. “Some just come to have their fortune told while others follow their friends and so, to them, the fortune-telling part is a bonus. Then, of course, we get those who want it all: party and astrology. For me personally, I think it’s better to have my fortune told first so that I can focus on what I really want to know. If I do it after I’m drunk, I’d just keep firing off questions without really concentrating on anything. So, yeah, definitely recommend doing it before getting drunk” (laughs).
What lies in the future of Horoza?
According to Tam, the success of each Horoza can be gleaned from the amount of people who show up to his party. “Sometimes we have a venue that can only hold 240-300 people, but the turnout is larger than we anticipate. I think that’s a good thing. From a small party, we’re grown bigger through word of mouth.” Tam also mentioned that he had people under 20 years old asking him if they could come to the party. Does he have any plan to expand his party to serve this demographic? “Actually, we’re thinking of throwing a daytime edition of Horoza in the future, with perhaps some type of charity involved. We’ve done that before and I’d like to make it happen again. We’re working on it right now.”
The true nature of Horoza
“I see Horoza as a gathering place for like-minded people. We go wild together as a community and we comfort each other, not just by getting drunk, but also through fortune-telling. Actually, half of the people I know are from the party. More than half of the number on my phone are of the people from the party. We still keep in touch to this day, helping each other out when we can.” When asked how long he planned to host Horoza, Tam immediately said, “I’ll do it ‘til I’m gray and old. Until I can’t do it anymore. It’s what I love doing, it’s what I created for people to experience it. Horoza brought us together.”
From an outsider’s perspective, Horoza might sound like it’s simply designed for people who are passionate about partying and fortune-telling. When the party ends, everybody would go their separate ways. After listening to Tam, Horoza becomes so much more than just a party. It’s a source of communal place where people bounce their positive energy off one another.
“If you believe in destiny, Horoza will bring us together.”
