If you keep an open mind, you’ll be surprised at the incredible things you will discover where you least expect them. Like a Vin Diesel lookalike that dedicates most of his time to living the Tom Toretto slash fast & furious life.
Awesome things you can find in Thailand: impressive and surprising replica cars, and the incredible Scrap Metal Art Thailand, a museum-like place where you will come across everything from Bumblebee and Predator to a Bugatti Chiron, all of them made of scrap. Add another item to that list with the Thai Vin Diesel.
Thai Vin Diesel is the nickname that turned 38-year-old Arthid Duangsri into an international star. He didn’t specifically set out to be famous, but it happened by chance after one of his posts on social media went viral last month. His reputation was further solidified with a feature on Vice’s Local Legends in the following weeks – you can see that video at the bottom of the page.
Duangsri has been living what the real Vin Diesel calls the “Dom life” for almost a decade now, after failing to feel good in his own skin. As he explains to Vice, he was part of a dance act and he wore his hair long for which reason he believes the ladies weren’t exactly throwing themselves at him. During one of his shows, as he was tying his hair back so it wouldn’t get in the way, someone remarked that he resembled the Hollywood actor and, as the cliché goes, the rest was history.
Photo: Facebook / Arthid Duangsri
Duangsri has been shaving his head bald ever since, and he’s also been working out like crazy to get and then maintain a body like Vin Diesel. He sticks to a protein-heavy diet and pumps iron on a daily basis, and whatever time he has left after he’s done at work, he spends in character as Dom Toretto. Duangsri may call himself the Thai Vin Diesel, but he is actually the Thai version of Toretto, the popular lead character in the Fast and Furious franchise.
So, whenever he goes out, Duangsri makes sure he wears a white T-shirt or a black vest, with black pants, a pair of sunglasses, an oversize cross necklace, and, of course, his best Dom face. Since no one would believe a Dom without his iconic set of wheels, Duangsri had to improvise. In the films, Toretto drives a Dodge Charger R/T, the same car that he built with his father as a kid and that he was initially afraid to drive before he eventually did and unleashed all 900 hp under the hood.
Duangsri is not Toretto in that he doesn’t run a car shop (though his brother seems to), and he’s not a thief. So he had to get creative when it came to his ride, which is actually a modified 1970 Toyota Mark II. With help from his brother, he gave the Toyota a double disguise, first as a Ford Mustang in black with yellow racing stripes, then as a Dodge Charger – in matte black.
Speaking of the ride, Duangsri says that it’s not worth much in terms of money, but it has incredible sentimental value. It was his literal vehicle to fame but most importantly, it’s that one thing that makes him feel like Vin Diesel. He describes the actor as a role model and a talented performer, and the man he most looks up to because he inspired a change of lifestyle.
Photo: Facebook / Arthid Duangsri
Too bad the real Vin Diesel doesn’t really care about all this. When Duangsri went viral in June 2022 on social media, many of Diesel’s fans sent him the story, including Duangsri himself. He only ever got one response from his idol in the form of a direct message on Twitter, and it was nothing like he ever expected. “Stop sending me this s**t” – five words that still have the power to almost bring Duangsri to tears.
Not that he’s letting them stop him from living the fast & furious life. Duangsri is monetizing on his similarity to the actor, building for himself an entire brand based on the character and his deep roots within car culture. He’s doing spon-cons for car oil and auto supplies, appearances at auto and gaming events, and Dom-heavy self-promotion. He’s even using fake Fast & Furious posters for some of these, in addition to his Dom-face and Dom poses.
We assume the ladies have since had a change of heart.
Elena has been writing for a living since 2006 and, as a journalist, she has put her double major in English and Spanish to good use. She covers automotive and mobility topics like cars and bicycles, and she always knows the shows worth watching on Netflix and friends. Full profile
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