Arzen Rose Dulzura

EXCLUSIVE: Kobe Francisco reveals how his life in Thailand led him to content creation: ‘I’m gonna make this work’

Article (news)

Jemuel Tandoc

Push Team

<div><em>Content Warning: This article includes references to intense emotional experiences that may be triggering for some readers.</em></div><div><br></div><p>Netizens might have come across content creator Kobe Francisco&rsquo;s bubbly and Thai-speaking TikTok videos before, but there&rsquo;s more to his story beyond the clips that made him stand out online.&nbsp;</p><p>In an exclusive interview with <strong>PUSH ABS-CBN</strong>, Kobe opened up about living in Thailand for 10 years and how he found his way into content creation.</p><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width: 660px; display: block;" width="660"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1788674830793NEW THUMB - 2026-09-06T141005.651.jpg" style="width: 660px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="660"><span class="fr-inner">Courtesy: Kobe Francisco</span></span></span></div><p>&ldquo;Nag-Thailand ako, Grade 8. That was 2015. Yung coach ko sa San Beda dati, his name is Coach Troy Umaly. Naging coach na siya dun sa Traill International School, which was my high school sa Thailand. And I think one summer, he messaged me and my mom na, &lsquo;Hey, merong opportunity dito sa Thailand. We&#39;re looking for basketball players who were born in 2000.&rsquo; And that was me,&rdquo; he recalled.</p><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width: 660px; display: block;" width="660"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1788674762153IMG_2224.JPG" style="width: 660px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="660"><span class="fr-inner">Courtesy: Kobe Francisco</span></span></span></div><p>He added that moving to a foreign land at a young age allowed him to experience and adapt to a different culture while growing up away from home.</p><p>&ldquo;Noong 2015, compared to ngayon as in sobrang ibang iba from now, yung language barrier was like a major thing. Yung punta ka sa mga gilid-gilid ng mga food stalls, as in, hindi talaga sila magsasalita ng English. Kahit yung mga basic English, kung gusto mo silang kausapin, as in, kailangan makipag-converse ka in Thai. And back then, wala pa akong alam na Thai, totally. So, ang laking parang culture shock sa akin, syempre, never ako tumira sa ibang bansa,&rdquo; he shared.</p><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width: 660px; display: block;" width="660"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1788674726311IMG_1466.JPG" style="width: 660px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="660"><span class="fr-inner">Courtesy: Kobe Francisco</span></span></span></div><p>Kobe shared how he eventually learned the Thai language not only through classes, but also by immersing himself in everyday life in Thailand.</p><div>&ldquo;Sa school ko, we had Thai classes naman. So, from year 9, year 10, we were studying Thai. I think even year 11, nag-study kami ng Thai. So, that&#39;s reading and writing. I learned there yung mga basics ng Thai. Pero how I really learned how to speak the language was having conversations with my friends. And after ko mag-high school, so nagpapatulong ako sa mga friends ko, &lsquo;Paano sabihin yung word na to?&rsquo; I had this notebook na sinusulat ko yung mga Thai words na natutunan ko. Every week, every day, sulat ko siya doon. Dahil dati hindi pa ako ma-phone na tao, ma-notes. So sulat ko siya doon, and babalikan ko siya palagi,&rdquo; the content creator recalled.<span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width: 660px; display: block;" width="660"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1788674673174IMG_1487.JPG" style="width: 660px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="660"><span class="fr-inner">Courtesy: Kobe Francisco</span></span></span></div><p>It also helped that Thai people were generally kind and welcoming toward him. &ldquo;I think, interesting enough, I never felt na there was ever discrimination. Nung nandun ako, like the whole time, I think I was never treated badly, never disrespected. I&#39;m not sure, maybe because I&#39;m a nice person. I always do nice things to people so I think walang anything silang gagawin masama sa akin in return.&rdquo;</p><p>Kobe even found love during his years in the country, entering romantic relationships while living in Thailand.</p><p>&ldquo;I had a girlfriend and we were live-in. Ang mga Thai, very, how do you call this? Patriotic ba yung word? Patriotic na you have to adjust to them. So ito yung language ko, ito yung culture ko, ikaw mag-adjust sa akin. Hindi ako mag-adjust sa&#39;yo. So I saw it as a challenge but at the same time, an opportunity to learn the language, learn the culture, learn about Thai people,&rdquo; he shared.</p><p>He revealed that he had two relationships during his time in Thailand, with both ultimately ending due to differences.</p><p>&ldquo;They really want to be with me every time. And then it just came to a point na sabi ko, I think I can&#39;t be in this type of situation na. I think I have to let go of the person kahit mahal ko pa sila. I was thinking ahead na okay, this is for my future. I can be in love with somebody and just be, just have very minimal improvement sa career ko, sa life ko. Pero if I will be alone, then I can go further,&rdquo; he expressed.</p><p>Kobe also opened up how his last breakup took an emotional toll on him.</p><p>&ldquo;It was super crazy. Kasi gaya yung nasabi ko, I still love her. I still loved her that time when I asked to break up with her. Kasi I was looking at long term, she still had the mindset of being a university student na partying, having fun and all. Mine shifted to becoming a young adult, young professional working towards my career. It was so hard for me kasi It was one of, I think it was my worst breakup ever to the level na kailangan pumunta sa Thailand ng mom ko,&rdquo; he admitted.</p><p>He went on to share how the experience ultimately made him stronger.&nbsp;</p><p>&ldquo;I think, mas nakilala ko yung sarili ko after that breakup. Sobrang lala ng nangyari sa akin. Umiiyak ako mag-isa. Nag-training ako. Bigla akong titigil sa training. Grabe yung kabog ng puso ko, yung tibok ng puso ko. Sabi ko anxiety attacks. Kaya naniniwala ako sa sinasabi ng people na depression is real, yung mental health and all. I believe that because I&#39;ve gone through that,&rdquo; he added.</p><p>But aside from romantic struggles, Kobe also faced another challenge during the pandemic, when he had to navigate limited resources and find ways to make ends meet.</p><p>&ldquo;Lahat naghihirap nun eh. Yung 3,000 na pera namin, as in naba-budget namin, merong mga malengke, bibili ng karne, may gulay,may pangbigas, may transportation namin. Nag-split-split kami among my teammates. I was in a boarding house again. Parang at least four muna kaming nandun eh,&rdquo; he said.</p><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width: 660px; display: block;" width="660"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1788674627032NEW THUMB - 2026-09-06T140639.819.jpg" style="width: 660px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="660"><span class="fr-inner">Courtesy: Kobe Francisco</span></span></span></div><p>Kobe also recalled how he had to take on extra jobs to earn additional income during that time.</p><p>&ldquo;It came to a point na sinabi namin parang ang hirap na i-budget yung pera namin and kailangan namin kumita ng extra. So pumasok ako sa coaching job. I was coaching little kids. Meron beginner, may intermediate, meron advanced. And I was earning a good parang 1,000 baht per session. So that was at least like 1,500 or 1,600 pesos. Ang laking tulong nun,&rdquo; he shared.</p><p>But it was also during this time that Kobe eventually found his way into becoming a social media influencer.</p><p>&ldquo;May isang trend na dance trend na wala kaming magawa ng mga friends ko. And one day, na sobrang trending yun. Sinayaw namin ng friends ko. Tatlo kami nun. Sinayaw namin. I think it&#39;s just something new sa mga tao sa social media ko. Nagulat na lang kami, parang at least nag-boom siya. There was only parang few thousand views. 10,000, 15,000 or parang max was 30,000. Umangat siya ng gano&#39;n. So, back then, anlaki na sa amin noon. And for a newbie sa TikTok, parang ilalang followers ko noon. Sampu lang ata. So, sabi ko, why not? Tuloy-tuloy ko siya. Doon ako napaisip na okay, maybe I should start social media,&rdquo; Kobe remembered.</p><blockquote cite="https://www.tiktok.com/@kokobooboo/video/7590642460011875602" class="tiktok-embed" data-video-id="7590642460011875602" id="v6254300060279339" style="max-width: 605px;min-width: 325px;"><iframe name="__tt_embed__v6254300060279339" sandbox="allow-popups allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox allow-scripts allow-top-navigation allow-same-origin" src="https://www.tiktok.com/embed/v2/7590642460011875602?lang=en-US&referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com%2F%23%2Fworkspace%2Fmonitoring%3Fitem%3Durn%3Anewsml%3Aod2-workbench-api.abs-cbn.com%3A2026-09-06T03%3A10%3A44.593673%3A50fb0fd4-9046-4fc5-9b01-33764fc8988a%26action%3Dedit" style="width: 100%; height: 739px; display: block; visibility: unset;"></iframe></blockquote><script async="" src="https://www.tiktok.com/embed.js"></script><p>Immersing himself in Thai culture also proved to be an advantage for Kobe, as he eventually found his niche through creating Thai-related content.</p><p>&ldquo;Lakad-lakad ako sa Thailand, sa Bangkok, kain-kain ako with my friends, mga kakulitan namin. And the numbers were growing. Nagkakaroon ng followers, na-appreciate ng mga tao. I was getting more followers. And then, I think, Napaisip ulit ako na why not continue doing this. So I started doing like random content. Me speaking Thai, people loved it. The Thais loved it, Filipinos loved it. Something na very very unique. Kasi foreigner ako, Filipino ako eh. It&#39;s not every time na you see a lot of Filipinos speaking Thai. And fluently. So yun, tinuloy-tuloy ko siya,&rdquo; Kobe shared.</p><blockquote cite="https://www.tiktok.com/@kokobooboo/video/7641187141438934279" class="tiktok-embed" data-video-id="7641187141438934279" id="v72394233761902720" style="max-width: 605px;min-width: 325px;"><iframe name="__tt_embed__v72394233761902720" sandbox="allow-popups allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox allow-scripts allow-top-navigation allow-same-origin" src="https://www.tiktok.com/embed/v2/7641187141438934279?lang=en-US&referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com%2F%23%2Fworkspace%2Fmonitoring%3Fitem%3Durn%3Anewsml%3Aod2-workbench-api.abs-cbn.com%3A2026-09-06T03%3A10%3A44.593673%3A50fb0fd4-9046-4fc5-9b01-33764fc8988a%26action%3Dedit" style="width: 100%; height: 739px; display: block; visibility: unset;"></iframe></blockquote><script async="" src="https://www.tiktok.com/embed.js"></script><p>Even then, Kobe appreciated every opportunity and whatever payment came his way during his early days as a content creator: &ldquo;As in, happy na ako with like 3,000 pesos, 5,000. Super happy na ako sa mga ganon. Thailand pa ako noon.&rdquo;</p><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width: 660px; display: block;" width="660"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1788674478334New Project.jpg" style="width: 660px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="660"><span class="fr-inner">Courtesy: Kobe Francisco</span></span></span></div><p>But a major turning point came when Kobe took the risk of leaving his life in Bangkok and returning to the Philippines full-time, leaving behind his regular job to pursue bigger opportunities.</p><p>&ldquo;Cornerstone saw me, saw an opportunity na maybe may opportunity ako sa entertainment industry. So, they reached out. I was thinking long term. Sabi ko, instead na magsaya-saya ako, ang ganda ng buhay sa Thailand and all, I&#39;ll also be closer to my family. So why not? Just risk it. Go back to the Philippines and start again,&rdquo; he said.</p><p>Kobe went on to recall how confidently he approached the decision, refusing to let the uncertainty hold him back.</p><p>&ldquo;I remember telling this to my friend kasi sinabi niya sa akin, what if it doesn&#39;t work? He&#39;s also a Filipino there na nag-work sa Thailand. &nbsp;And he remembers this very well. Sabi ko, I&#39;m going to make it work. I have to make it work,&rdquo; Kobe expressed.</p><p>This risk proved to be worth it as Kobe&rsquo;s decision to return to the Philippines opened the door to bigger opportunities in content creation and beyond, including acting and hosting stints.</p><p>And just recently, Kobe celebrated another major milestone as he made his first &ldquo;big boy purchase,&rdquo; securing a condo unit of his own.</p><p>&ldquo;Yung condo series ko rin, it&#39;s like my biggest milestone, my biggest project that I&#39;m working on now, and my biggest expense din at the same time. Pero like I said, I&#39;m really goal-driven, career-driven, I look at my future long-term. So I got this condo now, and it&#39;s something that I&#39;m really, really working on. As in, sobrang detalye. So that&#39;s something na abangan ng mga tao and mga brands, hopefully,&rdquo; he excitedly said.</p><blockquote cite="https://www.tiktok.com/@kokobooboo/video/7650085099320397064" class="tiktok-embed" data-video-id="7650085099320397064" id="v67746305583591970" style="max-width: 605px;min-width: 325px;"><iframe name="__tt_embed__v67746305583591970" sandbox="allow-popups allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox allow-scripts allow-top-navigation allow-same-origin" src="https://www.tiktok.com/embed/v2/7650085099320397064?lang=en-US&referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com%2F%23%2Fworkspace%2Fmonitoring%3Fitem%3Durn%3Anewsml%3Aod2-workbench-api.abs-cbn.com%3A2026-09-06T03%3A10%3A44.593673%3A50fb0fd4-9046-4fc5-9b01-33764fc8988a%26action%3Dedit" style="width: 100%; height: 757px; display: block; visibility: unset;"></iframe></blockquote><script async="" src="https://www.tiktok.com/embed.js"></script><p><strong></strong>Kobe added that owning his own condo was something he never thought would happen.<strong></strong></p><p>&ldquo;I never imagined at 26 years old, magkakaroon ako ng sariling condo ko na pinagkatrabuhan ko. Kasi wala akong alam, pintura, mga construction, punta ako sa hardware. Hindi ko alam yung mga gagawin ko. &nbsp;So, lahat to, completely new sa akin. Totally. As in, di ko alam kung paano magpirma ng cheque, anong gagawin sa banko. As in, lahat yung trinabo ko siya. And I think it&#39;s part of adulting and I did it all myself,&rdquo; the influencer expressed.</p><div><em>If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health challenges, please know that help is available. You can reach out to the National Center for Mental Health through their crisis hotline:</em></div><div><em>NCMH CRISIS HOTLINE Nationwide: 1553 or 1800-1888-1553</em></div><div><em>Smart/TNT: 0919-057-1553 Globe/TM: 0917-899-8727 or 0966-351-4518</em></div><div><em>You may also check https://ncmh.gov.ph/ for further details.</em></div>

<p>Content creator Kobe Francisco, first known for his Thai-speaking videos, opens up about his life in Thailand, how he found his way into content creation, and what comes with being a social media influencer.</p>

Content creator Kobe Francisco, first known for his Thai-speaking videos, opens up about his life in Thailand, how he found his way into content creation, and what comes with being a social media influencer.