The skills of a magician aren’t easy ones to learn, especially for someone with a busy job at a hotel. But for Narongsak Khamkaew, magic was something that fascinated him, and after seeing his first magic tricks, he decided to have a go at learning a few tricks of his own. “I started learning magic tricks about six years ago. I was walking in the market near my home and saw a crowd of children and adults standing around a man performing magic tricks.” He joined them, and what he saw fascinated him. There and then, he decided to become a magician, even if only an amateur one.

Narongsak bought a DVD of David Copperfield’s magic shows, and also bought books teaching the techniques behind the tricks. After much trial and error, and hours and hours of practice, Narongsak found that he had built up quite a repertoire of self-taught tricks.

But how do magic tricks fit into the busy day of a hotel doorman? “Travelling can be tiring, especially for children,” explains Narongsak. “When they find themselves in strange surroundings or away from home they can sometimes get moody. If I see a child who’s upset or restless, I’ll approach them to try and improve their mood. And with a bit of magic, it usually works.”

After showing them a couple of tricks, Narongsak finds that the children will look for him every day during their stay at Four Seasons Hotel Bangkok. But it’s not just kids that appreciate his sleight of hand.

“If I see an adult who’s waiting for someone, or is perhaps standing outside having a smoke, I’ll often approach them and show them a couple of magic tricks. They’re usually intrigued at first, and then like to see if they can work out how I did it. They often ask me the secrets behind the tricks. I like to bring a smile to their faces as much as I do to the children.”

And it’s the happiness that Narongsak feels when he sees his guests smile that encourages him to keep learning new tricks. “When I see the guests looking puzzled, smiling, or trying to work out how the magic works, it makes me feel like a professional magician,” says Narongsak.

And when it comes to a favourite trick? “I like the ‘flying card’ trick. It’s like a boomerang. I throw it, it goes around in circles, and it comes back to me. Another favourite is 'flipping the coin.' I lay the coin down on the palm of my hand, then 'pull' it up to a standing position. And then there’s 'spoon bending.' I hold the spoon in one hand, move it in a circular motion a few times, and then stop. And guess what? The spoon is bent.”

So what’s the secret behind these tricks? Narongsak isn’t telling, but he will say that it’s all down to a lot of concentration, and even more practice. Even if it looks simple, a lot of the magic is also down to lightning-quick hand movements.

So how to recognise this famous magical doorman? Well, there aren’t really any mysterious secrets behind it, but you may spy one doorman who looks like he has a trick or two up his sleeve (as well as various packs of cards, coins and other magical items in his pockets). That will be Narongsak.