Colin O’Brien: Music, Marketing, and the Story Behind Farang Can’t Speak Thai

Colin O’Brien is an American musician, entrepreneur, and content creator who has built a career around connecting with audiences in multiple ways. From releasing music on Spotify to running SEO Leads, a digital marketing agency, to creating the viral TikTok channel Farang Can’t Speak Thai, Colin’s work blends art, business, and storytelling.


Music as the Foundation

Music has always been central to Colin’s creative identity. His songs — available under Colin O’Brien on Spotify and YouTube — mix heartfelt writing with modern international styles. His catalog continues to grow, and recently he also began releasing music under the Farang Can’t Speak Thai name, creating a natural link between his music and his life in Thailand.

Whether under his own name or through Farang Can’t Speak Thai, Colin uses music as a way to share personal stories and cultural experiences with listeners worldwide.

@farangcantspeakthai

“Don’t think too much” 😊 สวัสดีตอนเย็นครับ #fyp #ฝรั่ง

♬ original sound – ฝรั่งพูดไทยไม่ได้ ColinO’Brien

Building Farang Can’t Speak Thai

The TikTok channel Farang Can’t Speak Thai (ฝรั่งพูดภาษาไทยไม่ได้) began as a simple idea: show the everyday humor of being a foreigner (farang / ฝรั่ง) trying to speak Thai. Instead of avoiding mistakes, Colin leaned into them, creating short, honest videos that Thai audiences could laugh with — not at.

Today, the channel has grown to more than 36,000 followers and over 1 million views, mostly in Thailand. It’s not a polished influencer brand, but rather a real community of people who enjoy seeing authentic cross-cultural interactions.

The project also became a platform for Colin’s music. His single Farang Can’t Speak Thai bridges the TikTok identity and his Spotify catalog, connecting the two audiences together.


SEO Leads: The Business Side

Alongside music and content creation, Colin runs SEO Leads, a U.S.-based marketing company. SEO Leads helps businesses improve search visibility, generate qualified leads, and grow their online presence.

The same principles that drive SEO Leads — smart distribution, search optimization, and audience building — also influence how Colin approaches both his music career and his TikTok channel. It’s a clear example of how his business and creative worlds overlap.


A Multi-Faceted Creative Identity

Colin O’Brien doesn’t separate his projects into silos. Instead, they flow into one another:

  • His music tells personal stories and creates emotional connections.
  • His TikTok channel Farang Can’t Speak Thai captures humor, culture, and authenticity.
  • His business, SEO Leads, provides the marketing expertise that makes growth in both areas possible.

By combining these different outlets, Colin continues to shape a creative identity that is both personal and professional, rooted in authenticity and connection.

From releasing heartfelt songs as Colin O’Brien, to experimenting with culture and comedy through Farang Can’t Speak Thai, to helping companies succeed with SEO Leads, Colin O’Brien represents a modern type of creator — one who is unafraid to blend music, business, and content into a unified story.

Whether you discover him first through his Spotify catalog, the viral Farang Can’t Speak Thai single, or a TikTok clip, the message remains the same: connection, honesty, and creativity are at the heart of everything Colin does.