As Asia embraces Thailand’s ‘T-wave’, is the tide turning against K-pop?
- Some fans of K-pop are turning to Thai music and dramas, lured by creative plot lines, ‘less repetitive’ songs, and the ‘more well-rounded’ talent
- But even as the ‘T-wave’ spreads, some note that Thailand’s pop-culture industry still has a long way to go to upstage its Korean forebear
Since then the “Sri Pan School Uniform Shop” and its peers have welcomed a handful of Chinese tourists who make the pilgrimage across Bangkok to buy the clothes, have their names embroidered in Thai on the shirt pocket, and then pose for a photo – which is now part of many Chinese influencer’s Thai bucket-list.
In one Facebook post entitled “China boys and China girls”, six young Chinese visitors pose in school uniform, the boys with the knots of their ties low and the three women in complete uniform, including the 300 baht (US$8.50) school shoes and white socks combo common to many public schools.
Thailand has attracted 12.5 million tourists so far this year as it looks to appeal to young, high-spending Asians, with Western visitors – not including Russians – falling behind Malaysians, Chinese and Singaporeans.
Brand Thailand is shining as Chinese mega-platforms such as Viu, IQiyi and Bilibili hoover up content such as 2022 series Cutie Pie and KinnPorsche.
Tide turning?
Chua says her favourite Thai idols are Jumpol Adulkittiporn and Atthaphan Phunsawat – nicknamed Off and Gun, respectively.
Over time, her love for Thai pop culture has expanded to include learning the language and Thai music, which she finds less “repetitive” than K-pop.
“I want to go to Thai music festivals because whenever I see them, it really feels like the singers are genuinely having fun singing their music,” Chua said. “As for dramas, I cannot deny it’s because of how good-looking the actors are, but they’re also really talented and the scriptwriters are really creative with their plots.”
Whenever I go to fan meets, the common trait among fans is that most of them are shifting from K-pop to the Thai entertainment space
She says that the pool of overseas fans like herself has been growing, noting a move away from K-pop and K-culture.
“Getting tickets is always a struggle,” she said. “Whenever I go to fan meets, the common trait among fans is that most of them are shifting from K-pop to the Thai entertainment space.”
Thai singer-songwriter Jeff Satur’s two-night show in February in Singapore was sold out. Event organisers added the second date due to overwhelming demand.
“Thai pop culture has been very effective in using the internet to be seen,” Singaporean Nicholas Lim, 25, an architectural designer, told This Week in Asia.
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K-pop still the gold standard
Anuphan Phanthong, founder of Random Dance Bangkok, a fortnightly dance-off in the Thai capital that pulls in hundreds of young T-, K- and J-pop devotees, says T-Wave still has a long way to go to upstage its Korean forebear.
“T-Pop has become a lot more popular this year with new platforms and channels picking up the music,” the Korean-speaking emcee said. “But our choreography and music composition is weak compared to K-pop. We’re probably around 50 per cent below the K-pop standard right now.”
Still, the standard has been set by K-pop: the once state-backed juggernaut; maker and breaker of dreams; and provider of the mega-bands, peerless choreography and jaw-dropping concerts that have taken the world by storm.
Until Thailand backs its talent pool with money and a matching level of ruthless commercialism, the handbrake will always be on the industry, Anuphan says.
“K-pop dominates Asia, so to get there we have to match them. If agencies in Thailand start to train kids with the same level of intensity of K-pop, then maybe T-pop has that chance to hit the global market.”
Fan favourites
For some, the tide has already turned – and it started during the pandemic.
Former K-pop fan, Singaporean Puteri Amira Binte Mansor, 25, started watching Thai remakes of popular Korean dramas – like Full House and Boys Over Flowers – before getting drawn into Thai pop culture.
Since her conversion, Puteri Amira has flown to Thailand twice to catch her favourite stars, spending about S$900 (US$665) for a four-day trip in May to catch a Beluca concert, featuring Thai BL actors Jumpol, Atthaphan, Thitipoom Techaapaikhun and Tawan Wihakarat.
While she concedes the pool of T-pop fans is still “small”, Puteri Amira has seen the numbers climbing steadily in the last two years, adding that the showmanship of Thai stars is a step up from their Korean counterparts.
“For Beluca’s performance, there was a concert segment where they sang, then they had a musical, fashion show and invited guests,” she said. “That’s the difference between K-pop; the actors are more well-rounded.”
