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K-pop star Lalisa “Lisa” Manoban visits Ayutthaya in Thailand. Photo: Instagram/lalalalisa_m
This Week in AsiaLifestyle & Culture

Thailand eyes tourism boost from Blackpink Lisa’s visit to Unesco site

  • Dressed in traditional Thai attire, Lisa toured the ruins, Buddhist temples and dined at a Michelin-starred restaurant in Ayutthaya
  • This is not the first time the Thai-born singer has lent her star power to a Thai cultural product
Thailand
SCMP’s Asia desk
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The Tourism Authority of Thailand is hoping to cash in on the buzz surrounding K-pop star Lalisa “Lisa” Manoban’s recent trip wearing a traditional outfit to an ancient city near Bangkok to draw more tourists to the Unesco World Heritage site.

Lisa this week posted photos of her in a sarong-like skirt and short-sleeve blouse to Instagram as she toured the ruins, Buddhist temples and dined at a Michelin-starred restaurant in Ayutthaya, a prosperous Siamese empire that was brought down by besieging Burmese forces in 1767.

The jaunt by the Thai-born singer from the South Korean girl group Blackpink also helped bump up the local tourism-reliant economy including shops that rent out traditional Thai costumes and visitor footfalls at the site.
Wat Phra Sri Sanpetch in Ayutthaya old town, Thailand. Photo: Penny Watson

TAT executive Thapanee Kiatpaiboon said the agency is promoting shrines such as Wat Na Phra Meru and Wat Mahathat that Lisa visited in bid to entice her fans to follow their idol and popularise Thai culture and clothing.

“Lisa is a high-profile online influencer. Her Ayutthaya trip post will have a positive impact on the tourism industry and help spur the economy of local businesses,” Thapanee said.

She added the sales of the outfit donned by Lisa had jumped after her social media photos went viral, The Bangkok Post reported.

Thais can’t get enough of Blackpink Lisa’s favourite meatballs

A vendor also thanked the star for rekindling the interest in traditional Thai clothing that led to an uptick in her business.

“Thank you to Lisa for dressing in traditional clothes and posing in front of ancient sites in Ayutthaya, boosting the economy’s recovery, and inviting tourists to rent Thai dresses while visiting the spot,” she said.

Blackpink, which debuted in 2016, is made up of Jennie, Rosé, Lisa and Jisoo. The band performed in Bangkok late last month as part of its Born Pink world tour.

Blackpink’s Lisa at Akirart in Bangkok, Thailand. Photo: @akirart.coffee/Instagram

This is not the first time Lisa has lent her star power to a Thai cultural product.

In 2021, meatball vendors and clothing sellers in her hometown Buriram, battered by the pandemic, saw surging demand for their goods after she raved about them during a talk show to promote her first solo single LALISA.

Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha has lauded the artist for presenting Thai culture to the world.

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