BANGKOK: Bangkok "tuk tuk" taxi driver Samran Thammasa, 39, had never heard of K-pop star Jessica Jung before the coronavirus pandemic, but now the singer's Thai fans are helping him survive the loss of tourist customers.
His bright green three-wheeled motorcycle rickshaw has been mostly vacant for more than a year. In the past few months, though, he's earned about 600 baht ($19) a month to feature K-pop ads on his vehicle.
"The extra income may not be a lot for most people but it is for us," he said, glancing at a shimmering vinyl banner of Jung.
Drivers of Bangkok's distinctive tuk tuks have been among the hardest-hit by the pandemic's devastation of Thailand's all-important tourism industry, left haunting corners of empty city streets complaining of mounting debt.
Samran used to earn around 1,500 baht ($47) a day ferrying foreign tourists around Bangkok. Nearly all of that disappeared as visitor numbers fell by 85% in 2020, and Thailand is not expected to lift its strict border controls for months yet.
Unexpected help came this year from Thailand's politically disaffected and K-pop-obsessed youth when they stopped buying ads celebrating their idols' birthdays and album launches from public transport, instead giving their ad money to grassroots businesses, including tuk tuks and street food vendors.
Over the last few months, young fans have mobilised to put up banners of their favourite K-pop idols on the iconic vehicles for a month at a time, providing a new source of income for struggling drivers.
Samran and many others now drive their empty tuk tuks around Bangkok with a banner of a different K-pop sensation each month, stopping for young Thai fans to take pictures and use their service, often with tips.
POLITICAL EXPRESSION
So far, the initiative has benefited several hundred tuk tuk drivers. There are more than 9,000 tuk tuks registered in Bangkok, according to government data.
The trend has roots in anti-government protests last year that drew tens of thousands of students calling for Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha - who first came to power in a military coup - to step down.
Many K-pop fans were protesters themselves, and last year vowed to pull huge billboard advertising fees from Bangkok's skytrain and underground subway services - a longstanding lighthearted tradition for different fan groups - after mass transport shut down to try to prevent students from reaching protest sites.
The fans started printing vinyl or cardboard signs and recruiting tuk tuk drivers at garages and on the street - funnelling their ad funds to the people who need it most.
"It's a political expression that we don't support capitalists. This marked a change from us competing to book skytrain and subway billboards, but now it's tuk tuks," said Pichaya Prachathomrong, 27.
Pichaya herself raised 18,000 baht ($565) among Thai fans of boy band Super Junior to promote member Yesung's new album, before recruiting 13 tuk tuks via a new booking service on popular messaging application LINE.
The "Tuk Up" service, created by 21-year-old university sophomore Thitipong Lohawech, was initially to help dozens of drivers who rented vehicles from his family's garage. But now it supports about 300 drivers from all over Bangkok.
"The fans are distributing income to the grassroots, which helps drive social change and support the economy," said Thitipong.
Drivers said they have seen little of the government's approved relief of around 967 billion baht ($30 billion), as handouts were mostly only accessible via a mobile wallet application.
"By the time the money reaches us, we're nearly dead," said Pairot Suktham, a 54-year-old driver who like many others doesn't have a smartphone.
"The fans are our life support system and give us hope to keep fighting."
Reuters
Mon Jun 28 2021
Tuk-tuk drivers, with their vehicles decorated with banners of Thai and Korean stars, wait for customers in Bangkok, Thailand. REUTERSpic
Malaysia, Brunei dalam proses rundingan muktamad sempadan darat negara - Mohamad
Mohamad Hasan berkata buat masa ini, kerja-kerja penandaan dan pengukuran di lapangan telah meliputi 175.96 km atau 33.3 peratus daripada keseluruhan jarak sempadan.
Perang berlarutan antara punca kelewatan penghantaran Black Hawk
Perkara itu dimaklumkan pihak Aerotree Defence and Services Sdn Bhd iaitu syarikat yang dipertanggungjawabkan dalam kontrak perolehan perkhidmatan sewaan helikopter berkenaan.
Polis kesan remaja lelaki hilang sejak enam hari lepas
Polis sedang berusaha mengesan seorang remaja lelaki yang dilaporkan hilang oleh keluarganya di Kuala Pilah sejak enam hari lepas.
[TERKINI] Sidang media khas FAM
FAM adakan satu sidang media khas petang nanti, difahamkan berkaitan rombakan. Kepimpinan tertinggi FAM atau barisan kejurulatihan skuad Harimau Malaya?
Penampilan pertama Trump di konvensyen GOP selepas terselamat cubaan bunuh
Donald Trump menghadiri Konvensyen Kebangsaan Republikan pada malam Isnin, penampilan umum pertamanya sejak terselamat daripada cubaan bunuh.
Malaysia pantau perkembangan insiden tembakan di Masjid Muscat
Wisma Putra melalui Kedutaan Besar Malaysia di Muscat, Oman sedang giat menyelaras usaha dengan pihak berkuasa tempatan untuk mendapatkan maklumat lanjut.
Ini antara pencapaian Pan-gon bersama Harimau Malaya
Kim Pan-gon memiliki rekod yang cukup baik bersama Malaysia, menjadi pengendali Harimau Malaya paling banyak mendapatkan keputusan yang positif sejak beberapa tahun kebelakangan ini.
Kementerian Komunikasi umum Pakej Rahmah Prabayar Siswa
Kementerian Komunikasi hari ini mengumumkan Pakej Rahmah Prabayar Siswa pada harga tidak melebihi RM30.
Messi harap cepat pulih daripada kecederaan
Kapten Argentina, Lionel Messi berharap agar beliau cepat pulih daripada kecederaan buku lali yang dialaminya perlawanan akhir Copa America.
MARA diminta terus teroka potensi industri halal global - Ahmad Zahid
MARA diminta untuk terus meneroka potensi antarabangsa dalam industri halal yang mempunyai prospek besar menerusi program Gate to Global (GTG).
Penerbangan Malaysia Airlines ke Bangkok buat penurunan kecemasan dan pulang ke KLIA
Penerbangan Malaysia Airlines MH780 mengalami "isu tekanan" semasa dalam penerbangan ke Bangkok hari ini selepas berlepas dari Kuala Lumpur pada 5:59 petang.
Berita antarabangsa pilihan sepanjang hari ini
Antara pelbagai berita luar negara yang disiarkan di Astro AWANI, berikut adalah yang paling menjadi tumpuan sepanjang hari ini.
MPC tutup kempen di Bangkok dengan cemerlang
Dalam aksi peringkat terakhir, pelumba MPC berhasil meraih tempat kedua dengan mempamerkan kemahiran dan keazaman luar biasa.
Mohammad Rifdean idam kontrak ONE Championship, tali pinggang
Atlet dari Sarawak itu memerlukan 78 saat untuk menundukkan Pichai Lookbanmai dengan pukulan TKO dalam pertarungan ONE Friday Fights 56.
Kedutaan lancar kempen promosi produk Malaysia di Thailand
Kempen "Taste of Malaysia" merupakan program berterusan untuk meningkatkan identiti jenama produk Malaysia di Thailand.
Kecoh apabila dua kumpulan pondan bertempur di Bangkok
Polis bergegas ke tempat kejadian sejurus menerima laporan 20 wanita transgender warga Filipina menyerang dua wanita transgender warga Thailand.
Bangkok dilanda jerebu tebal, seluruh Thailand catat udara tidak sihat
Bangkok dan 66 wilayah di Thailand itu terus diselubungi jerebu dengan zarah tidak selamat pada PM2.5 direkodkan pada Khamis.
Bangkok diselubungi asap, pekerja bekerja dari rumah
Bangkok disebungi asap tidak sihat dengan zarah PM2.5 melonjak melepasi paras selamat pada 50 ug/m3, mencetuskan kebimbangan kesihatan awam.
Negara membangun perlu perkukuh sektor logistik dan rantaian bekalan - Ismail Sabri
Penekanan kepada tenaga kerja mahir dan mempromosikan inovasi juga menjadi antara faktor untuk memperkukuh sektor logistik.
Sekurang-kurangnya 20 maut kilang bunga api meletup di Thailand
Sekurang-kurangnya 20 maut dalam satu letupan di sebuah kilang bunga api di Suphan Buri, kira-kira 120 kilometer utara Bangkok pada Rabu.