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K-pop activism a lifeline for Thailand's hard-hit 'tuk tuk' drivers

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Over the last few months, young fans have mobilized to put up banners of their favorite K-pop idols on the iconic vehicles for a month at a time, providing a new source of income for struggling tuk tuk drivers.

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.

Samran used to earn around 1,500 baht a day ferrying foreign tourists around Bangkok. Nearly all of that disappeared as visitor numbers fell by 85% in 2020, andUnexpected help came this year from‘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.

Tuk-tuk drivers, with their vehicles decorated with banners of Thai and Korean stars, wait for customers in Bangkok, Thailand May 12, 2021. Picture taken May 12, 2021. A woman selling street food has her stall decorated with a banner of Korean star Song Kang in Bangkok, Thailand April 29, 2021. Picture taken April 29, 2021. 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.

 

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