Letter from Bangkok

‘We like a good drama’: Thai ads tug at your heartstrings, loosen your purse strings

A commercial for Five Star chicken shows how elderly Thai people started broadcasting on TikTok to get the attention of their children or grandchildren. SCREENGRAB: BBDO ASIA/YOUTUBE
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BANGKOK – I don’t cry easily, but Thai commercials leave me a snivelling mess. Thailand churns out advertisements that feel more like absorbing films you want to watch on loop.

One five-minute gem which emerged in 2023 managed to marry lonely grandparents, TikTok and fried chicken.

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