Comment: Blackpink singer Lisa’s new song contradicts international stereotypes of “Thainess”

The song’s huge success comes at a time when official definitions of “Thailand” and “Thainess” are changing. After two decades of rapid, export-led economic growth, Thailand has transformed into an upper-middle-income economy, with poverty falling significantly since 2011.

But as this “turbo capitalism” reached its full acceleration, the national discourse became unclear.

Definitions of Thailand and Thainess have been tightly controlled since the colonial period of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, when Thai elites sought to maintain control of the region against Western powers. The clear definition and representation of these official notions of Thai culture resulted in national identity becoming a conformist exercise.

Although Thailand’s political system remains highly problematic, the 2023 coalition government conveys a sense of stability and social progress. This is in contrast to 10 years ago, when several high-profile international artists (including Frankie Valli, Taylor Swift and Eric Clapton) cancelled their concerts in Bangkok due to political unrest.

Only two years ago, researchers saw the country’s political values ​​as an “obstacle” to the development of soft power. However, after Rockstar’s influence, this seems to be a significant exaggeration.