#Thai BL and GL cultures

[scrumptiousstuffs]

So…erm, since I really don’t follow anyone else but FirstKhaotung (and tries to stay away from drama on Twitter field), can someone explain to me in simple terms why GL watchers (who don’t watch BL) get angry if BL/GL CPs are in a show together?

They already have massive engagement (even more than BLs), so it can’t be they are worried the BL CPs will steal the thunder, right?

[thaifanfests]

🏳️‍🌈Thai Wedding Ceremonies🏳️‍🌈

One of the prompts for Thai the Knot is “ceremony,” and this post will break down the several ceremonies that can take place during a Thai wedding. The order, duration, and even priority of certain ceremonies are up to the couple, and some traditions can be kept or excluded at the couples’ discretion. Many of these ceremonies can take place in a single day, while other couples may choose to spread these ceremonies out over several days. 

Technically, same-sex weddings are not traditional weddings, so it would be up to the couple to adjust it to suit their own circumstances. Some would pick a role and stick with it for the ceremony (for example, in a sapphic wedding, one person may assign themselves as the “groom” and the other as the “bride.” A traditional wedding is not a rigid rule to follow but more like a template that you may customize to suit you if need be (if your parents are not too unreasonable). (recentadultburnout)

Additionally, there are traditions that are inspired by Western or Chinese influence, which we will discuss later in the post.

🏳️‍🌈Buddhist Ceremony (พิธีสงฆ์) (phithi song)

If the couple chooses to do a one-day Thai wedding, the first ceremony that happens on that day will be Phiti Song (monk ceremony-พิธีสงฆ์) (recentadultburnout). Buddhist monks are invited to bless the couple’s relationship; doing so is believed to ensure the relationship’s longevity and to encourage a long and healthy marriage. The couple will make merit by offering food to the monks; when holding the rice ladle, it is said that the person who places their hand above the other’s will have the upper hand in the relationship (Thailand Foundation). After, “when the groom receives forehead anointing to bless the marriage from the monk first and gives one to the bride himself, with the hands of the monk holding and guiding his. In some cases, forehead anointing will be done by an elder the married couple respects instead of the monk” (recentadultburnout). However, forehead anointing can happen in other parts of the wedding day or be incorporated into other ceremonies (as we see in this video where forehead anointing happens separately from the Buddhist ceremony).

🏳️‍🌈Khan Mak Procession (แห่ขันหมาก) (hae khanmak)

The Khan Mak Procession (or parade) is when the groom and the groom’s friends and family will walk to the bride’s house while carrying khan mak (ขันหมาก) or engagement trays. The Khan Mak procession can be two parts; the first is Khan Mak Ek (ขันหมากเอก), or the primary procession. The Khan Mak Ek tray includes betel leaves, silver bag, gold bag, auspicious grains, mung beans, black sesame, unhusked rice, puffed rice, and money envelopes (recentadultburnout). Other trays that counts as primary but has another name are the dowry for the bride (which both families agree upon prior to the ceremonies), rings for the bride and groom for the proposal ceremony, and candles and incense for accepting wai. The second part is Khan Mak Tho (ขันหมากโท) or the secondary procession, and those trays hold desserts, such as thong ek (flower egg yolk dumplings) and foi thong (shredded egg yolk threads), and other auspicious items that symbolize love, longevity, and fertility (WeddingList; recentadultburnout). The processions also require banana trees and sugar cane, which will be planted at the newlyweds’ home later.

When the groom and his family make it to the bride’s home, the groom is barred from entering until he can prove his love and stability to the bridal party and family. The bridal party will create three gates (or more) with string, and in order for the groom to pass, he must answer questions about the bride, declare his love, and/or simply pay for entrance. In this video, a groom must prove his physical capabilities in order to see his bride. In another, he’s negotiating with the bride’s family.

🏳️‍🌈Marriage Proposal Ceremony (สู่ขอ) (sòo kŏr) & Dowry (สินสอด) (sinsod thongman) Counting Ceremony

At the marriage proposal ceremony, the groom will ask for permission from the bride’s family to marry the bride. This is known as sòo kŏr (sookor); in the past, sòo kŏr happens prior to the wedding day. Nowadays this step is simply a play act for good fortune and to play up the happy occasion. The families act out these roles pretending to negotiate the terms of the dowry. Later, after the parents express their consent for the marriage to happen, the groom will bring the bride out into everyone's eyes, and then the Sinsod counting will begin (recentadultburnout).

Sinsod, or dowry, is usually agreed upon prior to these ceremonies, so the bride’s parents will pretend to count it, mostly to show the guests the groom’s generosity. Sinsod (สินสอด) refers to a way the money used to be packed and presented to the bride's parents (recentadultburnout). Both parents then sprinkle popped rice and flowers from the other Khan Mak trays onto the sinsod/dowry, and sometimes, the bride’s mother will “struggle” to carry or lift the dowry to imply that it’s too heavy because of the amount (again, to show the generosity of the groom) (Thailand Foundation; recentadultburnout).

🏳️‍🌈Engagement Ceremony

Traditionally, engagement ceremonies were done separately long before the wedding day. Firstly, the groom expresses his intention to marry the bride by bringing his parents to approach the bride’s parents (ทาบทาม-approach), privately and outside of any celebratory ceremony. Once the groom's side gets an approval, the groom's side will proceed to go sòo kŏr the bride and, during the process, establish details for the dowry, pick an engagement date, etc. The couple then does an engagement ceremony on a later date, and then the preparations for a wedding can happen after that. How short or long the period between engagement and marriage is entirely up to the party involved. 

More recently though, engagement ceremonies are now done on the same wedding date for ease and to adhere to the auspiciousness of their wedding day. Hence, the sòo kŏr or counting of the dowry is more performative (as described above) when the ceremonies take place on the same day. If done on the same day as the other ceremonies, the rings will be carried to the bride’s home in the Khan Mak procession. “In the process of giving the engagement ring, the groom first puts the ring on the bride, and then the bride bows down to the groom. After that, it's the bride who will put the ring on the groom” (recentadultburnout). Here is a video that shows what a ceremony could look like. With more awareness of gender equality, the groom putting the ring on his bride’s finger first is now a “symbolic act;” additionally, some couples “adjust the tradition by both performing the wai gesture to show respect towards each other” (Thailand Foundation).

After this, the couple will pay their respects to their parents and older relatives. “The meaning of this is to ask the parents and relatives of both the bride and groom to acknowledge and look after them as a new member of their partner family.”

“This step is done by bowing down without holding your hands open. 3 times for the parents and once for others. After bowing down, the couple will hand a raft of incense sticks to the elders. They will take it and then tie the bride and groom's wrists with holy thread for good fortune and as a symbol of being a member of the family, along with giving blessings and money envelopes as gifts for the newlyweds. Other valuables will also be given as a blessing and as funding for them to build a family together.” (recentadultburnout)

🏳️‍🌈Sai Monkhon (Joining by Thread) & Water Pouring Ceremony (รดน้ำสังข์) (rod nam sang)

“The bride and groom must sit or kneel next to each other. Their arms will rest on a small padded table and their hands must be held together in prayer position. An elder member of the family – who is considered to have a successful marriage – will place the traditional headpiece called Mong Kol on the head of both the bride and groom. This string headpiece, previously blessed by monks, must be made out of one piece of cotton. This will join the couple in ceremony, and symbolically for the rest of their lives.” (Thailand Foundation)

Following this is the water pouring ceremony (sometimes referred to the shell ceremony in other sources). “The ceremony begins with incense and candles being lit to honor the Three Jewels. The newlyweds sit on a bench, preparing to receive holy water, which is thought to be a life blessing. The honor guest (prathan: chairman, president, honor guest) will put the nuptial good luck thread on the newlyweds' heads and anoint their foreheads, and then the holy water pouring will start in the order of seniority, one by one. Most of the time, the people who get to do it are the ones who are already married, not children or teenagers. When it's over, the honor guest will remove the nuptial good luck thread, which must be taken off from both the groom and the bride at the same time, and roll it all together to put it on the groom's hand or the bride's hand, along with congratulating the pair.” (recentadultburnout)

🏳️‍🌈Preparing the Marital Bed & Nuptial Chamber

Unlike the previous ceremonies and receptions, preparing the marital bed and sending the bride and groom to their bedroom is considered a private tradition. When it's an auspicious time, their family will prepare rice, flowers, and other things according to the beliefs to sprinkle on the bed where the newlyweds will sleep. The bed sheet they use in the ceremony must be the newly bought one (recentadultburnout). Preparing the bed also consists of with various auspicious items that are the symbols of prosperity and fertility: “a mortar to represent solid love, an unripe squash to bring a happy marriage, the figure of a sleeping cat to show comfort at home, a symbol of a rooster to promote waking up early, and finally a cane as a symbol of long life” (TheThailandLife).

“In the ceremony, the elders, whom both sides respect, will make a bed and arrange the pillows. This is done privately by the couples’ parents and couples who were rightfully married according to tradition and have a good, long married life and also be accepted in society as ethical and good people. The purpose of this ceremony is for auspiciousness and to give a good example of a good marriage for the newlyweds.” (recentadultburnout)

🏳️‍🌈Western Influences/Additions

After all the ceremonies, a Thai couple can choose to have an after party or reception to further celebrate the marriage with friends and family. Guests play games, take photos with the bride and groom, give speeches, etc. 

In a modern Thai wedding reception, you may find more Western influence, such as a Western wedding cake and cake cutting ceremony, a bridal bouquet toss, etc. Exchanging rings is also now part of Thai wedding ceremonies, whereas they previously were not. Style of dress and attire can also have Western influence. Some couples opt for wearing traditional Thai wedding attire (which can be quite varied depending on what region of Thailand one is in), but others may prefer a white wedding dress! Some would do both. Thai style for the morning ceremony and western style for the evening. Usually, traditional Thai weddings do not have events such as bachelor or bachelorette parties or honeymoons, but a couple can include them if they want.

🏳️‍🌈Chinese Influences/Additions

A common addition to a Thai wedding is a tea ceremony. “It is a Chinese tradition to pay respect to the elderly. The bride will prepare a teapot and a teacup, and the elderly relatives who are attending the ceremony will sit in order of seniority. The groom's relatives will sit on the left. The newlyweds must sit together at the start of the ceremony. They will kneel down and pour tea into a cup, place it on a tray, and lift the tray with both hands at the same time. and send it to the attendee to drink until the cup is empty. Then elder relatives will bless them and give gifts, and the newlyweds will give something in return. They can be general items like cushions, towels, or glassware. At the end of the tea ceremony The newlyweds will eat Khanom Ei and Khanom Bua Loi together to symbolize sweet love.

The tea ceremony might happen after the wedding day, like how it happens according to Chinese tradition, or it might be combined with the accept wai step as they have the same purpose.” Here is an example of a tea ceremony incorporated into a traditional Thai wedding. (recentadultburnout)

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[hallowpen]

My lovelies,

If there is ever anything you are unsure about regarding Thai culture (beliefs, customs, values, etc.), interviews/posts in Thai that have not been translated to your language, checking the accuracy of certain things that have been subbed or translated by a source whose native language is not Thai (or even if the native speaker is Thai but does not have a firm grasp on the English language. You'd be surprised -or not- that a lot of the subtitles you read in a series are actually not what's being said at all hehe), or any other general questions about Thailand... Please do not hesitate to ask me for clarification. If it is something that I have knowledge of and can help with, I genuinely don't mind AND if it's something I am unsure about, I'll be very clear about that and do my best to point you in the direction of a source that might have a better understanding.

Obviously, there are limits... and I do ask you to be respectful of my time. I'm not going to translate super long interviews or passages word for word (even more so if it is something I would otherwise not have an interest in), but I can give you a general idea of what's being said if I have seen/read them. In terms of dramas, I don't follow a lot of Thai series or actors... but if you've been following me or are aware of my interests then you probably know what it is I will sit through hehe (i.e. anything GL related, everything FreenBecky or BounPrem, The Sign and/or IDOLFactory news)

I'd just really like to avoid the spreading of misinformation as fact, which has been happening pretty frequently. Even something as simple as tone in language can lead to a big misunderstanding, so it's important to know the difference.

That is all! Please feel free to reach out ❤️❤️❤️

[benkaben]

Regarding this interview about the portrayal of intimacy in Euthanasia...

I can't say I'm happy with any of it.

Because okay. You don't want the romance to derail from the drama? But still want it to be clear there's a romance there?

Then build it up, genuinely, show the characters grow closer and how they like each other, create moments between them that show the romance happening, not just state it for the audience verbally.

And hey, you don't need NC scenes for that! No, sexual intimacy is not the only thing that "proves" a romance exist.

I mean heck, you could even go all the way around and have all the NC scenes in the world and still present a story where the characters aren't in love with each other, because sex ≠ romance. Absolutely.

But also I'm, really tired™, of this idea that any kind of sex portrayed in media is only going to "taint" the final composition. As If sex and love stories were some dirty stain that automatically made the work lesser: Less serious, less formal, less dramatic.

I don't agree with the idea that you have to sacrifice intimacy in order to be taken seriously. I don't agree with the idea that sex is by default, just fanservice and therefore it's portrayal subtracts automatically from the story.

And don't even get me started on the way this idea is so prevalent specially when it comes to queer media.

I have never, in my life, encounter someone bashing Dark because it contains sex and nudes, I have seen more respect shown for the sex scene in Midsommar than for the explicit kiss of Catra and Adora, and I would argue we have at least a couple of good shows that discuss heavy topics without needing to censor themselves when it comes to CHARACTERS HAVING SEX.

It doesn't have to be One or The Other, and continuing pushing this idea that it has to, either your work becomes un-pure or can't be taken as seriously as you wish, is nothing but purity culture bullshit, and I'm mad, and so, so tired to still be having this discussion all over again

[befuddledcinnamonroll]

Intercultural Bias in the Fan Experience of QL

I've been thinking about writing this post for a while, and I think it's an appropriate time for it after reading @hallowpen's post today - which if you haven't read yet, please do so.

I'm saying this as someone who's been on a lifelong journey of learning, and is also extremely aware I still have so much that I don't know. I am from the U.S. and that comes with a truckload of bias and privilege. But this is something I have learned that I think is worth sharing.

There is a danger, for those of us who are progressive, yet grew up in countries that have been historically exploitative and oppressive to other cultures.

Because colonizer bias is insidious. And it can be very tempting to say, I'm aware, I've done the anti-racism training, I've read the books, I have my own oppressions I have to fight every day, I'm aware of my privilege, I'm an ally, etc, etc, etc. But this is just like racism - if you are not being actively anti-colonialist in your interactions with other cultures, you are likely perpetuating bias and oppression.

I grew up in a very liberal part of the U.S. and had a very progressive education starting from grade school. I got education on systemic racism in junior high, my high school had one of the first gay/straight alliances in our state. I studied science in college, but since it was a liberal arts degree, I also took classes on sociology of race, the religions of Asia, Chinese history, etc.

But despite all this I still grew up in a country with a fuckton of bias about our role in how we interact with countries around the world. And as we all do with bias that we grow up with, I internalized some of that.

It wasn't until I took some graduate coursework on Intercultural Training & Communication that I really was able to recontextualize my perspective and become aware of my unconscious bias, thank to an amazing instructor.

Other countries do not need us to come in, tell them what is wrong, and tell them how to fix it. Whatever problems there are, there are people in that culture who know, who are actively working on it, and they know better than anyone outside what needs to be done.

Honestly, it doesn't even need to extend to other countries - just look at all the nonprofits and charities in the U.S. that talk about helping the poor, but in the end just perpetuate the cycle of oppression by coming in to neighborhoods and doing zero work to center the perspectives of the people most affected.

You can absolutely support and spread awareness and send money and share expertise when asked, and do the things that the people of that culture ask you to do.

But if you come in, and try to say "this is what you all are doing wrong, and this is what you should be doing" - you are perpetuating a colonialist mindset.

And yes, this extends to media as well.

This is why I struggle with some of the takes I have read, especially those that attempt to rank the "queerness authenticity" of shows, from an entirely Western perspective, with no engagement with the idea that one's queer identity is impacted by one's culture (among other things), and that it can look and be expressed in a million different ways.

There are criticisms of queer directors, blaming them for a myriad of perceived sins, with zero understanding of what queerness might mean to them both individually and as a Thai person, and what they might also be trying to navigate socially, culturally, and politically.

There are people making broad sweeping statements about the direction that they think QL is headed in - some of which enter the realm of catastrophizing - entirely based on their own subjective opinion of what is most important for a different country and culture to care most about in a particular moment in time.

You know why I'm not worried about the direction of QL? Because I know there are millions of Thai people who care about it too. I know the Thai queer community and their allies are speaking up, and pushing for change and progress. I know that they are extremely cognizant of when representation fails, and I know they are the reason representation has already improved so much (sorry interfans, it's not about us).

And yeah, sometimes the pendulum swings the other way - those of us in the U.S. should be very aware of this. But the fight doesn't stop.

There are Thai people who are working to promote mental health and therapy, to encourage people to have strong boundaries with family who have hurt them, to provide more representation for groups who still aren't seen. And someone from a different country complaining about all the ways they think their culture is failing isn't helping a thing.

Like @hallowpen says, this is not about saying you can't critique. Most of the people I follow do a great job at making it consistently clear that their perspective is subjective, and they relate it to their own life and experience. That's great, and a place for people from different cultures to connect!

But those of us who are interfans have a responsibility as members of a global community. There are people from Thailand who read your posts. From Japan, from Korea, from China. Are you speaking up to support them? Or are you talking over them? Are you expressing understanding for what they are navigating from historical context and current political conditions? Or are you just lecturing them on how you think their world should be?

[ineffable-opinions]

In the year of dragon, I wish they retained Mungkorn (มังกร) instead of translating it to 'dragon' in the 2nd episode of Love Sea.

For context, I'm referring to the scene where Rak speaks about public reaction to his writing:

I just wanted to share a story I loved with like-minded people. But as the reader base grew, some groups of people started finding faults with it. "Why did this character do that?"

It's just like when people ask why there are dragons in a fantasy world. Because it's a fantasy world, so of course it has dragons. Illogical things... can only happen in fictional worlds.

While there is nothing wrong with the translation as such, some cultural nuance is missing. Firstly, fire-breathing western dragons and auspicious (and political claw count) eastern conception of "dragons" are different in many ways.

Mungkorn also has an important place in Thai culture and politics.

So it is understandable that having mungkorn in fantasy fiction would be different from having dragon in fantasy fiction.

Here's an excerpt from Thai BL authors' interviews with scholar Jooyin Saejang quoted in the 2023 paper Chinese Historical BL by Thai Writers: The Thai BL Polysystem in the Age of Media Convergence

Writer B, too, penned Chinese historical BL not only because she liked Chinese historical dramas that often feature extravagant settings and costumes, but also because she could use 'their history and beliefs as storytelling materials without worrying about any "drama". For example, if I want my male protagonist to be a ruling monarch, I can do it [in a Chinese setting], but if I do it in a historical Thai setting … [laughs].' Writer B added that:

Actually, it's not just politics. Religious beliefs are also the same. For instance, I write about Chinese gods and spirits, I can reference the Bodhisattva without worrying about any drama because it is fantasy. But if I use the Bodhisattva in a Thai setting, then I might face a backlash like 'why did you do this to other people's belief?' It is more sensitive. I feel like when everything I include is historical Chinese, then people will understand that it's just fiction, just fantasy. They can see it as unrealistic. I read a novel like this but set in Thailand before. It touched on people's religious beliefs, so the reception was not so good. A lot of people were against it because it was in their daily life. They didn't want anyone to touch on it. It was their belief.

When asked why she did not attempt a Thai BL period drama, Writer C similarly cited historical China's affordance of surrealism which allowed her to avoid any backlash.

With historical China, I can portray things that are surreal. There are eras that have Chinese gods, spirits, and demons. If you ask me why I won't write a Thai BL period story, mainly because I am not well-versed in Thai history and because historical Thailand is quite sensitive in Thai society. Anything about Thai is very sensitive. We cannot do anything with it. If I do something with it, there will be those curious people who are always like, 'Why is it like this? Why is it like that? No, it shouldn't be like this. It should be like that.' Cut to the Chinese historical setting, I claim that it's about gods and spirits, then nobody will question me. Or even if there is, I can argue that my story is not based on anything. Don't use it for your history test.

-

As with gong shou convo in Unknown, imo, this translation too defeats the purpose of the scene.

[heaven-is-in-your-arms-series]

Prajong watches Khwan practice the role of Princess Roshana for the lakhon nok dance drama Sang Thong.

I love the fact that Khwan spots him just as he acts out Roshana ready to toss her garland to Sang Thong to indicate that she wants him for her husband.

Prajong just happens to be in the right direction to catch that imaginary garland 😌

[theloyalpin]

i really hate when people say baseless things about my favorite shows 🥴

[coffeebookslovegt]

-No voy a dejarte ir, te abrazaré fuerte. Tú, medusa malvada.

-¿Estas seguro? La picadura de esta medusa es muy dolorosa. Irá directamente a tú corazón.

[reigen-small-naturals]

1M tweets for a solo event for orm that isn't even a fanmeeting when premiere of yinwar's long awaited show got only 400k tweets hdfjskhfkjdshj guys it's so over (and we are so back)

[firstkanaphans]

i'm so tired of seeing posts of people are asking for the downfall of cps. cp marketing works so no sane company is going to ditch a working concept. i am also tired of people acting like gls are superior to bls when in reality there are simply way more bl shows/cps to pick from compared to gls. if we had as many gls as bls those numbers would even out a lot more and i say this as someone who adores gls. i just do understand why everything always has to be a competition idk

I truly, honestly, deeply do not understand the hatred for CPs. I've seen people say the CP system makes shows predictable because you always know the two leads are going to end up together at the end—even though this is true for all romances as it is a requirement of the genre. I've seen people say production companies (or really just GMMTV specifically) are editing their scripts so that their CPs appear more likable—even though most of these shows are based on novels that are already fully written and also the directors and scriptwriters usually don't work for the production company anyway. I've seen people say CPs are stripping the queerness from BLs—even though that is literally impossible because all BLs are queer media.

If you want my honest opinion, I think what the dislike of the CP structure actually is is a dislike of the fan culture that surrounds it. Some people like to interact with media on a purely academic level, which is fine, but believe it or not, fangirls (gender neutral) are capable of critical thought, too. A lot of the pseudo-intellectual arguments I see in fandom boil down to a certain segment of fans thinking they are better than the other simply because they choose to interact with the source material differently.

Regardless, CPs have become an integral part of Thai BL and they aren't going anywhere. So if CPs are a deal breaker, Thai BL is probably not for you.

As for the GLs, I understand why you're frustrated—especially if you're spending any time on Twitter because the GL fandom over there is not friendly to BL watchers...and that's putting it mildly. But I'm actually not sure I agree with your statement that GL viewership would go down if the market was as saturated with GLs as it is with BLs.

Yesterday's episode of Pluto pulled higher engagement numbers than 2gether back in 2020 when the BL market was less saturated. That's insane. One thing I think it may be hard to understand unless you're a queer creative who's been around for a while is that we've been told for years and years and years that sapphic media isn't being created because it doesn't sell. That men and straight women won't watch it. Thailand is proving them wrong and I'm very excited to see where this takes us, not only within Thailand, but internationally.

I do agree, though, that I wish everything wasn't such a competition. I would love to see more melding of the BL and GL genres, but every time a company tries, they get huge backlash from the GL side of Twitter who don't want any men in their media at all. They're like the radfems of QL and I wish it would stop.

[thaifanfests]

🏳️‍🌈Groom's Wedding Attire🏳️‍🌈

"Many weddings in Thailand are split into the morning ceremony and the evening reception. More and more, we see people at these events wear their traditional Thai outfits in the morning and then change into more modern suits and gowns in the evening." This is applicable to both the bride and groom. (Permanent Jakarta-ThaiEmbassy)

"**About traditional Thai attires, many of them, contradicting to what their names may suggest, aren't that old of a tradition. The biggest influencer about to-day Thai dress is Queen Sirikit, the mother of the current king. They are designed based on older Thai culture but not entirely old–old." (recentadultburnout)

A "traditional Thai" option for a groom is the "Ratchpatan dress," "which is a high-necked, single-breasted shirt worn with a chong kben and long socks." (Vanus Couture)

Some choose to blend styles together:

"During the morning ceremony, if you don't like to wear an ancient Ratchapatan style Thai dress but want to get chic and chic, try choosing a Thai dress with a top as a suit with an international design." (Vanus Couture)

And others may choose to wear a suit or suits that complement their spouse's attire.

"There are multiple different outfits in Thailand worn by men. However, the one formal attire is Suea Phraratchathan."

"This traditional Thai dress was invented in 1979, designed with buttons fastened up the front, a long collar, and sleeves of varying lengths. For formal occasions, men wear long sleeves and a sash. The Phraratchathan is usually paired with Western-style suit trousers." (Thailand Insider)

🏳️‍🌈A Closer Look: Chong Kben🏳️‍🌈

"Men and women alike wear Chong Kben, a lower-body silk wrap-around garment adopted from Cambodia. This pant-like garment resembles loose breeches and is tucked between the legs. From 1350 to 1767, Chong Kben was worn with a bare chest for men and bare feet, an acceptable formal dress code." (Thailand Insider)

Groom Kan Kantathavorn and his groomsmen.

And in case you need a visual guide, here is how you put them on!

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[hallowpen]

This is not meant as a call out post or to single anyone out in particular. It's more of a plea of sorts...

If you are not Thai or if you've never lived in Thailand, please do not make generalized assumptions about our country or our culture. And if you have reached out to speak with someone who is Thai in order to back up your statements please please please remember: like a lot of places, we are a diverse community and one person's lived experience does not hold true for all of us.

There is just a lot of meta/commentary going around, in reference to opinions about the content of Thai QL series, that has me concerned. Just please be mindful of how you word things and be clear about the perspective it is being written from. That's all.

Thank you ❤️❤️❤️

[watchingblsnowandforever]

2024: BL Year in Review

(The fact that I'm doing this hours before the year changes is actually the least surprising things of 2024)

Total BLs watched in 2024: 21

BLs watched that aired this year: 12

(BLs currently airing: 2)

(BLs watched this year that started in 2023: 3)

BLs watched that aired before this year: 9

________

10 random superlatives to wrap up my year (these are from series that have aired this year or finished airing this year):

1. The BL that predicted most accurately (the date of legalization of same-sex marriage in Thailand)

Cherry Magic

It shot up to my Top 10 favourite BLs the moment I watched it. It's amazing and everyone should watch it, actually.

2. The most Bromance BL (is it a coincidence that my first two superlatives are both TayNew series? You can't prove anything.)

Peaceful Property

Another BL everyone should watch. It's technically not a BL, but it's a better BL than a lot of the ones I've watched before so.

3. The most average BL

My Love Mix Up Th

Very cute, but unlike Cherry Magic, I think I actually liked the original (Kieta Hatsukoi) better. It was nice, but very average.

4. My most loved omegaverse BL (...yes there were two. But to be fair, it depends on what you consider a 'BL')

Tadaima, Okaeri

It was so adorable. It had a sort of non-traditional ABO relationship (?), but I love how they used ABO to address other (more relevant-) socio-cultural issues.

5. The BL with the most wasted potential

The Trainee

It started off amazing, but the graph became a straight line (pun intended) somewhere in the middle and then went steadily downhill. It had so much potential, the ending physically hurt.

6. The most wacky BL (that I loved)

Century of Love

It's actually pretty great, but it's just so wacky (which makes it more adorable honestly). It kept surprising me too, which is always nice (...except when it's not).

7. The BL I (know I'm gonna) have the most love-hate relationship with

ThamePo

This is the first (hopefully only) BL that made me sob in the first episode. But it's so good. I almost cried twice in the second episode too, this is awful. (Then why do I love it?)

8. BL that gave me the most whiplash

The Heart Killers

If you haven't guessed already, I am insane about and insanely obsessed with FadelStyle. If we're watching the same series, I know you are too. :)

9. BL with the worst crash landing (26372892 dead, everyone else injured)

Last Twilight

If you watched this, you know. I have nothing else to add.

10. My favourite BL of the year

We Are

I'm very sure anyone who even clicked on my blog in April-July this year knows this. This silly little show just hit a chord in me and it never stopped ringing.

Honourable mentions:

1. BL with the most episodes ever in Thai BL history

Perfect 10 Liners

24 episodes. That's all I have to say.

2. My most loved new pairing

MarcPoon

The above gif is moments before The ChainPun KissTM. And let me tell you. They didn't only understand the assignment, they showed everyone else exactly how to do it too.

GL version:

1. The one that really tried

23.5

2. The best GL (I have watched)

Pluto

Please watch it.

If this post seems hurried, it kinda was 😭-

I'm just glad I could get this out in time T-T

Thank you so much if you got this far! ☺️🫶🏼

Here, have a new year's cake hehe 🎂

[absolutebl]

Hi, I recently discovered BL and have been very interested in reading about it. And even if I don't agree with every one of your takes, you seem very knowledgeable, so I've been reading your blog on and off since yesterday.

Anyway, I was curious about your opinion on The Shipper, but I looked at the tags, and it seems like you didn't watch it. May I ask why? I get it's not quite BL, instead being BL adjacent, but I think it's one of GMMTV's best productions, so I'm really curious about what made you avoid it.

The Shipper

I did end up watching some of it (which in me terms means I skipped through it to the BL bits and then watched the last few eps to find out how they landed the damn ship).

Ultimately, I simply don't consider The Shipper BL. I try to stay on target with this blog. So while I may watch other QL, GL, Kdramas, survivor shows, Kpop thingies, and so forth, 90% of the time I stick to BL here.

Other more personal reasons?

I also hugely dislike shipping culture. Too close to stalker and parasocial relationships. It's not something I was ever into, even as a teen. Taking on reality with fanfic wigs me tf out. I have close friends who have had stalker issues both as "normal" people and as the quasi-famous.

It's one of the reasons I rarely report on actor news or relationships or drama here. Unless it directly impacts production, it's none of my damn business. If I did so, this could probubly become a much bigger blog, but also a much more toxic one. I do this for fun, not profit.

The branding of pairs interests me intellectually, from a marketing and publicity perspective, but nothing beyond that.

You may note, if you delve further into this blog, that I lurch hard away from JBL in particular when it dabbles in idolatry, sasang, and stalker behaviors (unless it's playing in the dirt with them, like My Beautiful Man did). Even if done gently and comedically, I tend to get switched off from the whole show. I wouldn't go so far as to call it a trigger, but I am viscerally upset by it, not entertained.

IMHO BL is for entertainment first. The only thing worse than being upset by a show is being bored with it.

The way Thai BL represents female shippers in particular, especially in the context of a BL (which tend to have very few positively represented women on the main), often smacks of misogyny and punching down humor. I simply don't enjoy that. Feminist critical theory from my uni days always bubbles up in my head and won't be put aside.

And finally... I pretty much loathe the body swap trope. It is probably one of my least favorite fiction tropes. I have no idea why, I just really don't like it.

I make an exception for Great Men Academy but even that I have only watch once with no plans for a rewatch, and it's another one that I would hesitate to call BL.

Still, if you love The Shipper I would HIGHLY recommend tracking down Great Men Academy, I think you would find it well worth your time.

[ineffable-opinions]

BL “Censorship” & Commercialization

Content: 1. ubiquitous censorship - special focus on Japanese BL 2. commercial viability of live action BL & generalizations 3. solutions - special focus on state support of Thai BL 4. [update state-supported production of Love in the Big City series]

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Censorship is a sensitive topic. I have tried my best. Please feel free to comment and critique.

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History of Korean BL is one of censorship and commercialization and Korean fu-people has struggled against both. There have been different victors at different points in time. Aljosa Puzar’s "BL"(Boy Love), "GL"(Girl Love) and Female Communities of Practice and Affect in South Korea chronicles that struggle. (Highly recommended.)

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I have tried to problematize BL commercialization before. But that was in the context of fu-culture and the commodity fetishism associated with the consumption of BL, particularly in live action form which is probably its most capitalist rendition for many many reasons.

Here I would like to look at it from another angle: censorship. This is a continuation of my earlier post (Why so many shonen ai live-action?) motivated by the live action adaptation of ‘조폭인 내가 고등학생이 되었습니다’ (I, A Gangster, Became a High School Student) by 호롤 (Ho Rol).

The live action has jumped genres switching from BL to 판타스틱 휴먼 드라마 (lit. fantasy human drama). This switch got it tagged as ‘Censored Adaptation of Same-sex Original Work’ on My Drama List. I personally don’t like that tag. Almost all BL adaptation is a censored adaptation, with notable exceptions like Sei no Gekiyaku. But no one uses that tag for, say, 25 Ji, Akasaka de (2024) which censored all sexual content, especially from the volume 1 of the manga which was critical to the story and the couple’s development in the original manga series’ and its multiple adaptations’ popularity. Sukiyanen Kedo Do Yaro ka (2024) went as far as removing the more sexual second couple from the live action adaptation all together, yet it does not get a "censored" tag.

An interesting question that the controversy surrounding High School Return of a Gangster (2024) has sparked is that of BL media’s commercial viability, especially in live action form. Here’s what producers told the Korean newspaper, Hankook Ilbo, about the genre-jumping:

"BL 장르는 제작비 투자나 리쿱(제작비 회수)에 한계가 있는 게 사실이다. 그러다 보니 처음부터 이 작품은 브로맨스로 해보고 싶었다"

“The BL genre is limited in terms of investment in production costs and recoup (recovery of production costs). So, from the beginning, we planned it as a bromance (beulomaenseu).”

The author of this article cites examples of works that enjoyed success on OTT platforms, namely Watcha’s Semantic Error and TVing's Unintentional Love Story (2023). However, the article also highlights the fact that BL continues to be a niche genre and live action adaptations don’t guarantee success.

이성택 (Lee Seong Taek), the director of High School Return of a Gangster, previously directed the BL Love Class (2022). The producer 넘버쓰리픽쳐스 (Number Three Pictures Co., Ltd.) have BL works like Unintentional Love Story under its belt.

'Unintentional Love Story' Director Jang Eui-soon (장의순) | source

If the producer of one of the two most popular live action BL is admitting to it, then it is not easy to dismiss the issue of commercial viability of live action BL.

Very famous BL publishing houses (starting with JUNE) and hosting platforms with relatively lower expenses have struggled. Some of them are no more. It is also difficult for authors to survive merely on earnings from publishing houses and hosting platforms, especially when those platforms are not very rich. So, it is not difficult to imagine that live action production houses also struggle to survive.

Take GMMTV for example. They are probably one of the most successful BL producers. According to their managing director, BL content (series) is not a profitable business in itself. They rely on khujin (branded pairs) of actors to bring in advertisement revenue, merchandize sales, and pull crowds to concerts and fan-meets. It is not enough for actors to just act. They are expected to sing, dance and perform. Meanwhile, GMMTV is forced to keep working with these actor pairs and stick to templates that suit them. While it works for now, it remains to be seen how long the business model can last.

Now there is also investment from Mainland China that has migrated to other BL producers following dangai ban. But those who invest already burned themselves pretty bad with all the money they poured in during the short-lived but explosive dangai boom. It is sunk cost at this point. Another crack down could be the death knell for Chinese investments in BL. 

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More generally, it is likely that commercial viability of a live action BL project hinges on the following:

#1 Target demographic

Like all other BL content, live action too is primarily targeted at fu-people (BL audience) – both queer and non-queer. The target demography is further sub-divided based on the type of BL and purchasing power.

Sweeter ones are supposed to appeal to all ages and that’s the area Thailand and GMMTV in particular are focused on. Most of Japanese BL series are sweet. Korea too produces sweet BL. However, they are unlikely to bring in explosive success the way odo BL (those following royal road narrative progression – wherein characters face significant challenges, interpersonal or otherwise, to reach happy ending).

Older and, perhaps more hard-core fans, are likely to support jado works (BL that follow the evil path where neither happy ending nor resolution to challenges are guaranteed) with surprising frequency. This might be partly due to the erotic content in jado works.

Purchasing power of BL fans vary widely. There are those who are

“sending gifts to their actors in Thailand, sending food trucks to their shooting locations, putting up billboard advertisements and doing charity events [as well as] ordering merchandise in bulk.”

They also travel to BL producing nations [on fan pilgrimages] and attend fan meetings, concerts and other events regularly.

(Source: The Print)

The other group of BL fans who are probably younger and/or can’t afford to show support in the above-mentioned ways. BL commercially benefits from being appealing to those with higher purchasing power.

#2 Popularity of original work in case of adaptation  

Popular BL novels, manhwa, etc. bring in a set of fans who are interested in the live action. Longer and more-acclaimed works are likely to ensure success of the live action given decent making and reasonable changes during adaptation. Semantic Error is a case in point. However, missteps during adaptation can have the opposite effect.

#3 Cost of production

It is difficult to get investment in the first place, especially with how niche the genre is. Moreover, higher cost of production sets the bar for success higher too.

On the other hand, high production quality and better cast and crew (likely more expensive too) makes the viewing more pleasurable and increases the likelihood of success.

There are other factors which influence the success of BL producers. The most popular BL live action from China, Addicted, was produced by the author, Chai JiDan, with a tiny budget. Its dangai family drama remake, Stay with Me, also has an interesting producer.

Source | Mame with her Japanese fans

Orawan Vichayawannakul’s MeMindY is another BL author led production company that has enjoyed considerable success.

OP Pictures’ entry into BL genre has also been successful.

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Solutions

#1 Let’s start with the worst

BL as money laundering vehicle. It is probably the most obvious, sort of win-win until it isn’t. Sustainability depends how much skin the ruling class have in the game.

#2 State sponsorship

(or better yet, tax payer supported BL production)

State sponsorship is what Thailand has perfected.

source | 2023 seminar on "Beyond Borders: Exploring the Global Appeal and Diversity of Thailand's Boys' Love Contents" by 9 companies from Thailand organized by Department of International Trade Promotion under Thailand’s Ministry of Trade.

The eleven speakers, including an official from the Office of Commercial Affairs, Royal Thai Embassy in Japan, vigorously pitched partnerships with Japanese content companies [at the above-mentioned seminar.]

Also, several of the companies pitching at the seminar, such as Star Hunter Entertainment […] were plumping for BL not as a niche product but rather a core element of their corporate strategy.

Halo Productions representative Tewarat Supunnium [trumpeted] the vertical integration of his company, from talent representation to contents distribution.

source

Thai BL has been big hits in China, South Korea, Japan, India, Indonesia, the Philippines, and beyond, which has motivated Thailand’s government to ‘deploy Boys Love as its latest soft power weapon to promote the country on the global stage’. In an article published in The Nation, BL director, Bundit Sintanaparadee, explains how that affects production.

He pointed out that the international popularity of Thai shows can boost tourism and generate interest in the featured locations – a vital aspect of soft power. The government can facilitate this process by providing support and streamlining the bureaucratic obstacles to filming in attractive locations like Bangkok’s Chinatown district of Yaowarat.

Filming in iconic places such as Yaowarat can be costly and complicated due to the need to coordinate with multiple government agencies and pay location fees. Bundit said the government could simplify the process to benefit not just filmmakers but also tourist revenue in the locations.

Bundit also cautioned against a top-down approach to soft power, where the government dictates what represents Thailand on the world stage. He emphasises the need for industry professionals to have their say.

source

In a 2022 article, Bangkok Post explores the impact of BL on Thailand’s economy ‘as export products that can draw lucrative revenue streams and foster business opportunities in other areas, including tourism.’

[According to government estimates from 2021,] Thailand's Y content market was worth more than 1 billion baht... In June that year, the Department of International Trade Promotion held an online Y content business matching event to boost the industry, with the participation of 10 Thai content creators. More than 360 million baht was generated from the purchase of the Thai content, with the top three buyers coming from Japan, Taiwan and Vietnam.

Noppharnach Chaiyahwimhon, GMMTV's senior director of content production, said [that the] business ecosystem linked to Y Series in Thailand shows a growth of 30-40% per year. [He also said that] Y Series can also be a boon for other businesses, such as films, artist management and merchandise. [He mentioned] Y Series from Thailand [getting] translated into several languages [and one of their Y Series having received theatrical adaptation in South Korea.]

[According to] Kanokporn Prachayaset, chief commercial officer and country manager of WeTV Thailand, … Y Series from Thailand is one of the most popular content genres on its platform. [Half of all the BL content on the platform was Thai.] WeTV [was] sourcing Y Series from Asia as well as having its own WeTV original shows by working with various local production houses, such as GMMTV, TV Thunder, Dee Hup House, M Choice Studio and All This Entertainment. [She also highlighted the contribution of the fan base, which is] active in organising activities and campaigns for their idols.

Seksan Sripraiwan, director of the Tourism Authority of Thailand's (TAT) Tokyo office, said the TAT and the Royal Thai Embassy have actively promoted the country by using Thai entertainment [and that] Thai BL content is considered one of the most popular recent cultural exports to Japan. Japan's market for Thai BL is around 1 million viewers, of which 20,000-30,000 are heavily active on social media sites for renowned BL actors, led by Bright-Win and Krist-Singto. He said Japanese tour operators already offered tailor-made tour packages which contain elements related to BL TV series, such as shooting locations like universities, cafes, Wat Arun or the Amphawa floating market.

Kanokkittika Kritwutikon, director of the TAT Chengdu office, said Thai BL TV shows have gained popularity in China, such as the coming-of-age series "I Told Sunset About You", which helped drive tourists to Phuket, the main location of the story.

"Most Chinese BL fans are millennial females who can offer long-term support for their favourite actors," Mrs Kanokkittika said. [Recognizing the 3 million strong queer population of Chongqing,] she said the LGBT segment could be categorised as luxury travellers as they are high-income earners, live in key cities, and want to spend more for travel experiences.

source

Earlier this year Ministry of Commerce have partnered with Be On Cloud and Idol Factory to promote ‘Thai products, services, tourism, and culture by incorporating them seamlessly into’ their new series “Shine” and “Pin Phak” aka “The Loyal Pin” respectively.

“This will help create around 2 billion in value for Thailand’s economy,” said Commerce Minister Phumtham.

Deputy Prime Minister and Commerce Minister Phumtham Wechayachai and two actresses, Becky and Freen, witness the signing ceremony between the Ministry of Commerce and Idol Factory Co., Ltd. on February 28, 2024....

According to the Department of International Trade Promotion, the Thai movie and series sector and related industries will generate 8,000 million baht in exports by 2023. In 2024, it will likely reach 10,000 million baht, particularly in the Y-movie and Y-series, which are expected to expand in value from 1,000 million baht to 2,000 million baht as a result of the Ministry of Commerce’s proactive cooperation with the private sector.

source

The Thai government’s efforts are paying off.

Oramon Sapthaweetham, director-general of the Department of Business Development, revealed that the Boys’ Love series had helped revitalise the film production industry, generating substantial profits and extending economic benefits to allied sectors, such as advertising, leveraging actors as influencers, event organisation, and tourism. 

"Over the past 10 years, Thailand has produced over 177 Boys’ Love [series], continuously gaining popularity and expanding its customer base, eventually leading to exports to international markets," Oramon added.

The film production industry in Thailand is witnessing substantial growth. In the first four months of 2024, 56 new businesses were registered, marking a 12% increase from 2023. The total registered capital also saw a significant rise of 146.44% to 195.18 million baht. In 2023, the industry grew by 20% with 137 businesses and a capital of 258 million baht. The total revenue in 2022 was 12.895 billion baht, indicating a continuous growth trend.

source

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#3 Diversification

Ok, so this is based on my limited knowledge and imagination. Feel free to skip.

There are two production companies that I have ever been interested in - Bhavana Studios and Mammootty Kampany. Both of them have produced experimental Malayalam movies while managing to remain commercially successful. While is partially attributable to these companies being brands, I think their overall strategy of diversification have worked in their favour.

Mammootty Kampany could produce art-house movie Nanpakal Nerathu Mayakkam for award circuits and with no expectation of commercial performance by banking on their other production Kannur Squad which was action entertainer sure to bring in the big bucks. Their queer family drama Kaathal – The Core and neo-noir psychological thriller Rorschach did exceptionally well in the box office as well as garnered critical acclaim. Bhavana Studios has similar track record of their commercially successful projects kind of cross subsidizing their experimental and unique projects and lifting the heat off in case of flops.

Having production companies which are aspirational in their approach to BL while having the economics sorted out help where government support is not forth coming.

Censorship as No-thing

When sometime is truly censored, we wouldn’t know. Unless we ask. Here’s what Jooyin Saejang learned from asking.

Conclusion

I have a strong preference for live action adaptations that are willing to go the last mile in terms of sexual content, social critiques and addressing real-life issues. That’s the reason why the header image for this BL side blog is from Moothon (2019).

But realistically this isn’t always possible. And I prefer having more production companies offering variety. I don’t want them to sink under the weight of BL that didn’t do well commercially and me being left at the mercy of media conglomerates with seemingly bottomless funds and monopsony over BL authors, original works and the culture that creates them.

Also, there is queer content from Korean that is neither mainstream nor from fu-culture. Support those. Unfortunately, Cheers by Cheers 짠!하면 알 수 있어 has been removed from their YouTube channel which is now called Cheer Up. While the series is gone, there are interviews with English subtitles.

Love in the Big City

Love in the Big City, the series and the movie are based on Park Sang-young's novel of the same name that was published in 2019. In Korea, it sold over 100,000 copies. Ever since, it has been translated into 15 languages, including English. The English translation by Anton Hur was published in 2021. The book has been longlisted for the International Booker Prize in 2022 and the Dublin Literary Award in 2023.

The movie secured an investor early on. The film was produced by Showbox and Tale Farming (고래와유기농). Michigan Venture Capital, a key investor, was responsible for 2 billion won out of the net production cost of about 6 billion won. Plus M Entertainment, a subsidiary of the JoongAng Group took care of its distribution. (source)

State-sponsorship for Korean BL !

The series, on the other hand, faced difficulty attracting investment as well as had trouble finding OTT platforms willing to air the show. It was co-produced by MerryChristmas, a subsidiary of WYSIWYG Studio' a KOSDAQ-listed company, along with Big Stone Studio. Mbrella Films provided production services in Thailand. They have received the state-support through Korea Creative Content Agency under Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism amounting to 3 billion won as production costs support aimed at strengthening the global competitiveness of K-content through OTT.

Finally, TVING, a platform that has aired multiple BL projects previously (such as Unintentional Love Story, Jazz for Two, To My Star 2, The Eighth Sense and High School Return of a Gangster), aired the series in South Korea and the streaming platform Rakuten Viki promoted it as a BL.

An iconic scene from bonus chapter 2 of The New Employee aka The New Recruit manhwa adaptation (web novel written by Moscareto and illustrated by Zec) ahead that didn't make it into the live action adaptation.

Gong comes home to find su in a sexy position at the doorway, fingering himself according to gong's instructions over phone.