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K-pop Activism Helps Thailand's 'Tuk Tuk' Drivers

时间:2021-07-01 02:08:35

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K-pop Activism Helps Thailand's 'Tuk Tuk' Drivers

In Bangkok, Thailand, tuk tuk vehicle driver Samran Thammasa had never heard of K-pop music singer Jessica Jung before the pandemic. Now, Jung's fans are helping1 Thammasa survive the loss of paying tourists.

His green, three-wheeled, motorized tuk tuk has been mostly unused for more than a year. In the past few months, though, he has earned about 600 baht, or $19 a month to put K-pop advertisements on his vehicle.

K-pop, or Korean popular music, is known throughout the world for its catchy2 sound and very loyal fans.

Thammasa said the extra money "may not be a lot for most people, but it is for us," as he looked at the shiny, colorful advertisement of Jung.

Drivers of Bangkok's tuk tuks have been hit hard by the pandemic's effects on Thailand's tourism industry. The drivers now sit on corners of empty city streets and talk of their financial worries.

Samran used to earn around 1,500 baht, or $47, a day driving foreign tourists around Bangkok. Nearly all of that disappeared as visitor numbers fell by 85 percent in 2020. Thailand is not expected to lift its border restrictions3 for months.

Unexpected help came this year from Thailand's K-pop-loving young adults. In the past, they had been buying public transport advertisements to celebrate stars' birthdays and record releases. Now, they are giving their ad money to small businesses, including tuk tuk operators and street food sellers.

Over the last few months, young fans have worked together to put up ads of their favorite K-pop stars on the vehicles. Each ad, or advertisement, runs for a month and provides much-needed support to struggling drivers.

Samran and many others now drive their empty tuk tuks around Bangkok with an ad of a different K-pop star every month. They stop for young Thai fans to take pictures and use their service.

Political expression

So far, the plan has helped several hundred tuk tuk drivers. There are more than 9,000 tuk tuks in Bangkok, government records say.

Buying the ads has roots in last year's anti-government protests. Those demonstrations4 brought tens of thousands of students demanding the resignation5 of Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha. He first came to power in 2014 through a military takeover.

Among the protestors were many K-pop fans. Last year, they threatened to pull billboard6 advertising7 money from the city's Skytrain and underground trains after transport was closed down. The closings were an attempt by officials to prevent students from reaching protest areas.

The fans started spending their ad money differently -- printing signs and finding tuk tuk drivers at garages and on the street.

"It's a political expression that we don't support capitalists," said Pichaya Prachathomrong, who is 27 years old. "This marked a change from us competing to book skytrain and subway billboards8. But now it's tuk tuks," she said.

Pichaya raised 18,000 baht, or $565, among Thai fans of K-pop boy band Super Junior to spread word about band member Yesung's new album. She found 13 tuk tuks through a new service on the popular mobile phone app LINE.

The "Tuk Up" service was created by 21-year-old university student Thitipong Lohawech. At first, its purpose was to help drivers who rented vehicles from his family's garage. But now it supports about 300 drivers from all over Bangkok.

The fans help workers, "which helps drive social change and support the economy," said Thitipong.

Drivers said they have seen little of the government's approved aid of around 967 billion baht, or $30 billion. The aid was mostly given out through mobile apps – making it useless for a lot of tuk tuk drivers.

"By the time the money reaches us, we're nearly dead," said Pairot Suktham, a 54-year-old driver. Like many others, he does not have a mobile phone.

"The fans are our life support system and give us hope to keep fighting," he said.

Words in This Story

Tuk tuk – n. a three-wheeled motorized vehicle used as a taxi

Tourist – n. a person who travels to a place for pleasure

Billboard – n. a large sign for advertisements that is next to a road, on the side of a building, etc.

Garage – n. a building or part of a building in which a car, truck, etc., is kept

Book – v. to make arrangements so that you will be able to use or have at a later time

App – n. a mobile phone program that performs a special function


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点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 helping 2rGzDc     
n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的,辅助的
参考例句:
  • The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
  • By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。
2 catchy 1wkztn     
adj.易记住的,诡诈的,易使人上当的
参考例句:
  • We need a new slogan.The old one's not catchy enough.我们需要新的口号,旧的不够吸引人。
  • The chorus is very catchy to say the least.副歌部分很容易上口。
3 restrictions 81e12dac658cfd4c590486dd6f7523cf     
约束( restriction的名词复数 ); 管制; 制约因素; 带限制性的条件(或规则)
参考例句:
  • I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
  • a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制
4 demonstrations 0922be6a2a3be4bdbebd28c620ab8f2d     
证明( demonstration的名词复数 ); 表明; 表达; 游行示威
参考例句:
  • Lectures will be interspersed with practical demonstrations. 讲课中将不时插入实际示范。
  • The new military government has banned strikes and demonstrations. 新的军人政府禁止罢工和示威活动。
5 resignation RWgxk     
n.放弃,辞职,反抗
参考例句:
  • He handed in his resignation right after the cabinet meeting.内阁会议一开完,他就提出了辞呈。
  • They asked for his resignation with one voice.他们一致要求他辞职。
6 billboard Ttrzj     
n.布告板,揭示栏,广告牌
参考例句:
  • He ploughed his energies into his father's billboard business.他把精力投入到父亲的广告牌业务中。
  • Billboard spreads will be simpler and more eye-catching.广告牌广告会比较简单且更引人注目。
7 advertising 1zjzi3     
n.广告业;广告活动 a.广告的;广告业务的
参考例句:
  • Can you give me any advice on getting into advertising? 你能指点我如何涉足广告业吗?
  • The advertising campaign is aimed primarily at young people. 这个广告宣传运动主要是针对年轻人的。
8 billboards 984a8d026956f1fd68b7105fc9074edf     
n.广告牌( billboard的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • Large billboards have disfigured the scenery. 大型告示板已破坏了景色。 来自辞典例句
  • Then, put the logo in magazines and on billboards without telling anyone what it means. 接着我们把这个商标刊在杂志和广告看板上,却不跟任何人透漏它的涵意。 来自常春藤生活英语杂志-2006年4月号

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