Bangkok Podcast 5: Thai Television
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Show Notes:
In this episode of the Bangkok Podcast, we discuss something that many foreigners living here have a hard time wrapping their heads around – Thai television shows. From dramatically-enhanced soap operas to variety shows with singing, dancing Nazis, to the brilliance of funny television commercials, the range of options for the average viewer are pretty broad.
But what can we learn about Thai society from watching these little diversions? Will sitting through a cat-fight between a rich bitch socialate and a put-upon Cinderella give you an insight into why they have to slap and scream so much? And more importantly – do you care?
We also talk about the difficulty in finding good friends in Bangkok who won’t leave after 6 months, and dedicate the show to Jodi and Rob, two of the good ones who are leaving for new opportunities.
Show Links:
For excellent translation of this commercial visit: WomanlearnThai
Photo: Big Fat Rat
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Thai Soap Opera’s remind me of Korean Soap Opera’s that are much in the same vein.
I wish they would take all the reality based programming off the tv, esp american ones hahha… Nway guys great broadcast
you guy’s nailed this podcast down.
Great Thai commercials
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=etbLawm_FBA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EMeQll5hK-I
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=idBoVNC6DKc
The last one is a series, so watch the whole set!
OMG that first one is freaking hilarious! That’s sooo nasty but funny as hell.
Nice ones, Lance! I totally forgot that one for Top Charoen Optical, one of my all time faves. It made the top spot in a list I did here… some more classics from Thailand. http://xrl.in/40zl
This commercial is quite old, but fun to watch everytime.
James Bond 007 in Thailand – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UXBp9KwGRYI
Excellent Judy. I had not seen that one before!
This is a better version of the Smooth E series, all together in one video and translated.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9QXh8VvOdoM
also, here is another one I watched several times
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YU2YzFIKZgw
Ok, last one … i swear. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-H94pPspa4
I could do this all day. A lot of these I originally saw on
http://www.kosanathai.com/
which looks like some sort of trade website, but often has those funny commercials for those of us tat do not have Thai TV.
Here’s one that I chanced upon recently, it’s over-the-top, and love the face washing joke.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dr4NeLPkvn0
Ha! That’s great, the face-washing is hilarious, very Thai, isn’t it? I’d like to see the casting sheet for that one. “One character changes from a dark-skinned ugly peasant into a handsome, chiseled model type. Can you be the ‘before’ guy?” Very Thai. And what’s with that one motorbike dude’s eyebrows??
I thought Australian soaps were awful, but the Thai ones just take it to a whole other level. It’s quite an achievement, really. Amateur production values, over-the-top melodrama and an obsession with tragedy and injustice. Betrayals, infidelity and forbidden love are extremely common in the Thai soaps and movies (as best as I can tell). I might be totally off-base, but I get the impression that these themes are deeply embedded in the culture. It’s a very romanticised view of the world.
Great commercials. I remember some of these
.
Hey Lach, very insightful comment, thanks for posting it.
Tony´s recent blog post … Seeing Stars
This is good products, Thanks