Center for Southeast Asian Studies Kyoto University 007 - Amporn Jirattikorn ) points out that between between out that ibid.) points Faculty of Social Sciences, Chiang Mai University Faculty of Social Sciences, Chiang Mai tion and the need to cater to niche audiences, as as tion and the need to cater to niche audiences, they exhibit less consumption loyalty (Lim 2008). end also con- the receiving economies on Growing tribute to greatly the flowsoutward increasing of Thai cable dramas. In Vietnam, for example, the growing a high demand for television market has fostered priva- television content. Likewise, the government’s the Myanmar), (in channels television of tization of cable television networks (in Cambodia), growth combined and the advance of mobile technology, dramas, have contributed to with the ebb of Korean in Thai television dramas in growth the increased impor scenes. More these countries’ broadcasting contributes the notion of cultural proximity tantly, to the success of Thai dramas in these neigh- greatly boring countries. As for China, nationalistic fear over has led the Chinese popular culture dominant Korean television imports. to limit Korean censorship board (Danai- imports Thai turnin This more to way gave than 2012). In addition, the higher quality of Thai television dramas over the past decade, and the low price of Thai drama exports, have enabled them to television expensive Korean compete with the more ( Danaithan dramas. - 2009–11, some satellite televisions in China broad casted about 8–10 Thai television dramas series per year. -

hai television dramas, which have been a staple hai television dramas, which have been TV landscape for over four de- of the nation’s cades, tend to be what Thai people call “lakorncades, tend to be what Thai people call nam char The namnao or polluted nao” (polluted soaps). - life, present acteristic lies in their portrayal of unreal ing a visual grammar of lavish and luxurious settings, acting, and melodramatic plots. In over-exaggerated the late 2000s, Thai television dramas gradually started to gain popularity in Asia. Beginning in 2003, channels, television Chinese entered dramas Thai the in series drama many of success the by followed following years. For example, Battle of Angels, on Anhui Satellite TV in 2009, achieved broadcast in the tenth highest audience rating of all programs four re-run was and released was it week first the times between 2009–10 (Danaithan 2012). Following past the market, television China’s in success the decade saw the outward flows of Thai television dra- Sin- Vietnam,to expanded mas Taiwan, Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines. Besides being gapore, exported for telecast, the phenomenon of subtitles has also made by fans in many countries created widely accessible. Thai dramas more flow of Thaifor televi- the new outward The reasons As many scholars vary. sion dramas in the region in Asia now operate have argued, broadcasters market fragmenta- under the assumption of greater

T Media Circulation and Chinese Censorship and Media Circulation Thai Popular Culture: A New Player in Asia Player A New Culture: Thai Popular Thai series shown on website Bilibili whose “bullet-screen” mechanism allows real-time user comments to scroll across the screen. across user comments to scroll mechanism allows real-time Thai series shown on website Bilibili whose “bullet-screen” - Fig. 2 not passively watch whatever has been broadcasted has been broadcasted watch whatever not passively content not for global media search but constantly available at home. The content which these different generations prefer also differs. The older generation dramas whose stories tends to like Thai television melodra with relationships family around revolved over exaggerated acting while matic plot twists and whose teen dramas prefers the younger generation to their everyday life. How- related more stories are it is not uncommon to find young audience who ever, stories of the Thai dramas. The like the melodramatic Thai television also drawn to younger audience are Thai of attractiveness and beauty the for dramas to be of mixed races. who tend actors and actresses of Thai television One of the most popular genres audi- dramas among the new generation of Chinese typi- has (BL) Boys’ love series. love” is “boys’ ence whose cally been identified with Japanese manga love a of focus the as men young two portray stories women, heterosexual are fans BL Most interest. gay men though it is not uncommon for BL to draw became or bisexual audience. Japanese BL manga the beginning of the popular in Thailand around BL Japanese of popularity the Following 2000s. stories short in the forms of literature BL manga, Thai both online or novels has been written and shared began television companies recently, and offline. Until BL television by producing to pick up this trend by a community of enthusiastic fans series. Fostered subtitles of BL content in many who work to provide different language communities, BL series from Thai- become popular throughout land have increasingly Asia, particularly in Vietnam, Indonesia, and China. a poses it for China in illegal considered is BL As from series BL hegemony, heterosexual to challenge - eign imports, tight censorship, and viewers being censorship, and viewers being eign imports, tight elements in Thai dramas, able to identify clichéd in the popularity of Thai dramas have led to a decline which wave first the While 2012). (Chan China in 2011, began with Battle of Angels waned around in Thai televi- Chan has argued that Chinese interest - Chinese stream through sion dramas was renewed decade has seen the phenom- ing sites. This recent cultural enon of enthusiastic fans who obtain foreign subtitles for translate the text, then release products, the from permission viewing, without asking for than 10 more are there copyright holders. Recently, video- Chinese on dramas Thai of groups subtitling one is sharing websites. Of these, the most popular Tianfutaiju whose translation focuses on Thai boys’ to later. love series, a point I return generation of It should be noted that the present dramas Chinese audiences that watch Thai television previous those of the on the internet today differ from television. from dramas Thai consumed who decade decade tended to While audiences of the previous what receive passively may who housewives be media industry offered to them, the audience of the - young, rela millennials who are new generation are They do tively well-educated and live in urban areas. This short essay focuses particularly on China, particularly on China, essay focuses This short - among Chi the aspects of consumption exploring television dramas who watch Thai nese audience groups the fan-subtitle sites and streaming through dramas into Chinese language. who translated Thai televi- entry into China’s After making its successful has decade past the 2000s, late the in market sion seen the ebb and flow of Thai television dramas in on broadcasting state controls China. The tightening limiting the number of for media, including foreign Fig. 1 Fig. 1 Thai TV dramas that been translated into Vietnamese language and sold as DVDs. the fansub version on their phone. of how she watches Thai TV dramas from Fig. 2 Chinese fan showing a screenshot

CSEAS NEWSLETTER No. 76 008 Center for Southeast Asian Studies Kyoto University 009 East South China MorningChina South July Post, sion Dramas in China. Paper presented at the Conference Conference the at presented Paper China. in Dramas sion Cultural Transmissions: on Social Media and Cross-border Policies and Industries, June 21–22, 2012, Technologies, Institute, Singapore. Asia Research Dra- Thai Television towards Consumption Taste Audience’s mas and Thai Films. Chiang Mai: Thai Universities for Healthy (In Thai) Chiang Mai University. Public Policy, Piracy. about Not is AcFun - 17. http://www.scmp.com/business/companies/arti cle/2102948/chinas-ban-foreign-content-bilibili-acfun-not- about-piracy (accessed on August 28, 2017). In Production. Cultural of Networks Regional Television: , edited by , edited by Wave Analysing the Korean Asian Pop Culture: Chua Beng Huat and Koichi Iwabuchi, pp. 33–52. Hong Kong: Hong Kong University Press. http://www.sixthtone.com/ gramming Offline. - news/1000511/chinese-video-site-bilibili-takes-foreign-pro gramming-offline (accessed on August 28, 2017). - 2012. Social Media and the Rise of Thai Televi Chan, Brenda. Danaithan Phongpatcharathornthep. 2012. A Study of Chinese Content on Bilibili, Ban on Foreign He, Laura. 2017. China’s Lim, 2008. Tania. Renting East Asian Popular Culture for Local - Pro Foreign 2017. Chinese Video Site Bilibili Takes Yejun. Yin, .). .). (ibid piracy tackle to Recently, many officialweb- iQiyi started Sohu, and Tudou, as Youku, sites such TV and movies foreign online for copyright obtain to why the Chi- as to may be the reason shows. This nese government had to act upon those that violated has to do with second reason copyright claims. The of domestic copyright censorship. The absence Bilibili and AcFun did in shared means those videos Right content censorship. not pass the government’s two these in content foreign of removal the before the Chinese government websites, in June 2017, - pro for online broadcasting, issued new guidelines and vulgar content. The latter hibiting unpatriotic refersspecifically to “abnormal sexual behaviors” (Yin one- adultery, homosexuality, 2017) which include sexual violence, or kissing night stands, prostitution, Thai of fansubbers of the One scenes. bathing and now on, we will have dramas lamented that “from else nothing to watch but war movies as everything the most pop- is banned.” As boys’ love series were the became they Bilibili, on dramas Thai of genre ular main target of the ban. media content disappearance of foreign The recent the con- on these two video-sharing sites signifies see on the tinuing struggle over what citizens can technology websites. In China, as well as elsewhere, state and businesses also quickly is changing rapidly, ban to the transforming conditions. China’s respond by fan communities begs on the amateur creation in are the question: when the state and businesses help of tech- alliance, can and will netizens, with the find ways to escape control? nology, References -

which solely translated boys’ love series from which solely translated boys’ love series from

Thailand have become the main channel for young for young Thailand have become the main channel banned audience starved of content which has been at home. for a variety While internet a virtual space provides over in China, the control groups of youthful interest been always has website the on see can citizen what Chinese state. The latest develop- by the exercised State Press ment happened in July 2017 when the Film, and and Publication Administration of Radio, foreign of removal the ordered (SARFT) Television the two most popular movies and TV shows from Bilibili is a video-sharing websites, Bilibili and AcFun. hugely popular site, originating as a video-sharing site for Japanese anime but gradually became home youthful more Featuring shows. TV of kinds all to on content, Bilibili and AcFun have looser restrictions by users. They the content uploaded and shared fan- of Chinese have also helped foster a community subbers who voluntarily translated and subtitled most overseas content. These websites have thus websites such as fans than official attracted more Sohu, and Tudou, iQiyi. Youku, Bilibili also offers fea- that tend to appeal to a younger audience, tures such as a “bullet-curtain” mechanism to allow real- (He the screen across time user comments to scroll 2017). After the sudden ban, Thai dramas, along series, Japanese anime, and American with Korean websites. Thai drama pulled from TV shows, were collec vast a disappointment: their expressed fans tion of Thai dramas were wiped out from the web- wiped out from tion of Thai dramas were Tiansites and the most famous fan-subtitle group, - futaiju Thailand, also decided to stop subtitling. Some fans devastated that “without Thai dramas, without were Tianfutaiju, what would life be like?” reasons. two for came reportedly ban recent The efforts official of part was ban the that maintain Some

throughout Asia. throughout

is one of Thai BL series which has become popular Fig. 3 2Moons the Series is one of Thai BL series which has become popular