K-Pop fan-funded billboards move from BTS and MRT stations to tuks tuks to support protesters

K-Pop fan-funded “happy birthday” billboards are moving from mass transit stations in Bangkok to tuk tuks after the BTS Skytrain and MRT Bangkok Metro temporarily shut down services during pro-democracy protests last month.

The world’s K-Pop fans are weaponising their huge numbers and online ‘power’ by supporting Thailand’s pro-democracy movement. In 3 days last month, Thai and overseas K-pop fans raised more than 3 million baht to support the growing student-led movement calling on government and monarchy reform. A lot more has been raised since then.

A Thailand fan page for the South Korean K-Pop band BTS (not to be confused with Bangkok’s BTS Skytrain) urged fans to stop paying for the “happy birthday” billboards displayed in BTS and MRT stations. The fan-funded signs celebrate the birthdays of the 7 members of the band.

The band members also issued a statement asking their fans (known as ARMY) to stop paying for signs in the BTS and MRT stations because the mass transit systems “inconvenienced protesters and normal citizens from getting home and putting them in danger.”

The “happy birthday” signs have been seen on tuk tuks throughout Bangkok while some have posted photos of empty advertising space in the transit stations.

🐹𝑯𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒚 𝒃𝒊𝒓𝒕𝒉𝒅𝒂𝒚 𝐉𝐈𝐍 & 𝐕🐯
พร้อมแล้วสำหรับวันเกิดพี่น้องตะกูลคิม ลิมิเตดสุดๆ 15 คันเท่านั้น ใครเจอป้าย ถ่ายรูปมาอวดกันที่แท็กนี้นะคะ 🌕#OursmilebeginwithJIN
🧸#BelovedV26th_Birthday #Happyvday #Happyjinday Special thanks for beautiful photos @Bedgasm_v 💜 pic.twitter.com/cVenc2SN9W

— 🐻🍓𝐕𝙚𝙖𝙪𝙩𝙞𝒇𝙪𝙡 ఇ ⁹⁵ᶻ (@nuna_vmin) November 30, 2020