Fans boo Thai royal anthem at Blackpink concert

K-pop band Blackpink kicked off their world tour in Bangkok on Saturday to a chorus of boos. Thai media reported video clips released on social media shows fans booing as the Thai royal anthem played on stage as the words “Please pay your respects to His Majesty the King” appeared on the screen before the band took to the stage.

Prachatai English reported that Princess Ubolratana made an appearance at the concert but it isn’t known whether the 71 year old heard the boos.

The concert at the Supachalasai Stadium was reported to be a success as Blackpink fans, known as “Blinks,” sang along with the K-pop four-piece as they kicked off the first leg of the band’s world tour.

Reports say there have been 1.65 million tweets about #BORNPINKinBangkok as the fans shared their memorable moments on social media. But while everyone appeared to enjoy the gig there were a number of complaints about the toilet arrangements.

A number of concertgoers complained about the blue plastic urinals at the concert, adding they deserved better for the price of the tickets. Some fans said the urinals looked like “giant blue orange “squeezers.”

Buriram-born Lalisa “Lisa” Manobal has been criticised in the past for not speaking out about the political situation in Thailand but it appears the 25 year old is a royalist. In 2017 she paid her respects to the late King Rama IX at the Royal Thai Embassy in Seoul, where she wore black and laid some flowers.

A year later she announced on social media that she was going to buy a King Rama IX pendant from a shop in Jeju. The stories became talking points among right-wing commentators in Thai media.

“Lalisa,” a single released by the artist in 2021, received praise from the government for its inclusion of Thai-style costumes in some parts of the music video, which was seen as promoting Thailand. The album of the same name sold over 736,000 copies in its release week in South Korea, making her the first female artist to do so.

After the ‘Born Pink’ concert in Bangkok, Jisoo, Jennie, Rosé, and Lisa will also perform in Hong Kong, Riyadh, Abu Dhabi, Taiwan, Tokyo, and Singapore.