Gen Z goes wild for Thailand’s ‘Mutelu’ faith economy

A new survey by Zanroo, a social media data expert, revealed that young Thais are leading the charge in an occult frenzy, racking up billions of engagements online.

Zanroo’s study found that Gen Z, those aged 12 to 27, show the highest interest in Mutelu – a term derived from the Indonesian horror film Mutelu: Occult War. The word now covers a vast array of belief-related topics, ranging from amulets and talismans to fortune-telling and even “faith tourism.”

According to the survey, social media platforms have been flooded with Mutelu-related content, amassing a jaw-dropping 3.91 billion engagements between January and mid-September.

The platform of choice? TikTok, which accounted for a whopping 94.5% of the action. Meanwhile, YouTube scraped together 4.6%, leaving Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), and Instagram in the dust with negligible shares.

Interestingly, Gen Z made up 50% of all Mutelu content. Popular themes among them include fortune-telling, spiritual make-up tips, and even fashion advice designed to boost your luck.

Gen Y, also known as millennials (ages 28 to 43) wasn’t left out, contributing 26% of engagements with a focus on faith tourism, temple visits, and amulet trading. Gen X ( ages 44 to 59), meanwhile, made up 12% of the online conversation, with a particular interest in Feng Shui and hunting for lucky lottery numbers.

While 190 million engagements praised the so-called “faith economy,” there’s a darker side: 4.8 million interactions flagged concerns about scams exploiting supernatural beliefs, reported The Nation.

In related news, rising travel expenses have led to an increase in intra-regional tourism among Asia-Pacific’s Gen Z and millennial tourists, according to Marriott International. The younger adults, keen on saving for their travels, are opting for trips within their region.

In other news, luxury retail has skyrocketed, with sales in the first half of this year soaring to four times the levels seen in 2019, before the Covid-19 pandemic hit, according to a market survey by The 1 Insight.

This staggering growth comes despite a sluggish economy, thanks largely to the spending habits of new-generation shoppers.