K-pop dance by Thai soldiers sparks controversy and admiration among netizens
Thai soldiers came under fire from Thai netizens after they danced to K-pop music in the Siam neighbourhood of Bangkok last weekend. The soldiers also had a few admirers and many praised the soldier group for their talent.
A Smile Army Facebook page posted a video of the soldiers dancing to K-pop music on Sunday, April 9. In the video, one male soldier and six female soldiers are seen dancing to a popular South Korean pop song called Mommae by rapper Park Jae-boom, also known as Jay Park.
The location was reported to be a courtyard in Bangkok’s popular shopping neighbourhood, Siam, near Siam BTS Station. The video garnered over 1,300 reactions, 130 comments, and a hundred shares.
The seven soldiers were later identified as the officers from the Psychological Operations Battalion of the Special Warfare Command at King Narai Military Camp in the central province of Lop Buri. The soldier called themselves Army Smile. They are an army music band established to entertain residents.
The video gained attention from Thai netizens because soldiers dancing is not a familiar sight for many Thai residents. Netizens hailed the group for their talent and commented that the act gives a more friendly image of Thai soldiers. The netizens commented…
“This is so cool! This activity will allow soldiers to be close to the residents. Great idea, commissioners!”
“So lovely. Thai soldiers can do everything!”
“Great! Want you all to perform in every province!”
Despite a lot of cheers and praise, some netizens saw the action as fake and commented…
“Is it the duty of a soldier?”
“Are you guys wasting the taxes that I paid to hire you?”
“Try to be friendly with people. Fake!”
Despite the mixed reactions, Smile Army and the relevant departments have yet to clarify the objectives of the performance. However, yesterday, the official Facebook page thanked followers for their support, stating…
“Thank you for the encouragement and support. We, the Smile Army, will keep doing good things for society.”
