Lady Gaga fans gush, critics blast fake-watch Tweet
From the moment she stepped off her chartered Boeing 747 at Don Mueang Airport, Lady Gaga became the talk of Bangkok, thanks to her fashion-magazine looks and an outrageous remark on Twitter that she wanted to buy counterfeit watches.
“I just landed in Bangkok baby! Ready for 50,000 screaming Thai monsters. I wanna get lost in a lady market and buy fake Rolex,” Gaga tweeted shortly after her arrival on Wednesday evening ahead of tonight’s “Born This Way Ball” concert at Rajamangala National Stadium.
Many were angered by the singer’s remark on Twitter, where she has 24 million followers. Some fans called it offensive, insulting and bad for the Thailand’s image.
“We are more civilised than you think,” tweeted DJ Suharit Siamwalla, who has a ticket to tonight’s show but now plans to boycott it.
“She came to our home, but instead of admiring us she insulted us,” a commentator on the Pantip.com Web forum said.
However, TV host Woody Milintajinda said on his show that Gaga was just kidding around and that it was normal for her to say provocative things.
While in Hong Kong, she made a similar remark on Twitter about buying counterfeit goods.
Former singer and university lecturer Kalyakorn Naksompop had a different view, saying on Twitter: “If Gaga supports fake Rolex in Thailand, I bet she also supports the illegal copies of her album. Such an ignorant comment!”
“Switzerland collapses,” was the light-hearted response from Abigail Haworth, senior international editor at Marie Claire USA, in reference to the Swiss maker of Rolex watches.
Another Thai Twitter user, Suchita (@choochiiz), joked: “I want to go to Gaga’s concert so I can throw fake Rolex at her! Then she won’t have to buy one.”
At the airport, Gaga was welcomed by thousands of fans in fancy costumes. With a ginger-dyed bouffant hairstyle and face hidden by black sunglasses, the singer herself wore a snug-fitting floor-length black latex dress designed by Atusko Kudo Latex Couture London. The outfit was accessorised with a diamond necklace and matching bracelets. Accompanied by bodyguards and police, she briefly greeted fans and posed for photos before getting into a car under police escort.
“My hand was shaking when I wanted to take her photo but suddenly she grabbed my hand and took my photo with her,” said a fan club member who got her shot with Gaga at Don Mueang.
Lady Gaga is staying at the five-star St Regis Bangkok Hotel, where more fans gathered. The singer signed autographs and hugged one female fan who left in tears. Gaga later headed to the famous New Calypso Bangkok Cabaret at the Asia Hotel. Hitting the 9.45pm show, she was back in her hotel room by 11.
Her quick night out was meant to be secret, but it was made public by a cabaret performer who captured the pop star’s photo and posted it on the “Thailand Loves Lady Gaga” Facebook page, which is “liked” by more than 22,000 users.
And while Gaga might want a fake Rolex, there won’t be any fake tickets to her concert, with a bar-code system being used to scan each ticket.
A crew of more than 1,000 has been working to prepare Rajamangala National Stadium for the big event, and police have stepped up security and traffic-control measures. For the biggest concert ever put on by promoter BEC-Tero, props and gear have been hauled in by three 747 aircraft and by sea in 23 shipping containers. One piece of equipment was so large that a gate at the stadium had to be removed to fit it in.
Fans have camped outside the stadium for days, hoping to be first inside and win the prize of meeting the Lady Gaga in person.
With her provocative lyrics, outspoken views on sexuality and revealing costumes, Lady Gaga has stirred controversy across Asia. Catholic groups in South Korea and the Philippines have protested against her concerts and in Indonesia, hardline Muslims have tried to have her banned. It’s still not known whether police will issue a permit for the Jakarta concert on June 3. After Bangkok, she heads to Singapore.
