Thailand launches ‘Sawasdee Seoul’ festival to showcase ‘T-pop Story’
Event in South Korean capital also marks 65 anniversary of bilateral ties
The Thai embassy in Seoul on Saturday launched “Sawasdee Seoul Thai festival 2024: T-pop Story” at Cheonggye Plaza in Seoul to mark the 65th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Thailand and South Korea.
The ninth edition of the two-day event is being held in collaboration with the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), Creative Economy Agency, and private partners, and marks its revival since the Covid outbreak.
Ambassador Tanee Sangrat said this year’s theme is “T-pop Story”, aiming to showcase Thai pop and traditional cultures to South Korean audiences as well as foreign tourists visiting Seoul.
Over 20 Thai pop artists will perform on stage on Saturday and Sunday, including Seya & Miya, Zom Marie, DJ Botcash, Sisma, Pow, Ally, Eff Rattapong, Fourth, 4Eve, LYKN, Auto & Grain, Ent.Sync Trainees, and Nani Satang Santa.
The festival will also feature more than 30 booths featuring Thai food, handicrafts and other items showcasing Thai soft power. Participants include Central Group, The Mall Group, Malee, ICONSIAM, Thai Airways International, Thai AirAsia X, Singha, Leo, Spy Wine Cooler and CPF.
Tanee said he hopes the festival will encourage more South Koreans to visit the kingdom to experience Thai culture first-hand, bringing the number of South Korean arrivals to 2 million.
TAT Governor Thapanee Kiatphaibool said more than 1.6 million South Koreans visited Thailand in the first nine months of 2024, making them the fourth-largest foreign tourist group in the kingdom. Apart from Bangkok, South Koreans also enjoy visiting Chiang Mai and Koh Samui.
Before Covid-19, around 1.9 million South Koreans visited Thailand annually, while some 379,000 Thais visited South Korea each year.
