Ten Thai stories that trended the most on social media in 2022
The death of TV actress Nida “Tangmo” Patcharaveerapong topped trending topics during 2022, according to a study by analytics company Wisesight published on Monday.
The company used its Zocial Eye tools to collect data from social media users in Thailand between January 1 and December 20.
The top 10 trending topics were:
1. Tangmo's case (248.33 million engagements)
The death of the TV actress in late February sparked many theories and plenty of debate, such as police investigation, attitude of Tangmo's mother Panida Siriyudthayothin, and criminal charges against six suspects.
Tangmo, 37, reportedly fell off a speedboat into the Chao Phraya River on February 24 and her body was found two days later. Police ruled out murder and concluded on April 26 that she had died in an accident caused by negligence and recklessness.
2. Fifa World Cup Qatar 2022 (118.50 million engagements)
The 22nd World Cup from November 20 to December 18 went viral in various ways, such as news of football clubs and players and disputes over broadcasting rights.
Thailand’s plan to acquire the World Cup broadcasting rights had a troubled start, as the NBTC’s contribution was not enough to purchase the broadcast rights, which was priced at 1.4 billion baht. This forced the SAT, an agency responsible for purchasing the broadcast rights of sporting events, to enter into a deal with telecom company True Corporation for funding support.
3. Thailand's floods (99.52 million engagements)
Flash floods and runoffs triggered by tropical storm "Noru" caused many areas of Thailand to be inundated. Many netizens talked about the situation in Ubon Ratchathani province, which was severely affected by the tropical storm.
4. Miss Grand International 2022 (96.02 million engagements)
Miss Grand Thailand Engfa Waraha's remarks and attitude went viral on TikTok and Twitter after she was crowned on April 30.
However, Engfa bagged the runner-up title of Miss Grand International 2022 while Brazil’s Isabella Novaes Menin took the crown on October 25.
5. Russia-Ukraine war (61.58 million engagements)
Netizens were forced to monitor the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine as it had ramifications for the world economy, society and product prices.
6. "One Man and the River" Mekong charity swim (54.37 million engagements)
The fundraising project to procure medical supplies for hospitals in Thailand and Laos was initiated by Thai actor and singer Phakin “Tono” Khamwilaisak.
His move to swim across the Mekong River to Laos and back on October 22 raised 87 million baht for Nakhon Phanom Hospital in Thailand and Khammouane Hospital in Laos.
Netizens’ reactions were divided over Tono's move. Some netizens feared for his life, while others said he had helped medical staff in both countries.
7. Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt (44.87 million engagements)
Chadchart became talk of the town after he won the Bangkok gubernatorial election in May. Chadchart's Facebook page has drawn 2.6 million followers as of Monday with more than 270,000 engagements per post.
8. Nong Bua Lamphu shooting massacre (42.12 million engagements)
This tragedy happened in October when a dismissed policeman shot dead 37 people, including very young children, in a nursery in Nong Bua Lamphu province before killing his own family and himself.
Many netizens monitored the case until the hashtag #กราดยิงหนองบัวลําภู (Nong Bua Lamphu shooting massacre) started trending on Twitter.
9. Mango sticky rice soft power (38.49 million engagements)
This demonstration of Thai soft power was courtesy Thai rapper Danupha "Milli" Khanatheerakul, through her gesture of consuming the dish at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in California in April.
Commanding the stage in a skimpy red outfit, Milli took a break from her twerk-heavy dance routine to grab a bowl and take a mouthful in an effective show of soft power.
Milli's move caused the hashtag #milliliveatcoachella to trend on Twitter. Meanwhile, netizens praised Milli for promoting Thailand's soft power.
10. SEA Games 2021 (34.38 million engagements)
The 31st competition was held in Hanoi in May this year. Even though Thailand was ranked second among countries on the medals table, the hashtag #ซีเกมส์2022 was trending on Twitter during the period.
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