JulesPanCakes

Translation for interfans: A lot of international fans of GMMTV really need to stop treating their own experiences as the universal standard. If you want to follow Thai artists, then please take some time to learn about Thai culture and the way the Thai entertainment industry works. Thailand has been making teen series that talk openly about HIV for over ten years now. Sky Wongravee played Phala in one of them. Many people actually learned more about HIV from that show, especially the iconic line: “HIV can’t be transmitted through saliva.” Even bad jokes like “Don’t share with me, I might get AIDS from you” largely disappeared, because not only were they making fun of someone else’s suffering, they also made the speaker look ignorant and uneducated. Thailand is extremely open about LGBTQ+ issues, so much so that we already have marriage equality laws. We have diverse genders, diverse identities, and we live together just fine. None of these identities are “rare cases.” There’s plenty of research and consultation available for people who actually want to learn. The use of metaphors like swan, dragon, tiger, dog in dialogue is a long-standing storytelling style in Thai dramas. these symbolic roles have been around for 10–20 years. They’ve lasted this long because people enjoy them. Judging everything as “bad” just because it’s unfamiliar in your own culture is unfair. Before rushing to criticize anything, you could simply ask Thai fans in the fandom first. Don’t make yourself the center of the world and assume everything has to follow your standards. Our country is too independent and too culturally rich to cater to every other country’s expectations. If you’re going to be a Thai fan, please try to understand Thai culture. Thanks. You can pass this around and translate it as needed.