Thai Humour: “Outsiders See It as Jokes; Locals See It as Language”
Asia is known for its unique regions and hyper-local campaigns that resonate deeply within its diverse cultures. With work so attuned to its market, it can often cause Asian creative to go under the radar on a more global scale. That’s why LBB has launched its ‘Inside Asia’ series.
In the last instalment, we explored Japan, where emotions trump logic, TV still holds “cultural magic”, and respect is of utmost importance. Next, we visit Thailand, exploring the ‘Land of Smiles’ in two parts.
Here, in the first, we speak with BBDO Bangkok ECD, Warunyoo (Big) Sorasetsakoon; Dentsu Creative Thailand CCO, Subun Khow; WPP Media partner (client leadership), Kanjanawat (Pom) Pansuwan; and Yell Worldwide’s international business manager, Don Gorrith, on the Thai love of playfulness, and where the biggest opportunities currently lie.
Thailand can often be stereotyped for its wacky and humorous commercials – but it’s a stereotype rooted in some truth, considering Thai people’s propensity to laugh at serious things and turn everyday moments into playful stories, as BBDO Bangkok ECD, Warunyoo (Big) Sorasetsakoon, tells LBB. “Many people around the world know Thai advertising for its sense of humour, but to me, humour is simply one of the ways we express something deeper. Thai humour is not just ‘funny’. Outsiders see it as jokes; locals see it as language. We find a way to enjoy problems we’re dealing with.”
Subun Khow, CCO at Dentsu Creative Thailand agrees. “A successful and popular ad in Thailand needs to entertain the audience rather than focusing on communicating a straightforward message.” And the ads that tend to win consumers over most “use humour, clever storytelling, or honest representation rather than something polished and elegant,” he says.
“Thailand sits at a crossroads of cultures,” says Don Gorrith, international business manager at Yell Worldwide. “That’s why our advertising feels unique and full of personality. This flexibility is what makes Thai creativity highly transferable – it has a human core that resonates even when cultural nuances shift.”
The way that Thai people communicate is also “naturally fluid”, he adds, “so our creative style follows that rhythm. The structure might be loose on the surface, but it is usually built on a clear strategic core that speaks to how Thai audiences actually think and respond. Once you understand that, the work stops feeling random and starts feeling like a very intentional reflection of Thai culture.”
When it comes to great Thai creative, Kanjanawat (Pom) Pansuwan, partner (client leadership) at WPP Media, boils it down to five elements: “A sharp local insight (‘I also feel it’ moments), emotional payoff – either big laughs or heartfelt tears, talkability on social media, respectful cultural fluency, and a clear and credible brand role.”
“Five Star faced a unique challenge in today’s delivery-driven world: consumers often judge food by the number of ‘stars’ they see on delivery platforms. And even though its name is Five Star, it wasn’t always the one with flashy five-star ratings at the top of the app. Our team decided to play with that pain point instead of hiding it. We used humour to openly acknowledge this truth in a way that felt honest and very Thai.
“By turning the problem into something we could laugh about together, we shifted the conversation from, ‘Do we have five stars on an app?’ to ‘Our chicken quality is the real five-star here.’ It wasn’t about bragging; it was about being sincere, self-aware, and letting the brand’s product speak for itself through a very human, playful story.” – Warunyoo (Big) Sorasetsakoon
“Jongluckdee’s ‘Bangkok Jump’ campaign, created to promote Squid Game Season 3 on Netflix was a large-scale out-of-home activation that localised the Korean series by blending it with Thai culture, while also providing entertainment. As a result, it successfully generated engagement and strong PR buzz.” – Subun Khow
Buzzworthy and Beyond
“Thai consumers value real life warmth,” Big says. “When something feels like it could happen in your condo, your office, or your group chat, it spreads fast. A tiny joke, a small gesture, or a random phrase can suddenly become a national trend overnight, and brands that know how to create those moments always win.
“If a brand talks like a friend, jokes like a friend, or reacts in a fun, human way, people jump in fast. We don’t just watch brands, we play back with them,” he shares. “You can see it from campaigns like UNIF Green Tea’s ‘Worm’ which tells a simple yet unforgettable story of a man and a worm fighting over the best tea leaves at the top of a plant. What made this campaign truly iconic is how it played with imagination and absurdity in a way that deeply resonated with Thai culture.”
The ad gave birth to a now well-known line in Thai advertising: ‘Shin-Me-Cho-Dai’, meaning ‘give me the top tea leaves’ in Japanese. “The phrase instantly spread across the entire country,” Big says. “This was long before social media existed, yet it became a nationwide catchphrase. It even went so far that Thai artists turned the line into a real song, proof of how deeply the campaign embedded itself into pop culture. It was essentially an early form of a meme, created in an era when memes didn’t even have a name.”
Today, with Thais among the world’s top social media users, content can go viral even faster. “We’re naturally creative,” Subun says, “spinning ideas or creating memes to spread our favourite content further in new ways. This kind of engagement is a major driving force behind a campaign’s success, helping create buzz and encouraging people to purchase a brand’s products or services at the right moment.”
“Social media is fast, always present, and part of how we search, compare, and validate anything we want to try or buy,” Don adds. “In Thailand, people rarely rely on memory or word of mouth. We check Google Maps, TikTok saved lists, reviews, and comments. Social media shapes the entire decision-making process from discovery to purchase to even advocacy.”
But, he notes, “Beyond the buzz, the work has to reconnect back to what it was meant to achieve in the first place, whether awareness, engagement, or sales. The campaigns that truly stand out are the ones that connect with people emotionally and still achieve the business result they were designed for.”
The Local Spirit
When asked about the biggest marketing opportunities in Thailand right now, Subun points to Thai patriotism. “If an idea or brand highlights Thai identity and makes Thainess valuable, especially if it gains global recognition, it will often receive strong support.”
And how can brands do this? Big says it’s through recognising the diversity of character across Asia. “The real opportunity is when brands stop trying to create one message for everyone, and instead learn how to play with those differences in a genuine way. When you understand the local spirit, how people think, feel, joke, celebrate, or even struggle, the work becomes more meaningful and more powerful.”
“Observe daily life in markets, food stalls and LINE groups,” Pom offers. “Listen to real Thai speech patterns. Watch local creators, dramas, and TikTok trends. Learn why small details (colours, rituals, jokes) matter. And ask local teams for insight early – not at the end.”
“It’s not about comparing our work to other markets,” Big notes, “but about understanding the world it was created for. And once you tune into those nuances, Thai creativity becomes much clearer, and honestly, a lot more fun to appreciate.”
