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Prayuth Goes Full Otaku In Meeting With Japan’s AKB48


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Prayuth Goes Full Otaku In Meeting With Japan’s AKB48

By Teeranai Charuvastra, Staff Reporter

 

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Junta chairman Prayuth Chan-ocha waves his glow stick Thursday while six members of AKB48 perform per his request.

 

BANGKOK — Junta chairman Prayuth Chan-ocha welcomed members of Japanese girl group AKB48 to the regime’s seat of power today in the latest effort to rebrand himself as a relatable, mainstream leader.

 

While the prime minister has surrounded himself with celebrities and pop culture icons in the past, Prayuth took it to another level at Thursday’s meeting, teasing intimate fan knowledge and taking them on a tour of his office.

 

http://www.khaosodenglish.com/news/2018/09/13/prayuth-goes-full-otaku-in-meeting-with-japans-akb48/

 
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-- © Copyright Khaosod English 2018-09-13
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Japanese pop megastars AKB48 meet Thai PM

 

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BANGKOK, 13th September 2018 (NNT) – Japanese pop group AKB48 has met with Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-ocha as part of their visit to Thailand, with the premier voicing hope they can spark further cultural exchanges between the Kingdom and Japan. 

Minister to the Prime Minister’s Office Kobsak Phutrakul, took members of AKB48 to meet Gen Prayut at Government House. During their meeting, the PM remarked that musical performances provide opportunities for cultural exchanges while recalling that Japan and Thailand have had a long and close relationship. He expressed hope that exchanges between the two countries will continue and said the pop group could play a role in further developments. 

Gen Prayut acknowledged that AKB48 is the predecessor of Thailand’s own BNK48 during a casual exchange, telling them of their Thai chapter’s success and asking them to care closely for the young group. 

The all-girl group ended their meeting by giving the PM a performance of their hit song “Koisuru Fortune Cookie”. 

AKB48 is to hold a concert in Thailand in December. While the PM said he would not be able to attend he gave the group every encouragement.

 
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-- nnt 2018-09-13
 
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Political motive seen in PM’s love for pop-idols

By KORNRAWEE PANYASUPPAKUN 
THE NATION

 

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PRIME MINISTER Prayut Chan-o-cha became ota (a big fan in Japanese) for AKB 48 yesterday as the J-pop idol girl band put on a special performance for him at Government House. Yet observers saw a hidden political message in the event.

 

The band was in Bangkok to promote their year-end concert. 

 

Many fans waited to greet their idols and the whole meet-up was broadcast live on the government’s Facebook page. In the broadcast, General Prayut was seen waving his light stick in time as six members of the AKB48 members – Nanami Asai, Chiba Erii, Iwatate Saho, Mogi Shinobu, Nakanishi Chiyori and Sasaki Yukari – performed their famous single “Koi Suru Fortune Cookies”. Later the PM shook the girls’ hands and took a selfie with them. 

 

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Short for Akihabara48, AKB48 has a Bangkok-based sister idol group called BNK48. Debuting in 2016, BNK48 became wildly popular among Thai teens, releasing a Thai version of “Koi Suru Fortune Cookies” last year. This single has had more than 148 million views on YouTube – twice the Thai population. 

 

Prayut said he was excited that the J-pop band is coming to perform in Thailand, but added that he couldn’t attend the concert. “I can’t squeeze through the young fans,” he said, though he promised to follow the band closely on media. 

 

In his conversation with the young band, he also referred to the long-standing bilateral ties, his favourite Japanese dishes and also expressed his sympathy for the natural disasters that hit Japan recently. 

 

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The meet-up yesterday took place not long after Prayut invited Cherprang Areekul, lead singer of BNK48, to receive a prize after she agreed to host an episode of the pro-government “Thailand Moves Forward” TV show. 

 

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However, academics see a political agenda behind this. 

 

Asst Prof Dr Wilaiwan Jongwilaikasem, a lecturer with Thammasat’s Faculty of Journalism and Mass Communication, said this was part of the PM’s move to expand his fan base to include young, urban teenagers ahead of next year’s elections. 

 

“The prime minister is using these idols to gain votes from their fans,” she said.

 

The AKB48 and BNK48 fan base is comprised mostly of “young, urban males and females who use Facebook on a daily basis”, she added, pointing out that the Facebook Live clip had won over 2,300 reactions and 189,000 views. 

 

The idols’ fans are not interested in politics and have not chosen to vote for any particular party, unlike the grassroots masses consider campaigns that benefit them, she pointed out. Many of the young urban generation may cast their votes based on their emotions, she added. 

 

Khemmakorn Chatupumdecha, a university student and an ardent fan of AKB48, told The Nation that he was happy the J-pop culture is getting accepted in Thailand. 

 

“I think it’s a good thing that older people like the PM are ready to accept idol culture,” he said. 

 

On the other hand, a 24-year-old fan, who asked not to be named, said she didn’t want her favourite idol, Cherprang, to be pulled into politics, but doesn’t believe this would affect her or other fans’ decision on who they will vote for. 

 

“This doesn’t make me want to support the PM, but I can’t speak for others,” she said. “Maybe younger fans are more likely to be persuaded.”

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30354424

 
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-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-09-14
 
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2 hours ago, Samui Bodoh said:

The general likes to hang around and be seen with hot, young girls? 

 

I get the same reaction as I do when I see a 60 year old western man with a 19 year old girl in Bangkok or here on the island; it seems a bit icky, creepy and skin-crawly. 

 

 

 

I suggest you overcome your hangup, or stay home, locked inside, you are definitely in the wrong country.

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2 hours ago, gunderhill said:

 I'm guessing here , do they play  all their own  instruments, write  all their own music, choreograph all their  own dance routines, or is this manufactured junk???

 

Actually, they are considered genuine modern song writing talents and can rightly rub shoulders with Lennon & McCartney, Simon & Garfunkel etc. There’s a video link on the 1st page.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

...or it might just be a bunch a fit model types prancing around in their underwear to pre-pubescent pop drivel !

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Anti Government rant has been removed.

 

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Presumably his advisers have told him that rubbing shoulders with popular teens will boost his image and votes among the young in next year's election. I wonder if it will have the opposite effect though.

When I was young I didn't expect or want anyone over 30 liking the kind of music I and my friends enjoyed. ' It's our music!"

And the older voters just see a man deep into middle age keen to get his picture taken with teens in short skirts.

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In (partial) defence of the general, he's only doing what every politician in modern liberal democracies does, and of course looks just as silly & hypocritical as they do.

 

This could be a good sign: The general learning about democracy. Call it: LibDem 101.

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5 hours ago, Samui Bodoh said:

The general likes to hang around and be seen with hot, young girls? 

 

I get the same reaction as I do when I see a 60 year old western man with a 19 year old girl in Bangkok or here on the island; it seems a bit icky, creepy and skin-crawly. 

 

 

 

Lets see when you'll 60yo.

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