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From “How many Doi Suthep?” to tuk tuks, som tam and Thai phrases, Lisa is showing the world a playful side of Thainess.
What does Thainess look like when it goes global? Sometimes, it sounds like “How many Doi Suthep?”, rolls through Yaowarat on a tuk tuk or arrives on American television with a plate of som tam.
Over the past week, Lisa has been doing more than promoting SaWaDiKa. Through Thai jokes, street culture, food and language, she has been bringing little pieces of home along for the ride. Nothing feels too formal or carefully packaged. It is simply Lisa being Thai, and the world getting a glimpse of it.
From one very Thai misheard lyric to a tuk tuk takeover and a lesson in Thai phrases on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, these moments show how Thainess can travel far beyond Thailand.
How “Doi Suthep” Became a Thai Inside Joke
It started with a joke Thai people simply couldn’t unhear. At Lisa’s exclusive listening party in Bangkok last Tuesday, she joined her fans in singing, How many Doi Suthep? A playful Thai twist on the lyric “How many does it take” from SaWaDiKa. But the joke was only the beginning.
Once your ears hear it, you can never, ever hear it the same way again. Thai humour hits hard, and Lisa clearly knows exactly what she’s doing. At the exclusive listening party in Bangkok yesterday, Lisa was singing along with her fans: How many Doi Suthep?
So, what does that actually mean? In her new song, SaWadiKa, there’s a verse where Lisa sings, How many does it take? But to Thai listeners, the phrase sounds remarkably close to How many Doi Suthep. And once you hear it that way, there is simply no unhearing it.
Doi Suthep is a sacred mountain in Chiang Mai and the home of Wat Phra That Doi Suthep, one of northern Thailand’s most revered temples. The temple sits around 15 kilometres northwest of Chiang Mai and is one of the region’s most recognisable cultural landmarks.
The temple is the main attraction, with its famous golden chedi, sacred Buddha relic and sweeping views over Chiang Mai. But there’s plenty more to explore across the mountain, including jungle trails, waterfalls, viewpoints and Doi Pui, the park’s highest peak at 1,685 metres. The Bhubing Palace and Hmong communities can also be found further up the mountain.
Now the joke has taken on a life of its own online, with the phrase making its way across the feed. Because sometimes all it takes is a slightly different set of ears to turn an innocent lyric into an entirely new punchline.
Lisa Takes a Tuk Tuk Through Yaowarat
Then came the streets. That same week, Lisa took the SaWaDiKa promo onto a tuk tuk in Yaowarat and turned one of Bangkok’s most recognisable street icons into part of the rollout. The move also appeared to involve Tuk Tuk Radio, a Bangkok-based music platform and YouTube channel with both online and offline activities, known for live DJ sets and music performances from the back of moving tuk tuks, boats and other locations across Thailand.
The content has not been uploaded yet, but people are already waiting to see what comes next. Lisa on a tuk tuk in the middle of Yaowarat feels like exactly the kind of unexpected Thai moment that can take on a life of its own online.
Sharing Thai Food, Language and Culture on American TV
And then Thailand made its way onto American television. On The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Lisa turned the segment into another little lesson in Thai culture. She taught the audience Thai phrases such as sawasdee ka, kob khun ka and even mod kaew, while sharing her favourite Thai dish, som tum, and talking about the things she loves from home.
She also shared a special drink recipe with Jimmy that felt very Lisa. The mix starts with a shot of soju, followed by a shot of beer and a splash of Sprite. It has the familiar spirit of somaek, the Korean drink made by mixing soju and beer, but Lisa gave it a Thai touch by using Thai beer. And somehow, that small switch says a lot. Lisa may have been shaped by years of training and promoting in South Korea as a member of BLACKPINK, but when she gets the chance to bring her own culture into the room, Thailand is never far away.
