The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has jumped at the chance to promote tourism in Ayutthaya after Lalisa "Lisa" Manoban from the South Korean girl group, Blackpink, posted photos while visiting the old city of the World Heritage site on her Instagram account on Monday.
The starlet's IG account (@lalalalisa_m) has 94.5 million followers. She visited several ruins and temples in Ayutthaya after the Blackpink World Tour [BORN PINK] Bangkok gigs on the last weekend of May. During her trip with close friends, they donned traditional dress, short-sleeve blouses and indigo tie-dyed, mud-fermented woven phasin, a long fabric wrapped around the waist like a skirt.
Her photos will inspire fans to visit the same spots and don traditional clothing, said Thapanee Kiatpaiboon, TAT deputy governor for international marketing.
Ms Thapanee, who will become the TAT governor in September, said Lisa's IG post serves as a form of soft power to promote Thai tourism, culture and products.
She said the TAT has already launched a campaign to let Lisa's fans know more about the places she visited, including Wat Na Phra Meru, Wat Mahathat, Wat Mae Nang Pluem and Kaow Laor Restaurant, which is listed in the Michelin Guidebook to Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya.
"Lisa is a high-profile online influencer. Her Ayutthaya trip post will have a positive impact on the tourism industry and help spur the economy of local businesses," she said.
Ms Thapanee cited the indigo tie-dyed woven cloth as an example. She said the fabric was a well-known product of Udon Thani, and the cloth sold like hotcakes after Lisa's IG posts.
The Sustainable Arts and Crafts Institute of Thailand (SACIT) praised Lisa for promoting it as a form of "soft power".
