BANGKOK — The year 2018 is winding down, so it’s time to briefly remember what we spent the year searching for. Digitally, that is.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, much of the Google’s top results in Thailand centered around the happy escapism of lakorn and pop music, plus the romantic difficulties of celebrity couples.
Channel 3’s massive hit drama “Love Destiny” easily topped not only the most-searched overall term and TV show categories, but also revived interest in Thai history, as seen in spikes searches relating to the proper way to wear 17th century trousers and cooking Ayutthaya-era dishes.
It was also a year for news junkies. Among the most searched topics were the dramatic cave rescue operation in Chiang Rai, the inexhaustible saga over who really owned a 30 million-baht lotto ticket and the anti-dictatorship rap song that nearly broke the Thai internet.
Here’s a look at each category.
1Top Search Keywords
“บุพเพสันนิวาส (Love Destiny)” a lakorn about a modern day archaeology student transported back in time to the feudal era.
“บอลโลก 2018 (2018 World Cup)” Thais are as addicted to international football tournaments as ever.
“เมีย 2018 (Wife 2018)” a jealousy-charged love triangle drama series
“เลือดข้นคนจาง (In Family We Trust)” a thriller about a murder and web of family enmity, loosely based on a real-life Sino-Thai clan.
“สัมปทานหัวใจ” a romance drama set on an island off Thailand’s Andaman coast
2Domestic News
“ข่าวถ้ำหลวง 13 ชีวิต (13 Lives Rescued at Tham Luang)”
“ข่าวหวย 30 ล้าน (30 million-baht lottery scandal)”
“ข่าวน้องอิน (Death of actress Natnicha “In” Cherdchubuppakaree)
“ข่าว โอ วรุฒ (Death of actor Warut “O” Waratham)”
“ข่าวนิว วงศกร (Death of actor Wongsakorn “New” Poramathakorn)”
3People
“Peeranee ‘Mat’ Kongthai” who recently started dating another celeb, Songkran Tejanarong.
“Chonlathorn ‘Captain’ Kongyingyong” who was accused of impregnating a woman who later withdrew the claim and apologized.
“BNK48” is a girl idol group affiliated with the Japanese band AKB48.
“Boonchoom Yanasangwaro” was a monk-sorcerer whose incantations were attributed by some to be behind the successful Tham Luang rescue.
4Television Shows
“บุพเพสันนิวาส (Love Destiny)” a romance lakorn about a modern day archaeology student transported back in time to the feudal era.
“เมีย 2018 (Wife 2018)” a jealousy-charged love triangle drama series
“เลือดข้นคนจาง (In Family We Trust)” a thriller about a murder and web of family enmity, loosely based on a real-life Sino-Thai clan.
“สัมปทานหัวใจ” a romance drama set on an island off Thailand’s Andaman coast.
“เกมเสน่หา” two protagonists fall in love despite differences in their social classes
5Football Teams
France
Croatia
Brazil
Belgium
Leicester City
6Songs
“Panama” a 2013 song by Romanian musician Matteo somehow came back to take the Thai internet by the storm.
“ประเทศกูมี (My Country’s Got)” a rap song critical of the junta and social ills which became even more viral after a deputy police chief tried to suppress it.
“คุกกี้เสี่ยงทาย (Fortune Cookie)” an earworm hit by girl group BNK48
“วันหนึ่งฉันเดินเข้าป่า (Into the Woods)” a strangely philosophical song about walking into the woods. Widely shared after a construction mogul was arrested on poaching charges.
“ซ่อนกลิ่น” first song released by indie-pop musician Palmy in five years.
7Tourist Destinations
Khao Kho
Khao Yai National Park
Ayutthaya
Nan
Bangkok
8How-To
How to make wonton soup
How to cash out state welfare cards
How to wear Chong Kraben (trousers worn by feudal Thais)
How to make Moo Sa Rong (traditional dish of pork wrapped with egg noodles)
How to make Khanom Kheng (glutinous sweets served during the Chinese New Year)
9Prices
Murakami flowers
iPhone 8
Honda PCX 2018
Mitsubishi XPANDER
1.9 grams of gold
