Thailand has a new cultural export attracting fans across Asia. They’re soap operas with a twist: both romantic leads must be male, called “B-L dramas.” That’s short for boy love. The TV shows are primarily written by women with other heterosexual women in mind. Fans of the popular genre prefer two male heartthrob leads. The shows are very PG, with hand holding, longing gazes, and not much more. Now, Thailand’s government is getting involved, promoting B-L dramas for foreign markets, in a soft power push. This effort is inspired by South Korea’s success in using K-pop and K-dramas to promote its national brand globally. The World’s Patrick Winn has the story from Bangkok.
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