Local advantage

The popularity of the products reflects the enormous potential of the toy doll and art design markets in Southeast Asia, said Jeremy Lee, marketing director of Pop Mart Southeast Asia.

He also emphasized the importance of product localization, which embeds local culture or beliefs into the art toys.

"Local designers usually have their works that are inspired by the culture of their home countries," he said, adding that the designs can connect emotionally with local consumers and citing the Crybaby doll that is well-known for its "unyielding spirit".

Another example is the company's beloved Peach Riot toy, which is said to convey a spirit of freedom and individuality. "It is very popular among consumers in North America as the toy echoes the values they recognize. So we hope to cooperate with more local artists and fully release the commercial value of their designs," Lee said.

Fanning out

In Thailand, Labubu also helps fuel the business of related products, such as costumes, makeup and decorations for the doll. For rare editions, owners and collectors will even buy plastic covers for the doll to keep it in good condition.

"There are also metal teeth braces for Labubu as orthodontics are very popular among Thai people," said Arisa Sriduangjai, a college teacher in Thailand who is also a fan of Labubu. She had a Labubu toy on her handbag and dressed it in a SWAT uniform and a mini plastic rifle.

Arisa is one of the hundreds of Labubu fans who was at Suvarnabhumi Airport on July 3 to welcome its arrival.

"About 80 percent of my colleagues have a Labubu toy. Some have placed them on their office desks and talk to the toy as a friend. For me, the value of the doll is not just on its cuteness, but also as an investment like gold. Some limited editions will be priced much higher in future," said Preeyawadee Polwong, 32, who owns more than a hundred Labubu dolls.

To members of the younger generation, the impact from key influencers, either celebrities or internet bloggers, cannot be understated, said Muangphum Harnsiripetch, a Thai scholar who studies international relations.

Different from the older generations in Thailand and China who mostly learned about each other through radio, television and books, he said the internet, with social media in particular, plays a more influential role of promoting cultural exchanges.

"Both Butterbear and Labubu demonstrate the power of cultural fusion, creating a blend that resonates with people across different countries. Their impact on social media and ability to draw international attention is testament to the universal language of cuteness," he said.

Culture and lifestyle are topics that can easily stimulate the common interests of young people from different countries, said Fu Zengyou, a former dean of the Confucius Institute at Chulalongkorn University who stayed in Thailand for decades.

He said Thailand and China have deep cultural connections, in terms of language, art, cuisine and even religious beliefs. Apart from art toys, he said many Thai people nowadays also love the traditional Chinese hanfu attire and spicy mala food.

"Culture leads young people to explore the outside world," Fu said.

"Thailand and China are now close partners and the mutual visa exemption is a boost to people-to-people exchanges. People from the two countries should visit each other ...As the old saying goes, 'seeing is believing'."

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