The special moment immediately went viral worldwide. The video of the performance was widely shared and picked up by international media. Since then, dessert has been ordered on the assembly line in Thailand.
Previously considered a traditional delicacy, it is now all the rage among Thai youth. Langerak: “In the past few days I saw lines of delivery people at restaurants in Bangkok to take the online orders away. A delivery service was even forced to close the app because the demand became too great.”
Criticism of government
Anyone who thinks that the rapper’s action with the rice dish was conceived in advance by the Thai government is wrong. Milli is known for her critical texts about the government. During the performance, she called the government “rotten”.
In recent years, she has criticized how the government handled the corona pandemic. Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha sued the rapper last year for defamation and she even risked a prison sentence. Other artists who have expressed criticism have also been addressed.
“Mili is therefore less popular with government supporters,” says Langerak. “They are trying to find ways to criticize the young rapper for eating ‘inappropriate’ on stage. They also say she should have rapped about Thai culture instead of criticizing the government.”
Remarkably, the Prime Minister now chose to jump on Milli’s hype right away. He announced that mango sticky rice will be nominated to be placed on the UNESCO Intangible Heritage List.
Huge turn
The Prime Minister’s praise of Khanatherakul is a huge twist, says Langerak. “Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha admitted a few days ago that he may have misjudged the rapper. He now commends the young artist for helping to promote Thailand. A spokesman said the prime minister has so much work to do, that sometimes he makes mistakes.”
The hope is that the popularity of sticky rice with mango will catch on abroad. A Thai professor tells The Bangkok Post that he sees an international market for ready-to-eat mango sticky rice. He says international influencers should be used to promote dessert and other Thai dishes.
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