ABSTRACT
Several years ago, Thai TV drama was rather new in China; its popularity was below that of Thai fragrant rice and Tom Yam Soup. However, since 2009, following the downturn in the popularity in TV dramas/films of the “Hong Kong and Taiwan” waves and the “Japanese and Korean” waves, is the rising popularity of “Kaka” and “Krupkrup” TV dramas from Thailand. These Thai TV dramas were first aired by China Central Television (CCTV) in 2003, which was the first exposure of Thai drama in China. As of 2010, China has had the world’s largest television audience, with a 97 percent household penetration for TV coverage. On average, CCTV programs are seen by about 73 million viewers daily, and a typical viewer spends about two hours a day watching CCTV programs (Italian Trade Commission, 2011). Thai TV dramas have gained more popularity since then. During 2009, CCTV released eight Thai TV dramas to air with the slogan “The First Thai TV Drama TV station in China” (China Forum, 2011).
