A survey of online communication topics across five platforms in July 2024 revealed that Butterbear remained the most popular topic, ranking number one with an engagement rate of 18.73%. The 2024 Olympic Games came in second with 13.81% engagement, while the black-chinned tilapia infestation ranked ninth with 6.37% engagement.
The reason Butterbear mascot's popularity and its role as a top social media topic, generating significant engagement from June to July, stems from the store's regular weekly Meet and Greet events and collaborations with artists such as Ice Saranyu and Pheem Wasupol, as well as renowned fashion brands, all contributing to its sustained popularity.
While the 2024 Olympic Games received the second highest engagement, the initial focus was on the ceremonial attire of Thai and other athletes. This was followed by the atmosphere of the 2024 Olympic opening ceremony, which was linked to the politics, culture, and history of France; vlogs by Thai athletes participating in the Olympics; and the enthusiastic support of social media users in cheering on the competition.
For the Euro 2024 football tournament, ranked 8th, and the black-chinned tilapia infestation, ranked 9th, these are two other issues that are not related to media or entertainment and could potentially make it into the top 10 in July 2024. However, overall, it was found that... Media and entertainment content group. Also receiving significant attention were 7 out of the top 10, most notably the popularity of the series "Jai Son Rak" (Hidden Love), airing on Channel 3, which jumped from 14th place the previous month to 3rd place in July 2567. The film "Uranus 2324" also made it to number 10, with both films dealing with lesbian relationships.
Social issues and other major news stories, such as the overlapping area of Thap Lan National Park, questions surrounding the educational qualifications of Senator Ketsakamon Pliansamai, the assassination of Donald Trump during a campaign rally, and the murder of six Vietnamese nationals, did not make the top 10.
Top 10 topics that received the most attention, communication, and engagement online in July 2.567
Media Alert, in collaboration with Wisesight and the Safe and Creative Media Development Fund, studied online communication in Thai society using the ZocialEye tool. The study surveyed five platforms: 1) Facebook, 2) X, 3) Instagram, 4) YouTube, and 5) TikTok. It began by identifying trending social media topics from various sources, such as Wisesight Trend and trends across the five platforms. Related keywords from significant events identified during July were then entered, such as "Butterbear," "Olympics," and "Hidden Love." The collected data was then categorized by topic, platform type, communicator group, and content group according to established criteria, and ranked in order of engagement to create a top 10 list. After filtering and categorizing the data, empirical analysis was conducted using evidence such as social media posts, dates and times, and interaction counts to ensure accuracy and reduce bias. The key online topics of interest during July 2024 are as follows:
Number 1: Butter Bear, the shop's mascot. Butterbear (44,187,828 Engagement)
Butterbear, the mascot from Butterbear shop, continues to be popular since June. Posts receiving high engagement remain videos of Butterbear dancing to popular songs, such as "Yai Laem" by Lamyai Haithongkam, collaborations with other artists like Ice Saranyu, and videos of Butterbear dressed up as Lisa in her "Rockstar" performance. Additionally, photos and videos of Butterbear's cuteness during various activities are being shared by fan clubs ("Mommy Bears"). Official Butterbear communication channels are also active, with general users generating the most engagement, specifically on TikTok at 61.65%.
Ranked #2: The 2024 Olympic Games (32,572,979 Engagement)
The 33rd Olympic Games were held in Paris, France, from July 26th to August 11th, 2024. Engagement stemmed from the unveiling of the ceremonial costumes of the Thai national team and other national teams at the opening ceremony of the 2567 Olympic Games, such as Mongolia, France, and Korea. This included the controversy surrounding Thailand's ceremonial costume, which was unveiled by presenter Popo Trapsiri, sparking social media criticism for being outdated and inappropriate compared to other countries. There were also satirical edits of the costume by social media influencers across various platforms. Furthermore, discussions focused on the atmosphere of the official Olympic opening ceremony, such as the unique torch lighting ceremony using balloons, the knight on horseback in the Seine River, the mysterious masked figure holding the torch, and the Gojira performance depicting Marie Antoinette at the Conciergerie, her final prison sentence before execution by guillotine. Reviews of athletes' rooms and gifts from main sponsors, as well as cheering on Thai athletes in various sports, also contributed to the engagement. The users generating the most engagement were social media influencers, with TikTok generating the highest engagement at 35.60%.
Ranked #3: The series "Hidden Love" (24,669,345 Engagements)
"The Secret Of Us" is a sapphic (lesbian romance) series starring Lingling Sirilak and Aom Kornnapat, airing on Channel 3. The story follows Dr. Falada, a dermatologist, who is haunted by heartbreak from Ern, the woman she loved, which nearly ruined her life. She struggles for a long time to recover, but fate brings them together again. This time, Ern wants to prove she still loves Falada and rekindles their relationship, but their love is fraught with obstacles. General users generated the most engagement through sharing drama highlights and behind-the-scenes clips, with platform X achieving the highest engagement at 46.22%.
Ranked #4: Lisa Lalisa's song ROCKSTAR (24,333,374 Engagement)
After Lisa (Lalisa) released the music video for her song "Rockstar" on June 28, 2567, it became a global sensation, continuing into July. During this month, content with high engagement included dance covers, makeup and costume tutorials mimicking Lisa, and mentions of the "Rockstar" music video reaching 100 million views. The song also topped YouTube's trending charts in 71 countries. The users generating the most engagement were social media influencers, with TikTok accounting for the highest percentage of engagement at 47.22%.
Ranked #5: Naphat and Baifern Pimchanok announce the end of their relationship (23,659,226 Engagement)
Nai Napat announced the official end of his relationship with Baifern Pimchanok on July 4th, leading to significant attention on social media, particularly from general users who are the primary communicators of this issue. Topics of the breakup, interviews with Nai Napat and Baifern, and expressions of sympathy for the couple all followed. TikTok generated the highest engagement at 54.74%.
Ranked #6: The drama "Duj Apsorn" (22,894,210 Engagement)
Duang Apsorn is one of the dramas in the Duang Jai Tewaprom series, starring Kongthap Peak and Mint Ranchanravi, airing on Channel 3. July marks the end of the series, which concludes on July 26, 2567, resulting in significant engagement. Much of this engagement comes from clips of key scenes from the drama being posted on various platforms, particularly TikTok by general users, leading to a high engagement rate of 48.96%.
Ranked #7: The "Writing Love with an Eraser" series (18,042,539 Engagement)
My Love Mix-Up! – Writing Love with an Eraser is a BL (Boys' Love) series from GMM25, starring Jaeminine Norawit and Fourth Nattawat, who rose to fame from the series "My Girlfriend is the Student Council President." Adapted from a Japanese manga, the story follows Atom, a high school student, who borrows an eraser from his classmate, Mudmee, the girl he secretly likes. He discovers Mudmee has secretly written the name of Kongthap, a handsome basketball player, on the eraser. Atom accidentally drops the eraser, revealing his name to Kongthap, leading to a misunderstanding that Atom has a crush on him. The series' engagement largely comes from general users, primarily fans of the actors, who share photos, videos, behind-the-scenes footage, and the song "Nothing is Impossible," sung by Jaeminine Norawit and Fourth Nattawat. On Instagram, this generated the highest engagement at 37.10%.
Ranked #8: Euro 2024 Football Tournament (15,875,359 Engagement)
The UEFA European Championship, or Euro 2024, was held in Germany from June 14 to July 14, 2024. The quarter-finals took place in July. The highest engagement occurred during the final match between England and Spain on July 14, with social media influencers generating the most engagement (37.53%), primarily through reporting match results and congratulating the winners on Facebook.
Number 9 problem.Black-chinned tilapia infestation. (15,019,759 Engagement)
The outbreak of black-chinned tilapia in several areas has caused hardship for farmers and negatively impacted aquatic ecosystems, as these fish can inhabit all water sources and reproduce rapidly. Another reason this issue gained overnight attention is the release of information linking it to a major food company in the country, leading to significant interest on social media. The media outlets that generated the most engagement were news agencies on Facebook, at 52.87%.
Ranked #10: Uranus 2324 Movie Premiere (14,679,970 Engagement)
Uranus 2324 is Thailand's first science fiction space film, blending romantic drama with the story of Thailand's first female astronaut and a young woman aspiring to be a scuba diver. Starring Freen Sarocha and Becky Rebecca, popular for their roles in the series "Theory of Pink," and who will also star together in the series "Pinphak," Uranus 2324 is also the first film to receive funding to promote soft power and has sold distribution rights to over 27 countries. The most engaging audience was general users, with most content being posts of photos and videos from the film's premiere and behind-the-scenes footage on social media, particularly on platform X, which generated the highest engagement at 64.52%.
In summary The trends in online communication in July 2024, based on five platforms: 1) Facebook, 2) X, 3) Instagram, 4) YouTube, and 5) TikTok, revealed that among the top 10 most popular topics, seven (73.10%) were entertainment content, followed by two (20.53%), and one (6.37%), political content.
While social issues and other major news stories did not make the top 10, for example, the overlapping area of Thap Lan National Park ranked 11th (14,273,993 engagement). This initially stemmed from the #saveThapLan campaign reflecting concern and protection of the forest area. Subsequently, alternative perspectives were presented, particularly from local residents affected by the declaration of the Thap Lan National Park area, as well as from the media and various experts, which may have lessened the intensity of the #saveThapLan movement.
Furthermore, questions surrounding the educational qualifications of Senator Kesakamon Pliansamai were also raised, ranking first at number 16 (5,071,706 Engagement) and remaining a topic of continuous public and media attention. The assassination attempt on former US President Donald Trump during a campaign rally ranked 17th (3,858,954 Engagement), and the murder of six Vietnamese nationals in a luxury hotel in Bangkok ranked 18th (2,052,450 Engagement), among others.
10 issues, 3 content groups
From the 10 topics that received the most attention and were communicated on social media during July 2567, the content can be categorized into 3 groups:
Media and entertainment content group. A total of 172,466,492 engagements, representing 73.10%, were generated from 7 topics: Butterbear mascot (44,187,828 engagements), the series "Jai Son Rak" (24,669,345 engagements), Lisa Lalisa's song "ROCKSTAR" (24,333,374 engagements), Nine Naphat and Baifern Pimchanok's announcement of the end of their relationship (23,659,226 engagements), the drama "Duj Apsorn" (22,894,210 engagements), the series "Khean Rak Duay Yang Lop" (18,042,539 engagements), and the premiere of the movie "Uranus 2324" (14,679,970 engagements).
Sports content group A total of 48,448,338 engagements, representing 20.53%, were generated from two main topics: the 2024 Olympic Games (32,572,979 engagements) and the Euro 2024 football tournament (15,875,359 engagements).
Environmental content group One issue, with 15,019,759 engagements representing 6.37%, is the problem of the black-chinned tilapia infestation. Another issue, with 15,019,759 engagements representing 6.36%, is also mentioned.
The most popular content categories, categorized by communicator and platform.
Media and entertainment content group. The group of communicators most capable of generating engagement is the general user (61.34%), followed by social media influencers (28.08%), media outlets and news agencies (10.26%), and brands (0.32%). TikTok is the platform that generates the most engagement at 43.61%, followed by X (27.90%), Instagram (18.25%), Facebook (7.78%), and YouTube (2.46%).
Sports content group The group of communicators most capable of generating engagement is social media influencers (44.62%), followed by general users (42.20%), media outlets and news agencies (12.20%), and others including brands (0.96%) and political parties (0.02%). Facebook is the platform that generates the most engagement at 35.77%, followed by TikTok (35.61%), X (15.63%), Instagram (10.23%), and YouTube (2.76%).
Environmental content group The group of communicators most capable of generating engagement is the media and news outlets (48.52%), followed by social media influencers (27.29%), general users (22.22%), and others including political parties (1.82%) and brands (0.15%). Facebook is the platform that generates the most engagement at 52.88%, followed by TikTok (29.92%), YouTube (7.76%), X (4.95%), and Instagram (4.49%).
Analyze the communicators.
As of July 2024, communicators creating online engagement can be categorized into five overall groups: general users (54.92%), followed by social media influencers (31.42%), media outlets/news agencies (13.10%), brands (0.44%), and political parties (0.12%).
General users generated the most engagement in the media and entertainment content category, primarily through sharing images of the "Butter Bear" mascot, highlights from the series "Jai Son Rak," highlights from the drama "Duj Apsorn," and news about Nine Naphat and Baifern Pimchanok announcing the end of their relationship.
Social media influencers generated the most engagement in the entertainment content group through dance covers, makeup and costume impersonations of Lisa from the song ROCKSTAR, and posts from the official Butterbear mascot channel.
It can be seen that within the content, media, and entertainment categories, in July 2567, general users generated the highest engagement by creating their own content (User-Generated Content). For example, sharing images and videos of Butterbear, the mascot of the Butterbear shop, showed a 61.65% engagement rate from general users (a decrease from 90.73% in June). Another example is the series "Heart Hidden Love," where general users generated 76.40% engagement through content such as reposting drama highlights and behind-the-scenes footage.
In the sports content group, engagement was primarily generated by social media influencers (44.62%), followed by general users (42.20%), media outlets (12.20%), and brands (0.96%). The majority of engagement involved sharing Olympic-related content featuring athletes, such as videos of athletes' locker rooms and gifts from sponsors, as well as analysis of Euro 2024 football results by football-loving social media influencers like Nikki Nachat and others known for their football quotes and predictions.
Within the environmental content group, focusing solely on the black-chinned tilapia, engagement was primarily generated by media outlets and news agencies (48.52%), followed by social media influencers (27.29%), general users (22.22%), and others including political parties (1.82%) and brands (0.15%). News agencies achieved the highest engagement due to their coverage of efforts to eradicate black-chinned tilapia and identify the source of its infestation. Examples include news about releasing predators like sea bass and otters to control and reduce the tilapia population, sightings of black-chinned tilapia in the sea, reports on their resilience to environmental conditions (including surviving sun exposure), and a timeline of the tilapia infestation released by Thai PBS. Other news outlets focused on updating the situation and approaches to solving the problem.
Analyze communication platforms.
From the top 10 most popular online platforms in July 2567, the communication platforms that generated the most engagement, in descending order, are TikTok (41.09%), followed by X (23.92%), Facebook (16.40%), Instagram (15.73%), and YouTube (2.86%).
Considering communication platforms overall based on the top 10 most popular topics, it was found that in July 2024, TikTok replaced X (which was the most popular platform in the previous month) as the number one platform. This may be due to the high engagement rates seen in July 2024, where social media users preferred creating video content rather than updating the situation or sharing images. Examples include videos of a teddy bear dancing to Lam Yai Hai Thongkam's "Yai Laem," videos analyzing the reasons behind Napat and Baifern Pimchanok's relationship termination, dance cover videos, and makeup and costume tutorials imitating Lisa's performance of "ROCKSTAR." TikTok consistently excels at communicating and generating engagement from this type of content compared to other platforms. In other words, if a topic garners attention, it should be a short video incorporating opinions, perspectives, and storytelling through moving images and sound that effectively engage viewers. This makes it more accessible to online users, resulting in TikTok achieving higher engagement. However, for more specific topics, such as those related to celebrities, young actors, concerts, or series concerning LGBTQ+ issues, or content requiring freshness, real-time, or immediate interaction (reaction/feedback), platform X performs better in generating engagement.
Furthermore, within the sports content category, Facebook generated slightly more engagement than TikTok in the sharing of sports highlights, analysis of Euro 2024 football results, and images and videos related to the 2024 Olympics. The reason Facebook, along with TikTok, can achieve high engagement in this content category may be due to its large user base, reaching viewers of all ages, and its alignment with the communication behavior of people interested in trending topics, both in Thailand and internationally.
Regarding environmental content, specifically the issue of the black-chinned tilapia infestation, it was found that news media played a significant role in presenting the issue, both in overall communication and platform-specific analysis, particularly on Facebook and YouTube. News media generated the highest engagement on these platforms, while TikTok, while ranking second overall, was the platform that generated the most engagement on the black-chinned tilapia issue. However, the audience that achieved the most engagement on TikTok was the general public.
Issues and content groups
In summary, the top 10 online communication trends for July 2567 show that entertainment content continued to receive the most attention, with 7 topics accounting for 73.10%. The most popular topic was Butterbear, the mascot of the Butterbear shop, at 18.73%, followed by other entertainment topics such as the series "Jai Son Rak," Lisa Lalisa's song "ROCKSTAR," the drama "Duj Apsorn," and the announcement of the end of the relationship between Nine Naphat and Baifern Pimchanok, etc.
Regarding non-media and entertainment issues, the top 10 were the 2024 Olympic Games (ranked 2nd), the Euro 2024 football tournament (ranked 8th), and the black-chinned tilapia infestation (ranked 9th).
Both Butterbear, the mascot of the Butterbear shop, and the song Rockstar are continuations of the June trends, albeit with different communication approaches. The popularity of the Butterbear mascot is similar to June's, involving the sharing of images and videos of the adorable Butterbear by its fan base, who call themselves "Mommy Bears," as well as attempts to capitalize on popular songs of the time, such as Lamyai Haithongkam's "Yai Laem." In contrast, the popularity of Lisa's "Rockstar" song became more about social media influencers creating cover dances and imitating Lisa's makeup and clothing styles from the song, primarily on TikTok, rather than mentioning the music video itself.
Interestingly, the popularity of the K-drama series "Jai Son Rak" and the film "Uranus 2324," ranking 3rd and 10th respectively, falls under the category of lesbian-themed or sapphic entertainment content. It's noteworthy that, based on rankings since January 2024, lesbian-themed dramas and content first entered the top 10 most popular categories in June 2024. This was evident with "Club Friday the Series: Love Bully," starring Ingfah-Charlotte, ranking 5th, and the launch of "Punnpak" (using the same cast as "Uranus 2324"), ranking 7th. This reflects a growing trend of interest, communication, and engagement among fans of lesbian-themed dramas, films, and series, as well as increased opportunities for Thai series producers. Previously, BL (Boys' Love) or male-male romance content dominated the top rankings. This may also reflect a positive shift in Thai society's acceptance of gender diversity.
The other three issues, unrelated to media and entertainment content, are categorized under sports, specifically the 2024 Olympic Games and the 2024 European Football Championship. These share similarities in engagement, primarily driven by social media influencers, including analysis of results and sharing videos documenting Olympic athletes' experiences, such as footage of locker rooms or comments on the opening ceremony attire. The black-chinned tilapia infestation, on the other hand, is a complex environmental problem involving capital and politics, giving media outlets and news agencies a more significant role than other communicators in generating social trends.
Beyond the top 10 most interesting topics, the survey also revealed other social issues and major news stories that garnered significant engagement on social media. Examples include the overlapping land area of Thap Lan National Park, related to environmental policy; doubts about the educational qualifications of Senator Kesakamon Pliansamai, concerning politics and transparency in the Senate selection process; the assassination of Donald Trump during a campaign rally, a major global news event; and the shocking murder of six Vietnamese nationals, a crime that garnered international attention and impacted Thailand's image and tourism. This data reflects that top online communication and interest topics tend to be media and entertainment, while interest, communication, and participation in other public social issues online tend to receive less engagement. This is a trend observed in surveys conducted since early 2024.
Communicator
In terms of communicators, the data is similar to that of June 2567, with the highest proportion of communicators having the most engagement being general users, followed by social media influencers, media outlets, news agencies, and other communicators including brands, political parties, and government sectors. In contrast, July showed that general users had the highest proportion of communicators with the most engagement, followed by social media influencers, media outlets, news agencies, and other communicators including brands and political parties.
An analysis of user groups versus content groups revealed that entertainment content generated the most engagement from general users, such as fan clubs or followers of dramas, celebrities, and actors. Similarly, sports content saw the most engagement generated by social media influencers, such as athletes or pages related to football and other sports.
While environmental content showed that media outlets and news agencies generated the most engagement, reflecting the trend that topics that are fun or easily understood are more accessible and generate higher engagement among general users, similar to the case of social media influencers. Conversely, issues involving the public sphere or complex, more serious matters may require the power of media and news agencies to communicate effectively and generate social trends. For example, the black-chinned tilapia infestation problem generated more engagement under posts from media outlets and news agencies than from content created by the general public.
Platforms
A study of online communication in Thai society across five platforms (Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, and X) in July reflects the use of these platforms for communicating specific content. Within the entertainment media group, TikTok generated the highest engagement, primarily due to its fun and engaging content and its use of video for expressing opinions. Users therefore chose TikTok to share highlight videos, such as comments on the breakup of Naphat and Baifern Pimchanok, dance cover videos, makeup tutorials, and videos imitating Lisa's "ROCKSTAR" costume and makeup tutorials.
It's noteworthy that in the July study, while Facebook generated only 7.78% overall engagement compared to all other platforms used as study units, it surpassed it in the environmental content category, generating a significant 52.88% engagement on the topic of black-chinned tilapia infestation. This may be due to Facebook being the largest social network in Thailand, with a broad and diverse user base across all age groups. Furthermore, the issue's wide-ranging social impact could be why media outlets chose Facebook over other platforms to communicate this information, hoping to raise public awareness of the problem. Alternatively, it's possible that media outlets attempted to communicate about black-chinned tilapia across multiple platforms, but Facebook ultimately generated the highest engagement. Examples of media coverage of black-chinned tilapia include ThaiPBS's presentation of a method to control the species using sea bass, Channel 3's "Ruang Lao Chao Nee" (Morning News) reporting on the sighting of black-chinned tilapia in the sea, and Amarin TV's report on black-chinned tilapia that are resilient to sun-dried fish.
Regardless of whether the media or news outlets intentionally chose to communicate this issue through Facebook specifically, or because Facebook is simply more suitable for communicating this type of topic than other platforms, the issue of the black-chinned tilapia is one factor that contributed to Facebook's overall engagement rate this month at 7.78%, an increase from approximately 5.72% in June.
