Thammasat University has hailed singer Ratchanok “Janey” Suwannaket’s record-breaking livestream commerce success as a marketing masterclass in using fun and collaboration to drive Thailand’s highest-ever sales.
Ms Ratchanok’s livestream marathon shattered records with combined sales of 400 million baht from last Thursday to Tuesday.
On Tuesday alone, sales soared to 148 million baht, setting a new record.
Nopporn Ruangwanit, assistant professor and director of the university’s Integrated Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree (IBMP) Programme at Thammasat Business School, said on Wednesday that Thai consumers behave differently from their Western peers when it comes to online shopping.
Thais value fun, entertainment and direct engagement with sellers, whereas Western consumers tend to favour online shopping through platforms like Amazon or eBay without direct interaction with sellers.
Given this shopping tendency among Thais, the so-called “Janey Festival” phenomenon with its record-breaking e-commerce sales has emerged.
It is named after Ratchanok, a celebrity also known as Janey Dai Mod Tha Sod Chuen (Janey Can Take Anything As Long As It’s Refreshing) who has turned her live-streaming sessions into huge sales events.
Her TikTok channel, boasting over 19 million followers, attracts more than 400,000 viewers per stream.
“This marketing approach, so-called shoppertainment, aligns perfectly with Thai consumer behaviour,” said Mr Nopporn.
Ratchanok’s success also comes from the power of collaboration with celebrities, which heightens its appeal.
One session with superstar Patcharapa “Aum” Chaichua sold 180,000 perfume orders worth 60 million baht in just 10 minutes, while news anchor Kanchai “Noom” Kamnerdploy’s brand LYO reached 19 million baht in the same time frame.
This approach multiplied entertainment value while bringing together diverse fan bases, even fuelling TikTok’s algorithm and amplifying reach and visibility among consumers.
As such, Ratchanok’s strategy offers key lessons for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and online sellers, highlighting the value of brand collaboration and competitive pricing.
Mr Nopporn said Ratchanok often sets lower prices than brand owners, creating a sense of urgency through limited-time offers.
This triggers FOMO (fear of missing out), a psychological drive to buy.
He said her sales target of a billion baht this month is possible as many celebrities want to join her streams.