On the bustling streets of Bangkok, TikTok Shop’s Singles’ Day shopping campaign is hard to miss, as large LED screens flash promotions in endless loops.
Promotions have been infiltrating people’s lives in other ways, as well. On the ride-hailing app Grab, TikTok Shop’s Double 11 logo appears prominently on the map interface. A promotional blitz from Lazada, which like the Post is owned by Alibaba Group Holding, has turned it into a top-trending topic in Thailand, while the microblogging platform X is full of in-feed ads trumpeting enticing discounts.
The world’s biggest online shopping festival, also known as Double 11 because of its original November 11 date, is finding fresh momentum in rapidly growing Southeast Asian markets 15 years after Alibaba’s Taobao started the event in China, where its allure is now fading.
Nattapong Koomuang, a 28-year-old Bangkok resident, recently bought skincare products worth 3,600 Thai baht on Shopee, the online marketplace run by Singapore-headquartered Sea Group. Discounts on the platform saved him around 20 per cent, and his package arrived on time as usual – a late delivery would earn the customer additional coupons.
“Discounts during Double 11 are typically better than other campaigns,” Koomuang said. “It’s easier for me to decide to purchase pricier products.”
He also occasionally shops on TikTok Shop, but his purchases there are more spontaneous, often triggered by content he finds interesting.
