From quiet schoolgirl confessions to sold-out fan tours, Thailand’s Girls’ Love dramas have transformed lesbian romance into a global, multi-million-dollar cultural force.
Ongsa begins her life at a new school feeling anxious, invisible, and alone. Everything changes the moment she meets Sun, the most admired girl in the school. From that first glance, Ongsa falls deeply in love. Too afraid to confess her feelings openly, she sends Sun messages through an anonymous Instagram account called “Earth.” Sun assumes the admirer is a boy.
In real life, Ongsa befriends Sun while continuing their online conversations under a false identity. As their emotional bond deepens, the pressure of secrecy becomes unbearable. Eventually, the strain forces them apart.
“I was afraid people would judge you for being with someone like me,” Ongsa says, sobbing.
In a turning point that defines the genre’s emotional payoff, Sun responds with a smile: “I don’t care about others, I only care about you.”
This tender storyline, from the Thai Girls’ Love series 23.5 Degrees That the World is Tilted, captures the essence of a genre that has quietly grown into one of Asia’s most powerful cultural exports. What started as a creative experiment inside the hugely popular Thai drama Bad Buddy has since evolved into a booming Girls’ Love industry worth millions of dollars.
The shift began when Thai producers noticed something unexpected. In Bad Buddy, two female side characters briefly explored a romantic connection alongside the main male gay storyline. The response online was immediate and intense.
“At first we didn’t believe it either,” said Noppanath Chaiyawimhon of Thai production company GMMTV. “Then I, as the director, tried to introduce two female characters who love a male love story. It was the two actresses Milk and Love in the story Bad Buddy.”
Those characters, played by Pansa Vosbein and Patranight Limpathiakon, ignited an unexpected fan movement. Social media discussions surged, fan edits multiplied, and viewers began openly demanding a full series centered on a lesbian couple.
“We saw a trend,” Chaiyawimhon said. “People were talking about this couple in a meaningful way. People started asking for a series with two women as the main couple.”
GMMTV responded by producing its first full-length Girls’ Love drama, adapting the novel 23.5 Degrees That the World is Tilted for television. By the time it aired in 2024, the genre was already gaining momentum elsewhere. Thailand’s free-to-air Channel 3 Thailand had begun broadcasting GAP The Series: Pink Theory, which rapidly surpassed 300 million views online.
According to Rocket Media Lab, by the end of that year, 21 Girls’ Love series and 51 female-centric dramas had been produced in Thailand. Fan meetings and promotional tours followed, stretching far beyond Southeast Asia into China, Taiwan, the Philippines, Japan, Singapore, Cambodia, and even the United States.
A major reason for this global success lies in how Thai Girls’ Love stories differ from earlier portrayals of lesbian relationships. Around the world, same-sex female characters have often been written into tragedy.
“Looking around the world, even in Hollywood, the number of stories about lesbian love between women on television is quite limited,” said Dr. Eva Chiukin Lee, an associate professor of film at King’s College London. “We often see lesbian characters killed off on screen, or they end with unfortunate or tragic endings. This is what we call the ‘dead-lesbian syndrome’.”
Thai GL dramas challenge that pattern.
“Thai Girls’ Love dramas really stand out because they present more complete and satisfying character stories,” Dr. Lee said. “They face problems, but usually have happier and more positive relationships or endings.”
She noted that while many Thai GL protagonists lean toward traditionally feminine portrayals, the genre still marks a significant shift by placing lesbian love at the center rather than the margins of storytelling.
For fans, the emotional impact is profound. Brazilian viewer Luisa C said Thai GL dramas changed how she viewed representation.
“For the first time, love between two women can be a main story, not just a side story,” she said. “The way they connected, the depth of their relationship, the difficulties and the emotions were presented, was really beautiful.”
She added that the consistent happy endings offered something rare and deeply reassuring. “We don’t have to worry about the two characters being removed from the story or not having a good ending. We know they’ll be together in the end, and that’s a comforting feeling.”
Another key factor behind the genre’s rapid expansion is accessibility. Many Thai GL series are available on YouTube with subtitles in multiple languages, allowing fans in countries with strict media controls to watch freely. This has made Thai GL content especially popular in places where lesbian representation is heavily restricted.
In recent years, China has shut down tens of thousands of websites and social media accounts deemed inappropriate or illegal. Similar restrictions exist in Indonesia and other parts of Asia. For many viewers in these regions, Thai GL dramas function as a rare cultural refuge.
Within Thailand, the genre is also shaping conversations at home. GL fan page administrator Ranuka Songmuang recalled her mother’s reaction after watching a popular series. “I like The Secret of Us,” her mother said. “The doctor is beautiful.”
Thailand already stands out as one of Asia’s more socially liberal countries, with same-sex marriage laws comparable to Taiwan and Nepal. In contrast, acceptance remains uneven elsewhere. In the Philippines, attitudes are slowly shifting despite strong opposition from the Catholic Church. In Malaysia, Indonesia, and Brunei, same-sex relationships still face serious legal and social barriers.
Some Thai GL dramas address this resistance directly. In Poisonous Love, the protagonist Pat pleads with her partner Prem’s parents to accept their relationship.
“Our love is sincere and pure,” Pat says, calling them “Mom and Dad.”
“Don’t you dare call me Dad,” Prem’s father replies. “I feel disgusted.”
Not all stories end so painfully. For Ongsa and Sun, love ultimately prevails. When Sun asks how they would survive a year apart, Ongsa answers: “No matter how many light years we are apart, we will be fine. Eventually, our orbits will meet us again.”
“Because Earth is with Sun.”
In that promise of reunion lies the heart of Thai Girls’ Love. It offers not tragedy, but hope, turning intimate schoolgirl romances into a worldwide movement that continues to reshape global entertainment.
