IIt’s evening rush hour in central Bangkok, the roads are congested, and the air is heavy with heat. But in one corner of the capital’s largest park, crowds are already gathering to dance.
As the music begins, an aerobic leader glides across a small stage. A sea of arms moves from side to side and touches the sky. Your knees will bounce up and down. Tap your ankle.
Organizers say the after-work aerobics classes at Lumphini Park once attracted a small crowd of mostly elderly people. Now they are a hit with Gen Z. Clips are going viral on TikTok and Instagram as students and young people flock to the sessions to join in the fun.
Attendance numbers are now in the hundreds, and authorities have installed projector screens to help crowds abide by the rules and additional speakers to play music on the park’s sidewalks.
Ether Lee, 22, who works as a paralegal nearby, attended the session after watching a video on social media. “It’s really fun to see on TikTok. There’s an energy that makes you want to be a part of it,” she said. “I graduated high school during the pandemic. I think I just crave human connection.”
She came to her first session alone, but already had a group of friends. “Especially for Gen Z now, I was born in 2003 and I just started my first job. It’s great to get out and connect and learn that there’s more to life than work,” she added.
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Clockwise from top left: Mr. Jumjim Punpuan, 60 years old, retired. Engineer Navatakorn Suwanprapa (left) (24) and engineering student Panitha Taracho (20). Isaly “Mink” Zipattarin, 40, owner of the construction hardware industry. Manisala Siribun, 30 years old, electrician
Lee said that in the past, older generations associated outdoor group exercise with “stepping” and tai chi. “But the music here is completely different. I think that’s also why it attracted so many young people.”
The playlists range from remixes of Thai country music, Luk Tung, to American hip-hop and Korean pop. Participants link arms and spin to the Squid Game’s Round and Round and stretch to Golden, one of KPop Demon Hunter’s hit songs.
Rattana Sompanić, 57, dancing near the stage, has been coming to the sessions for three years. “There weren’t many people back then, less than 100 people,” she says. Now, “the music, the atmosphere, the vibe” has changed a lot. “I like it better. It’s just different,” she said, and went back to dancing.
Next to her are young students in baggy pants who move with the air of K-pop stars, and older people with toned bodies in sportswear.
Amidst the crowd, students Khemika Chaisanit, 20, and Sarocha Wongsuwan, 21, maintain their daily routine. “For me, I study a lot and read a lot. I think doing some exercise is good for me,” says Sarocha, who usually comes to the park for a run.
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Film student Khemika Chaisanit, 20, dances with friends.
They are dancing next to Chutimol Phongchokdirat, 58, who works nearby. “I’m getting older too. I’ll be celebrating my 60th birthday next year, so I decided I should exercise more,” she says.
Chutimol walks through the park every day after work and decided to take part. The same goes for many passersby. Runners stop their laps and try out the moves. Commuters stop for selfies. A passing tourist took a video of the crowd on his cell phone.
In February, Taeyeon, a popular Korean rapper and singer, was photographed running in a park and trying out a workout, sparking even more interest online. “The journey has been tough,” he told his online followers afterward.
Not everyone can catch up. Some people relax while others laugh and laugh with their friends.
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Nawaporn Noppakun, 69, wears pink clothes and dances with friends at night.
Engineer Navatakorn Suwanprapa, 24, thought he was meeting his girlfriend at the park for a jog. “We ended up here,” he said midway through the session, adding that it doesn’t matter if he can’t run fast. “It’s not competitive,” he says.
Anon Benjakumprasit, a 53-year-old volunteer who leads the second half of the session, said he hasn’t adjusted his routine to accommodate the new participants. “I’m hearing that people are coming in more and more numbers and in larger groups because they want to challenge themselves,” she says.
After the two-hour session ended at 8 p.m., some groups remained to practice, filming their moves with their cellphones. Some people line up to chat with dance leaders.
Anon says she’s excited to see this sudden uptick in interest online, but adds that her main hope is that people discover a love for the movement.
“Viral trends may disappear after a while, but some people will continue to use them as a starting point,” she says. And what’s her advice for those struggling with the steps? Please practice more. “It will get better,” she says. “People shouldn’t be embarrassed.”
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