Thanks to fervent support from millions of people, the reformist Move Forward Party (MFP) pulled off a stunning victory in the May 14 election, defeating a Shinawatra-backed electoral machine that had won every national vote since 2001.

However, a strong sense of loyalty and possession among supporters – rare in any Thai political party and more akin to that of K-pop fans – has placed high expectations and pressure on the progressive party, observers say.

And this could be a double-edged sword for Move Forward if it allows “fandom power” to influence its moves and actions, they add.

A clear example came last month as Move Forward was gathering parties to form a government coalition. The party was forced to backtrack on its plan to include the Chart Pattana Kla Party after furious opposition from social media users identifying themselves as MFP supporters. They pointed out that its leader Korn Chatikavanij was involved in mass rallies against Yingluck Shinawatra’s government that culminated in the May 2014 military coup. He had also voted for coup-leader General Prayut Chan-o-cha to become prime minister after the 2019 general election, they added.

In an awkward U-turn, Move Forward’s leadership announced that despite Chart Pattana Kla’s agreeing to the invitation to join its coalition, it would not accept the two-MP party as a partner following “widespread criticism from the public and party members”.

Move Forward leader Pita Limjaroenrat also offered a public apology, saying that he would bear in mind that, “The party is more important than individuals and the people are more important than a party.”

Political fandom

Move Forward has managed to draw a strong following from ardent supporters that some people are comparing to a “fandom” – a group of fans regarded collectively as a community. The term is originally associated with pop culture and especially Korean pop music (K-pop).

This phenomenon has already been witnessed in other countries, including South Korea. Korean media culture researcher Kim Nae-hoon says that while regular political supporters decide to support politicians who align with their views, political fandoms alter their views to be more in tune with their favorite politicians.

“Fandom politics is when you keep adjusting your political views in line with the person you support,” he was quoted as saying by The Korea Herald in a report published last June.

While K-pop fans use hashtags, fixed phrases and memes to boost social media exposure for their favorite groups, political fandoms use online spaces to seek to sway public opinion on the internet, the article said.

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Birth of ‘orange fandom’

Move Forward’s “orange fandom” evolved from party supporters who made small, regular donations and thereby developed a sense of party ownership, according to the party’s deputy secretary general Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut. This contrasts with other large Thai parties that are traditionally backed by tycoons or business concerns.

Move Forward’s colour is orange, so its avid supporters became known as “orange fandom”.

Natthaphong told BBC Thai that these small-scale donors then became “active voters”, helping to create content on social media and serving as “spontaneous political canvassers” for the party. The first signs of “orange fandom” emerged in April, about a month before the election, he said.

Double-edged sword?

While agreeing with the need to heed public opinion, political analysts caution that making decisions influenced by pressure from followers is not a good idea for a political party.

Yuthaporn Issarachai, a political scientist from Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University, said that Move Forward supporters, particularly those on social media, appear to wield a great deal of influence on its decision-making.

“Move Forward has to bow to the demands of its own fandom,” he said.

He noted that the party’s pledge to reform Section 112 of the Penal Code, or the lese majeste law, will be opposed by conservative senators and political parties.

“But if the party backs down from the move, it will have to face its own fandom online,” he said.

Asst Prof Sakulsri Srisaracam, a lecturer at Chulalongkorn University’s Faculty of Communication Arts, told BBC Thai that the orange fandom could become a double-edged sword for Move Forward.

“One edge helped the party win the election while the other edge faces inwards – with scrutiny, criticism while following the party’s every move, as is the case for celebs,” she said.

The academic warned that “things could get messy” if the party’s fandom is not dealt with properly.

“Political fandom is different from artistic fandom. The impact will affect people in the whole country. Also, political parties are not artists who must listen only to their own fandom,” she said.

By Thai PBS World’s Political Desk