5 Thai GLs That Raised Awareness on Causes 😇

One thing that really irks me when I'm watching a Thai GL is when they overtly promote a product, especially if it appears forced. However, lately, I've seen some Thai GLs using their platform to promote causes as well.

Here are my favorite scenes from Thai GL series that promoted good causes and delved into social issues.

Thai GL Series That Move Beyond Commercial and Into Cause

Table of Contents

1. Roller Coaster the Series - WLW STI protection

2. Love Design - HPV Vaccine

3. Pluto - Universal Design

4. Pluto - People Living With Disabilities Can Care for Others

5. Whale Store xoxo - "Walmart Effect"

6. ClaireBell - Prison Negligence

1. Roller Coaster the Series (Motion Minds Entertainment) - Dental Dam

   The scene: Loft (Shelly Phetsai) is about to go down on Pure (Pundao Panyabaramee), and before doing the deed, she pulls out a dental dam.

   

   Roller Coaster the Series ep. 4 [2/4], Motion Minds Entertainment (YouTube)

   Safe sex practices for wlw, such as the use of barriers like dental dams, are something we rarely see openly shown in the media. Personally, I've never seen dental dams shown in the media, so it was really refreshing to see them represented in Roller Coaster. If you also consider that the majority of the audience is probably women, this scene makes it even more meaningful

2. Love Design (Velcurve Studio and WeTV) - HPV Vaccine

   The scene: Rin (Jane Methika) asks Aokbab (Kao Suppassra) to go with her to get the HPV vaccine since she's scared of needles.

   

   Love Design ep. 5c, WeTV

   Cervical cancer is more than 99% preventable, and getting the HPV vaccine is a good way to help prevent it. Like Roller Coaster, because Love Design's audience is probably predominantly women, highlighting a preventive measure to a real risk that women face makes the scene even more meaningful — and could literally save lives in the long run.

Pluto (GMMTV) - Universal Design

The scene: May (Film Rachanun), a blind lawyer advocating for Universal Design, explains the concept to Ai (Namtan Tipnaree).

Pluto ep. 2 [3/4], GMMTV (YouTube)

Aside from educating audiences about Universal Design, which is the concept of designing a space to be accessible to everyone, regardless of "age, size, ability, or disability," Pluto inspired real action beyond the screen. In the scene from Pluto, May almost bumps into a low-hanging road sign. Upon seeing this, a government agency took action and replaced the sign, making it safer for people living with disabilities.

Screenshot from SD PERSPECTIVES (YouTube)

4. Pluto (GMMTV) - People Living With Disabilities Can Care for Others

The scene: Two scenes come to mind here — when May (Film Rachanun) took charge of treating Ai's wound and when she cooked for Ai (Namtan Tipnaree).

Pluto ep. 1 [2/4], GMMTV (YouTube)

The show's portrayal of May was one of the things that made me fall in love with Pluto. Despite being blind, the series never portrayed her as weak or pitiful, instead showing how her character reclaimed her identity as a strong, badass lawyer after she lost her sight. It also showed how Ai, who didn't have a disability, leaned on May for emotional support, showing how people living with disabilities can still take care of others.

In one cool scene, May even cooked for Ai, guided by stickers placed on the sides of the stove. Pluto showed how, with the right accommodations, people living with disabilities can thrive.

5. Whale Store xoxo (GMMTV) - "Walmart Effect"

The scene: Rather than a single scene, I want to highlight one of the show's major conflicts — convenience store chain Mouse Mart is about to open in Wan's (Milk Pansa) neighborhood, threatening her small grocery store.

Whale Store xoxo ep. 7 [3/4], GMMTV (YouTube)

Aside from delivering a cute romance, Whale Store xoxo was also a social commentary highlighting the "Walmart effect," which describes the broader — often negative — impact of a big business (ie. Walmart, or in this case, Mouse Mart) opening in a community, especially to local businesses.

When big corporations like Mouse Mart enter a market, it could push out local businesses that can't compete financially. It could also create a wedge in the community, evidenced by the shift in trust, loyalty, and relationships in the neighborhood when Mouse Mart opened.

As a side note, as a marketer, I also love how the show provided a primer on marketing basics through Maewnam (Love Pattranite), a marketing professor who was helping Wan.

6. ClaireBell (Mine Media) - Prison System Negligence

The scene: Claire (Mable Siriwalee) discovers the body of her cellmate Pa Porn, (Usha Seamkhum), who died from a drug overdose caused by her dementia

ClaireBell, ep. 3 [4/4] Mine Media (YouTube)

Primarily set in prison, ClaireBell had an opportunity to make a statement about how the prison system can fail to protect its inmates. They showed this through Pa Porn, who died from a drug overdose after her dementia caused her to repeatedly take her medicine because she kept forgetting she'd taken it already. Despite previously being informed of Porn's condition, the warden, Wichai (Vittaya Wasukraipaisan), did nothing, which cost her life.

At the end of the day, despite being criminals, inmates are still human beings, so they're entitled to basic care and rights. This storyline illustrates how prison negligence can, unfortunately, result in tragic consequences.

Updated: December 7, 2025

What are your favorite scenes from Thai GLs? Let me know in the comments below!