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Against this backdrop, the paper studies how fantasy and fanfiction reinvent classical literature and folklore to reimagine ‘Thainess’. It analyses Nawa Himmaphan (2013–2018), drawing on Indian mythic forest Himavanta, and an internet adaptation of the Ramakien transformed into Boys Love (BL) fanfiction referencing Korean idols, showing hybridity as a liminal space enabling marginalised voices.",{"@graph":69,"@context":127},[70,84,106],{"@type":71,"itemListElement":72},"BreadcrumbList",[73,77,79,82],{"item":74,"name":75,"@type":76,"position":8},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",{"item":78,"name":9,"@type":76,"position":14},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/",{"item":80,"name":40,"@type":76,"position":81},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/research-report/",3,{"item":83,"name":65,"@type":76,"position":19},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/indian-myth-korean-wave-and-thainess-politics-of-hybridity-in-thai-literature-in-the-21st-century/156054/",{"url":83,"name":65,"@type":85,"image":86,"author":91,"headline":65,"publisher":94,"fileFormat":97,"inLanguage":63,"description":67,"dateModified":98,"datePublished":99,"encodingFormat":97,"isAccessibleForFree":100,"interactionStatistic":101},"DigitalDocument",{"url":87,"@type":88,"width":89,"height":90},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/indian-myth-korean-wave-and-thainess-politics-of-hybridity-in-thai-literature-in-the-21st-century/156054.png","ImageObject",300,407,{"name":92,"@type":93},"Bintang","Person",{"url":74,"name":95,"@type":96},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-10-31","2026-08-28",true,{"@type":102,"interactionType":103,"userInteractionCount":105},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":104},"ViewAction",14,{"@type":107,"mainEntity":108},"FAQPage",[109,115,119,123],{"name":110,"@type":111,"acceptedAnswer":112},"How does the paper define ‘Thainess’ and why is it contested in the 21st century?","Question",{"text":113,"@type":114},"‘Thainess’ is presented as Thai identity shaped by the state and nationalist sentiment. Internal politics and globalisation challenge its monopoly, creating space for negotiation of meanings.","Answer",{"name":116,"@type":111,"acceptedAnswer":117},"Which two Thai literary genres does the paper focus on to study hybridity?",{"text":118,"@type":114},"The paper focuses on fantasy and fanfiction. It uses these genres to trace how transnational cultural elements are hybridised and reworked.",{"name":120,"@type":111,"acceptedAnswer":121},"How does Nawa Himmaphan relate Indian myth to Thai literary ‘Thainess’?",{"text":122,"@type":114},"Nawa Himmaphan draws inspiration from the Indian mythical forest Himavanta and reinterprets Deva and Asura in an upside-down future world, creating a new imaginative structure for ‘Thainess’.",{"name":124,"@type":111,"acceptedAnswer":125},"How is the Ramakien adapted in the BL fanfiction case discussed in the paper?",{"text":126,"@type":114},"The paper examines an internet adaptation of the Ramakien transformed into Boys Love (BL) fanfiction, referencing Korean idols. 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However, in the 21st century, internal politics and globalisation have come to challenge its monopoly. Against this backdrop, reinventing classical literature and folklore has emerged as a way to reimagine andrethink ‘Thainess’ in Thai literature. This holds particular relevance since transnational cultures, ranging from classical Indian mythology to the contemporary Korean wave, continue to be hybridised and reconstructed. This paper examines the hybridity of Thainess in contemporary Thai literature, focusing on two different genres: fantasy and fanfiction. Firstly, I explore the fantasy novel series ‘Nawa Himmaphan’[New Himmaphan] (2013–2018), depicting an apocalypse and creating a new world inspired by the Indian mythical forest named Himavanta. The novel adapts and reinterprets the roles and meanings of Deva (the god) and Asura (the demon) in an upside-down future. Secondly, I examine an adaptation of the Ramakien, the Thai version of the Indian Ramayana, published on the internet and transformed into Boys Love (BL) fanfiction referencing Korean idols called ‘Huachai Thotsakan KAIHUN’ [The Heart of Thotsakan KAIHUN](2016–2017) . It reconstructs the Ramakien, challenging its traditional meaning while asserting the aesthetics of K-pop fans. Through the lens of the hybridity framework, this paper argues that these texts not only illustrate cross-regional cultural hybridisation but also challenge the top-down construction of Thainess. Hybridity creates a ‘liminal space’ for Thainess, establishing a new power structure that highlights the significance of marginalised voices against the backdrop of political polarisation and the influence of transnational flows.  \nKeywords: Thainess; Thai Literature; Korean Wave; Indian Myth; Hybridity; Boys Love  \nIntroduction  \nIn September 2021, the music video (MV) for ‘LALISA’ by Lisa, a Thai singer who achieved international recognition as part of the Korean girl group BLACKPINK, gained millions of views immediately upon its release. By showcasing ‘Thainess’ [ความเป็นไทย; khwam-pen-Thai], the music video became a sensation in Thailand, evoking national pride as it showcased Thai culture on the international stage, albeit within the K-Pop genre. However, a scene where Lisa wears a traditional headdress resembling a Chada, the coronet of Thai royals, sparked controversy. Nonetheless, the explanation offered was that it is different from a Chada.  \nI begin the discussion with this topic, as it serves as a perfect springboard for debates surrounding how national identity intertwines with global trends, leading to a dynamic interplay of internal and external contexts. Evidently, the MV demonstrates a sense of ‘hybridity,’ resulting in contestation and negotiation of meanings. Similar to Lisa’s MV, Thai literature in the 21st century embodies another sphere marked by several cultural hybridisations, drawing from Indian myth, the Korean Wave, and Thainess. Indian culture is deeply intertwined with Thainess; pre-modern Indian cultural influences have profoundly  \n© The Author(s), 2024 . Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of Institute for East Asian Studies. This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution licence ([http://creativecommons.org","cbCaici70L7FOupQ","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaici70L7FOupQ","pdf",724851,18,"English","# Introduction\n## ‘Thainess’ and national identity in global cultural flows\n## Indian myth and the Thai cultural framework\n## The Korean Wave, fandom, and BL fanfiction context\n## Hybridity as a lens for contemporary Thai literature","[{\"question\":\"How does the paper define ‘Thainess’ and why is it contested in the 21st century?\",\"answer\":\"‘Thainess’ is presented as Thai identity shaped by the state and nationalist sentiment. Internal politics and globalisation challenge its monopoly, creating space for negotiation of meanings.\"},{\"question\":\"Which two Thai literary genres does the paper focus on to study hybridity?\",\"answer\":\"The paper focuses on fantasy and fanfiction. It uses these genres to trace how transnational cultural elements are hybridised and reworked.\"},{\"question\":\"How does Nawa Himmaphan relate Indian myth to Thai literary ‘Thainess’?\",\"answer\":\"Nawa Himmaphan draws inspiration from the Indian mythical forest Himavanta and reinterprets Deva and Asura in an upside-down future world, creating a new imaginative structure for ‘Thainess’.\"},{\"question\":\"How is the Ramakien adapted in the BL fanfiction case discussed in the paper?\",\"answer\":\"The paper examines an internet adaptation of the Ramakien transformed into Boys Love (BL) fanfiction, referencing Korean idols. The adaptation reconstructs traditional meanings while asserting the aesthetics of K-pop fans.\"}]","Indian Myth, Korean Wave, and ‘Thainess’ - Politics of Hybridity in Thai Literature in the 21st Century | PDF",45]