Die-hard Thai fans mourn “King of Pop”
Posted: Friday, June 26, 2009 12:05 PM
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Bangkok, Thailand
By NBC News' Warangkana Chomchuen
“Michael is the first and only international singer who inspired me to learn English to understand his songs,” a die-hard Jackson fan wrote on Pantip, the most popular Thai web forum.
Another comment, posted nine hours after the “King of Pop” was pronounced dead, read, “I’m still waiting for news agencies to say they made error report.”
A devastated fan said she has been writing a diary to Jackson for years now, and she would continue doing so even after his death.
Like the rest of the world, the Thai blogosphere flooded with Jackson’s pictures and lyrics.
Thais got to see the pop legend live for the first time in Bangkok 13 years ago.
Although his infamous crotch-grabbing was considered downright obscene in this conservative society, he mesmerized a crowd of 70,000 people with his legendary dance moves.
Go to any school that year, you would be guaranteed to see students moon-walking to the canteen or practicing crotch-grabbing when teachers weren’t watching.
Buzz around Jackson waxed and waned as controversies emerged from his Neverland Ranch. Some mocked and ridiculed the pop legend, while others sympathized with him.
Thais will remember Jackson as a great singer who waved a lot, and wore a black mask all the time during his “Dangerous World Tour” in Bangkok, to avoid breathing polluted air.
Click here for complete coverage of Michael Jackson's death
