As Ticket Prices Soar, Some Fans Turn to Consumer Protection Agencies for Relief

Captured from Blackpink's Twitter

BANGKOK, Thailand — K-pop fans in Thailand are raising concerns about the skyrocketing cost of concert tickets, which have increased by nearly 60% over the past decade, according to local media MGR Online. The average price of K-pop concert tickets sold in Thailand this year is 5270 baht (about 208,000 won), compared to 4470 baht (about 176,000 won) in 2019, before the pandemic. In the past, the most expensive ticket for a K-pop concert was 6,000 baht, and the cheapest ticket was 1,050 baht.

The VIP ticket price for the upcoming Black Pink concert, to be held on the 27th and 28th at Rajamangala National Stadium, Thailand's largest concert hall, is 14,800 baht (approximately 583,000 won). Due to the burden of the concert price, some fans have turned to the Thailand Consumer Protection Agency for relief.
 

▲ Captured from Blackpink's Twitter
The fan club of the group Stray Kids filed a complaint with the Consumer Protection Agency last year after the group's concert in Bangkok, which saw the highest priced ticket selling for 8,500 baht (about 335,000 won). Despite the agency's efforts to discuss ways to protect consumers with concert ticket vendors, they emphasized that the government could not regulate prices, stating that “There is currently no law governing concert ticket prices,” and “the price is determined by agreement between the seller and the consumer."

Industry insiders explained that 70% of the concert cost was covered by sponsors 10 years ago, but ticket prices rose as this ratio decreased to less than 30%. This shift has led to complaints from fans, who argue that they are being priced out of the market.

Prior to Black Pink's Taiwanese concert, online scalping sales were rampant, with the price of scalped tickets soaring to 45 times the regular price. Originally, the ticket price for Black Pink's concert was NT$8,800 (approximately KRW 370,000), but the highest ticket price was reportedly traded at NT$400,000 (KRW 16.97 million).

Despite these concerns, K-pop remains a hugely popular genre in Thailand, with thousands of fans attending concerts and events each year. While some fans may be priced out of certain events, others are willing to pay high prices to see their favorite artists perform live.

As the popularity of K-pop continues to grow, it remains to be seen whether ticket prices will continue to rise or whether there will be a push for more regulation to protect consumers. In the meantime, fans in Thailand and beyond will continue to voice their concerns and demand fairer pricing for K-pop concerts.

Sayart.net 

BlueYIM, yimyoungseo1010@naver.com