Running Man Thailand puts Thai destinations in front of a global audience
TAT says the iQIYI Original reached 6.85 billion impressions and more than 390 million online views, turning real locations in Bangkok and Pattaya into on-screen destinations.
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has highlighted the first season of Running Man Thailand, an iQIYI Original that used a travel-race format to show the country's destinations, culture and local life to viewers around the world. TAT reports that the season generated 6.85 billion impressions across platforms, more than 390 million online views and over 10 million digital engagements. That makes it one of the most widely watched pieces of Thai entertainment content this year.
The series premiered on 22 February 2026 and ran for 10 episodes, airing on Sunday evenings on One31. It was produced by iQIYI in close collaboration with South Korea's SBS Studio Prism, the creator of the original format, and reworked the franchise through Thai hosts and humour. The cast brought together seven well-known Thai entertainers, among them Oat Pramote Pathan, Ink Waruntorn Paonil and Tay Tawan Vihokratana.
Each episode turned a real location into the setting for its missions and challenges. Featured places included the Giant Swing, the Grand Palace and Bangkok's historic neighbourhoods, along with Pattaya's floating markets and beaches. TAT supported the season with destination content, short tourism featurettes and Amazing Thailand visibility included in graphics, subtitles and end credits.
The programme became Thailand's most searched variety show on Google Trends in 2026, frequently ranked first on X in Thailand, and trended weekly in more than 10 countries. It later won the Hottest TV Program award at the KAZZ Awards 2026. TAT Governor Thapanee Kiatphaibool said the response shows how entertainment marketing can carry Thailand's travel experiences to global audiences through engaging, easy-to-reach content, while also encouraging people at home to travel.
The audience skewed young and international. Nearly half of viewers were aged between 19 and 30, and about 30 per cent came from markets outside Thailand. Two featurettes carried the tourism message in different ways. One introduced international viewers to favourite places, food and people, while another shared personal stories from the home provinces of Loei and Chanthaburi.
For visitors, this kind of exposure changes how a trip begins. Many travelers now build plans around places they have already seen on screen, then want to reach those spots at their own pace rather than on a fixed group schedule. Bangkok's old town and Pattaya's coastline are straightforward to explore independently, and part of the appeal is stopping wherever a scene caught your eye.
This is where a service like Balm Rentals fits in. Balm is a marketplace for renting bikes, scooters and cars in Thailand, built to make self-guided travel simpler and clearer. Price, deposit and conditions appear before payment, the app works in the traveler's own language, and listings come from verified, legal rental partners. The idea is to add convenience next to local operators and the industry's promotion work, not to compete with them.
Film and television have a long record of sending curious travelers to real places. As Running Man Thailand keeps circulating through the iQIYI app and iQ.com, its featured neighbourhoods and beaches are likely to stay on many itineraries, and moving between them comfortably is part of the trip.