5 Emotional Thai Commercials About Mothers

Photo from YouTube

A while back I published "5 Sad Thai Commercials to Make You Cry Nonstop," which has become one of the most viewed and most shared posts on Bamboo Nation.

So it's only appropriate that I continue to do my duty with five more emotional commercials from the great nation of Thailand (with English subtitles of course!). Sure, there are a lot of Thai commercials about mothers, but these are the ones that moved me to tears the most.

Some of these ads are strikingly sad, so tears are expected and inevitable. Some of them are actually uplifting, but somehow still manage to punch you in the gut anyway. Basically, to sum up, you will be weeping by the end of this post. But, hey, it's been scientifically proven that crying is good for you.

So get out the tissues, sit back, and prepare yourself. When's the last time you had a good cry?


1. Bar-B-Q Plaza (Restaurant)

I'm not going to slowly ramp up to the most heart-wrenching commercials. I'm going to start off with a bang by presenting you with the commercial that absolutely wrecked me the most out of everything on this list.

The premise is simple. Actual employees from a restaurant named Bar-B-Q Plaza are asked to fill out a questionnaire. The questions are all about mothers, which lead the employees to do some deep soul-searching, which you can see right on their faces.

These people are not actors, and the ad's palpable verisimilitude makes it all the more moving. Also, the beautiful music that underscores everything contributes to the commercial's success, building to an almost unbearably emotional (yet happy) climax.

I rate this four tissues out of four tissues (for wiping your tears.) Watch:


The behind-the-scenes story behind the commercial and the company is almost as moving as the commercial itself. Check out it out here.


2. Thai Life Insurance (Insurance Company)

If you read my previous post on sad Thai ads, then you know that Thai Life Insurance commercials are the ones that are the most viral and get people to cry the most.

This particular one, titled "Garbage Man," is perhaps the gentlest of the bunch. It's about a boy and the bond he has with his mother.

I didn't cry, but I did find it heartwarming. I'm listing this second because I basically want to give you a break before I unleash the more emotionally draining commercials.

I rate this one tissue out of four tissues. Watch:


Here's a fascinating interview with Phawit Chitrakorn, managing director of Thai Life Insurance’s advertising agency Ogilvy & Mather (Bangkok), who discusses the company's approach to these commercials. (Also known as "sad-vertising," by the way, 555.)


3. Charoen Pokphand (CP) (Food Company)

It's time to release those tears again!

The following commercial from Charoen Pokphand is about a girl who runs away from home because she doesn't get along with her mother. In her travels, she learns some Very Important Lessons about the power and reach of her mother's love.

I rate this three tissues out of four tissues. Watch:



4. Kentucky Fried Chicken (Restaurant)

In the same vein as the documentary-like Bar-B-Q Plaza commercial, this ad from KFC features real interviews with mothers. What's interesting is, instead of kids feeling guilty about their relationship (or lack thereof) with their mothers, this commercial highlights the fact that mothers can feel guilty too. It's something that's empowering to anyone who grew up in an Asian family.

I rate this two tissues out of four tissues. Watch:


Okay, I know you need a break before we go to the last commercial on this list. So let's look at this meme I made:

All right. Are you properly rested now? Are you ready to go on? Let's do this.


5. Nestle (Food Company)

We end this epic post with the story of a son who pays his mother a visit. I'm not going to say much more about this Nestle ad other than this one packs an emotional wallop that I didn't see coming when I first saw it.

I rate this four tissues out of four tissues. Watch:


I don't know about you, but I'm completely wiped out! I need to cheer myself up by watching a man vs. monkey Muay Thai fight or Thai construction workers dancing on a beam or funny Thai movies. Something, anything!

What was your favorite commercial here? Which one made you cry the most? Let me know in the comments section below.

After you do that, GO CALL YOUR MOTHER!!!!!

[Wait! There's more! Watch "5 Thai Commercials Starring Dogs: The Funny & The Sad."]