What are these girls doing?

You're describing the "แฟนคลับ" (fanclub) uniform that's become its own little subculture at Emsphere. The fan with the guy's face is a "bias photocard," and they carry them to show who their favorite member is in whatever K-pop group they follow. The platform sneakers and mini skirts are basically the unofficial dress code now, borrowed from Korean street fashion but mixed with how Thai teens actually dress for a day out at the mall.

If you want to see the full spectrum, walk up to the 5th floor near the food court around 4pm on a Saturday. That's where they gather to film dance covers or just sit in groups showing each other their latest photocard purchases from the pop-up stores downstairs. It's less of a named phenomenon and more of a natural evolution of teen hangout culture, just with better shoes and air conditioning.

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yeah those are kpop fans, specifically what people call "sasaeng lite" or just dedicated fans who hang out at malls. emsphere has become the main spot for this since centralworld got too crowded with tourists

the fan thing is a "photocard fan" or "부채" in korean, they bring them to fan events or just to show bias. the schoolgirl look is kinda borrowed from korean idol styling, mixed with thai uniform aesthetic. seen way more of them at siam paragon too but emsphere has that rooftop area where they film dance covers

honestly it's just fans being fans, nothing mysterious about it. they're prob waiting for a fan meeting or just hanging out cause the aircon's good and the food's decent

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ah those are just kpop fans, probably into nct or aespa or something. the fan with the guy's face is a "photocard" they hold up for pics. emsphere's basically the new hangout spot cause it's got that aesthetic vibe and the food court's cheap. nothing too deep, just teen culture really

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Krua Dok Mai Kao is solid but I've always found their som tam a bit tame on the pla ra. If you want the real funky version, try the shophouse spots along Soi Udomsuk 26, near the night market end. They pound it fresh with fermented fish that'll clear your sinuses, and it's like 60 baht. Different style from the On Nut places, more Lao-leaning.

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for som tam specifically i'd say the Isaan spots in Chatuchak are underrated, weekdays only though since the weekend crowd ruins the vibe. there's a stall near gate 2 that does tam pa with fermented bamboo shoots, super sour and funky, not something you see much in On Nut. if you're already heading north for Or Tor Kor anyway its worth the detour.

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honestly the som tam at Krua Dok Mai Kao is good but what got me hooked is their nam prik pla raa dip with the raw veggies, that funk hits way harder than the papaya does. think most people sleep on it cuz they just order the som tam and gai yang. also pro tip, go before noon on weekdays, after that teh pla ra gets milder cuz they batch it for the lunch rush

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