Song Joong-ki can speak Thai, as this 11street ad shows

Song Joong-ki, one of South Korea's most bankable male stars, is fronting a campaign for the launch of online marketplace 11street in Thailand. The young actor is an obvious choice, as even Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-ocha is said to be a fan of the wildly popular drama Descendants of the Sun, in which Song starred. 

The campaign pairs Song with Thai actress Mew Nittha, and the duo made a brief appearance for a launch event in Bangkok last month. The outdoor ads have been placed on the busiest Bangkok Mass Transit System stations in Chit Lom, Siam and Phrom Pong, while TV and digital ads featuring the stars went on air on 16 February. Song's face is also on a limited release of Rabbit cards, an e-money service in Thailand for mass transit networks.

Cheil Thailand, the agency behind the campaign, said views of the 11street Thailand Facebook page have reached over 1 million. "The launching campaign is the first stage to create high impact on awareness of 11street among Thai consumers," said Jaebum Ahn, president of Cheil Thailand. The marketplace already has a presence in Turkey, Malaysia, and Indonesia, where it is known as Elevenia.