Singaporeans were able to hear Thai influencer Aon Somrutai squeal her recognisable “Thank you, Kateyki” in person

Aon Somrutai at Suntec City for the opening of the atrium pop-up of Thai make-up brand Timephoria on 18 March

There are many things you can say about the Thai influencer known as Aon Somrutai, but subtlety is not one of them. Nor modesty. Nor frugality. Yet, it is her overbragging and overweening ways that have remarkably won her 1.9 million followers on Instagram and 6.1 million on TikTok, on which one user, Jamie, said with palpable delight: “I don’t know if she’s a socialite in Thailand or just faking it but I love all of her clips! She seem (sic) so nice, too cute & funny!!!😂 I want to be Kategi’s (sic) GF! 😂 ‘Hi gurl!!!’ 😭😂.” She was referring to the Thai social media star addressing her trusted sidekick/personal assistant/bodyguard, whom she calls, as if a pet, “Kateyki”. Her fans here (and there are, apparently) had the opportunity to see her in action, when she came to grace the launch of the atrium pop-up of compatriot make-up brand Timephoria.

In a post shared on IG yesterday, Somrutai Rattanawaraha, whose legal name is Somrutai Sangchaiphum (and who is also known by the much shorter monosyllabic Aon [pronounced ‘On’] on social media), came down an escalator (with Kateyki following her), wearing a black 35,000 baht (or about S$1,381) bustier gown with what appeared to be (sheltered) cartridge pleats protruding from her hips, sold by the now available-online-only Thai brand Tube Gallery, whose designers Saxit Pisalasupongs and Phisit Jongnarangsin are considered industry veterans. Posing with the Thai restaurant Fourgather visibly in the rear (her husband was around somewhere), Ms Sangchaiphum—a voracious consumer of luxury goods—looked a tad out of place in the mall that is clearly less upmarket that the nearby The Shoppes by Marina Bay Sands. Regrettably, she did not go shopping-mad in our malls, which may say something about how desirable it is to shop here

The influencer with her ever-present personal assistant looking on, even when she had her make-up touched up in the atrium of Suntec City

Ms Sangchaiphum was escorted by her just-as-famous PA, the mysteriously named Kateyki, who, in the past six months, quickly assumed the status of a meme. The phrase, “thank you, Kateyki”, which is offered whenever he assists her, became to Ms Sangchaiphum what “sushi (or add your favourite noun) kudasai” still is to American influencer Devin Halbal, also known as Kudasai Girl. (It is not certain if Kateyki refers to an individual or is used as a term of endearment for her male attendants since Kateyki—not a typical Thai nickname—does not always appear to be the same person*.) So much a signature the expression has become that it has caught on not just in Thailand, but also in Korea, and used among stars and celebrities. Knowing how to bank on a good catch phrase, Ms Sangchaiphum recorded her debut pop single with the title, Thank You Kateyki (Lalala). The song, launched last month on YouTube without an accompanying music video yet, has hitherto garnered 620,279 views and 26,000 likes.

It is not known how much digital intervention is introduced to her vocals, but Ms Sangchaiphum seemed to be mimicking her idol, Lisa (aka Pranpriya Manobal) of Blackpink, only with a voice that is potentially glass-shatteringly high. The music is not written to challenge her vocally, but to serve as vehicle to secure her place as a multimedia star. It evokes her exaggeratedly extravagant lifestyle that is unattainable to most through the somewhat vapid lyrics, which extols her selling point—her materialist excess: I want this one, this one, this and more/This for you, wait, I take all/This one is so cheap (Huh?)/I love this one, I take four (Thousand)… Everything is possible/Always with me, thank you, Kateyki. It is not known if the fellow was remunerated for being the subject of her valiant attempt at singing. At Suntec City, she did not break out in song.

Ms Sangchaiphum (and Kateyki to her right) went shopping with Lisa in Bangkok, and the video, shared on Instagram, went viral

Talking about Lisa, she was not omitted from Ms Sangchaiphum’s picture of incredibly wild spending fun. To prove that Ms Sangchaiphum is so much a major online star that she could even attract the biggies, the influencer enticed Lisa to partake in one of her shopping sprees. Shared on IG early this month was the two women, one taller than the other, enjoying some performative retail therapy in—where else—a Louis Vuitton Bangkok store. Their enjoyment was underscored by truly exaggerated moves, with Lisa arching her body so preposterously, she could have been auditioning for an appearance on Saturday Night Life, not White Lotus Season Three. The Moonlit Floor (Kiss Me) singer was dressed in LV, and even made sure viewers noticed her LV bag, the rare Alma BB, first shown in the LV spring/summer 2003 collaboration with Murakami, and, now, hung with at least three Pop Mart’s Crybaby plushies.

Ms Sangchaiphum’s social media posts have been gaining traction for at least a year. Last September, a reader from New York texted us with two words: “Who’s she?” Back then, not much is known about the shopping-mad influencer. Our Bangkok contacts, too, could not furnish us with adequate information about her other than that she is a “businesswoman”. Many people did not think she was real, that it was all an act: Nobody buys a dozen luxury bags at a time was a common reaction. She is inclined to say, “I’ll take all”, and she is not at a wholesale centre in Pratunam. But many did, however, think she was “fun (to watch)”. The New York reader said, “I think she is hilarious because she is so fake.” Her antics are so over-the-top that they border on parody. It is entertaining also because she interacts with store staffers (and her own, such as Kateyki) in the lilting English with the unabashedly Thai accent.

Visual to promote her debut single Thank You, Kateyi. Screen shot: aonsomrutai/YouTube

She started posting on IG in December 2013. Her first was a photo of a sunset, with the comment “Good view”. The location was not tagged, and it looked like it could have been shot somewhere tang changwat (upcountry) . The next post was a blurry photo of a man, flanked by a little boy and a girl, who was dressed in what appeared to be a kindergarten graduation robe. This could be her father and she. In Thai, she wrote “rak (love)”. She started sharing photos of herself in December 2016. Initially they were mostly unremarkable photos of her doing unexceptional things in un-dramatic poses and unspectacular clothes (including one admittedly charming photo of herself in Karlstad where she went to school). Luxury bags (the first was a Chanel flap in the colour of Sunkist orange) started creeping in about six months later, and soon SF Brandname—the luxury bag re-seller she co-founded—appeared, at first in a post of the company’s donation to King Narai Hospital in aid of those who needed oxygen in their treatment. And then a montage that included a tear sheet of a report of that donation made by SF Brandname. Discreet philanthropy isn’t her thing.

Very soon, SF Brandname would feature heavily in her posts. There was, in December 2021, even an “SF BRANDNAME Maga (sic!) Sale”—the company’s first. Her re-sale business was beginning to look good, so much so that she could share, for the first time in December 2021, a photo of her in what appeared to be a first class seat on Thai Airways to New York City. By 2022, she started dressing more glamorously and gowns were frequently worn. A year later, she officially called herself “entrepreneur and luxury goods expert” as she slowly began to turn her post more reel-centric. In August 2023, Perrine Porter—a company she founded singly and also a reseller of used bags—was mentioned. Her first shopping video on IG appeared in March 2024. It showed her emerging from a store name Perrine Porter, accompanied by two male porters behind her, laden with brand name shopping bags.

Aon Somrutai’s first close-up on Instagram in January 2017. The difference between then and now is startling

Amazingly, little is known about Somrutai Sangchaiphum despite her very public presence. Almost nothing is revealed about her family or exactly where in Thailand she was born—it is assumed to be in Bangkok and in 1997. Speculations suggest that she comes from a wealthy family as, after graduating from Rangsit University in the Thai capital, she was sent to Karlstad University in Switzerland, where, it is said, she specialised in business management and marketing. Her academic foundation may have afforded her social media success that possibly did not count on frivolity or chance, but strategic planning and keen understanding of branding. Her time at Karlstad University, known for its emphasis on sustainability, could have played a role in shaping her entrepreneurial pursuits—the business of sustainable luxury fashion through two companies, SF Brandname and Perrine Porter (it is unclear what SF stands for, but we guess that it could be for South Florida, since Perrine is a town there), both platforms for the-pre-owned, and at the latter, she serves as CEO.  

Appearing to shop with no cap to what one could buy in one’s own store is a rather smart maketing move. And appearing to have one’s shooping carried by paid attendants is the ultimate luxury. Ms Sangchaiphum was beginning to shape the character she not only wanted to play, but be. She also started showing uniformed domestic helpers waiting at the porch of her house so that when she got out of her car*, the shopping could be passed to them to be put away. In one of the reels, a helper was heard saying that it was quite a haul she made that day (her entire trunk was filled), and she replied that she shopped “nit noi”—a little. She appears to be courteous to her staff, frequently thanking them. The first staffer whom she addressed by name was Khun Noi, a domestic helper. The silent chap Kateyki was not identified until around June 2024. From then her shopping became madder and madder, and she started filming herself in other shops not her own. “Thank you, Kateyki” was soon uttered… and sung.

The first IG post in November 2020 when a male attendant was featured and one of the earliest to see her totally decked in designer clothes and bag—here, Dior

How really successful her businesses are, or when compared to her success as a influencer, is not clear. Her social media reels in the last year show a ditzy individual whose main aim in life is to shop and shop, and shop, or do ridiculous things like go on a thread mill or play badminton in a court in full brat regalia. And thereafter hit the shops and excitedly declare in that voice: “I want this one, this one, this one.” Yet, all the delirious extravagance seem to belie a shrewdness that’s rare in the world of KOLs. Even less obvious is whether all the so-called personal marketing eventually gave her business the competitive edge or profitability that they need to bankroll her astounding buying habits. She is hardly ever seen making the payment for her hauls, which has aroused the suspicion that they’re all staged. But the widespread acceptance of her antics and the humorous imitation/parody of her persona may suggest a significant level of cultural impact and identifiable brand identity. She generates this fever for luxury bags and, as most of her followers can’t afford firsthand, they buy from her store.

Ms Sangchaiphum told the Thai magazine Howe in February 2023: “Everyone might think that I am a Material Girl, someone who likes brand names and must buy and use only brand names. But that’s not true. I eat noodles on the side of the road (but she “loves tempura”!). I live a normal life, emphasizing the principle of simplicity.” Normal is, of course, relative. So is simplicity. And for most, there is nothing normal or simple if one’s everyday car* is a “fashion one”—Lamborghini Aventador. In 2024, she married plastic surgeon Nopparat Rattanawaraha, also known as Mor Song or Doctor Song, described by Thai media as “prominent”. He owns the popular Nopparat Cosmetic Clinic and runs Mor Song Tong Lok, a YouTube channel where he shares travel videos. The nuptials received the blessings of Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn, indicating that the influencer-couple enjoys a certain uncommon social standing. At her Ritz Carlton wedding reception in Bangkok, she wore an off-shoulder, full-lace couture bridal gown by Zuhair Murad. Not all normals, as can be seen, are created equal. For that matter, simplicities too.

Updated with additional information: 20 March 2025, 11:00

*Update (9 April 2015, 09:50) In an interview with Harper’s Bazaar SG, Somrutai Sangchaiphum enlightened: “I have a lot of (sic) bodyguard (sic), so I call all my bodyguard (sic) Kateyki.”

Photos and screen shots (except when indicated): aonsomrutai/Instagram