In recent years, Thai Girls’ Love (GL) series have experienced remarkable growth, evolving from a niche genre into a thriving entertainment industry with proven business models, star actors, and large-scale productions.
Looking back at the development of Thai GL, several series stand out as key milestones that helped shape the industry. These works mark important turning points and demonstrate how Thai GL has grown into the phenomenon it is today.
The milestones featured in this article were selected based on their impact on the industry, including whether they pioneered new business models, attracted major industry players, expanded the market, or pushed Thai GL into a new stage of development.
《GAP 》（2022）
Released in 2022, GAP is widely regarded as the starting point of the modern Thai GL industry.
Although Thailand had produced a small number of GL-themed works before, their scale and influence were limited. Produced by Idol Factory, GAP achieved extraordinary online viewership, with its YouTube views surpassing 900 million. It also turned FreenBecky into one of the most internationally recognized GL couples.
The significance of GAP goes far beyond its popularity. It was the first Thai GL series to prove the genre’s commercial potential and international appeal, laying the foundation for the Thai GL boom that followed.。
《Show Me Love》（2023）
Produced by Miss Grand International (MGI), Show Me Love marked the beauty pageant industry’s entry into the Thai GL market. Leveraging the popularity and fan base built through beauty pageants, MGI successfully launched EngLot as a major GL couple. This milestone demonstrated that Thai GL was no longer limited to a handful of production companies and had begun attracting investment and interest from other industries.
《23.5》（2024）
GMMTV, one of Thailand’s most influential entertainment companies and a dominant force in the BL market, had already established successful production systems, fan engagement strategies, and international distribution networks through its BL content.
The release of 23.5, GMMTV’s first GL series starring MilkLove, symbolized the introduction of Thailand’s proven BL business model into the GL industry. It marked the beginning of a more mature and sophisticated stage of commercial development for Thai GL.
《The Secret of Us》（2024）
Compared with online platforms and emerging production companies, Channel 3 (CH3) has long been one of Thailand’s most established mainstream television networks.
Its first GL series, The Secret of Us, starring LingOrm, represented Thai GL’s entry into mainstream television. No longer confined to online audiences, GL content had become a genre worthy of investment and attention from major media organizations.
《Love Design》（2025）
For many years, Thai GL productions primarily featured rising stars and idol actors. Love Design marked the entry of top-tier mainstream actresses into the genre.
Starring KaoJane and produced by VelCurve Studio, the series brought together two of Thailand’s most recognizable female stars. Kao has long been one of Thailand’s leading actresses, with social media followings exceeding ten million, while Jane also commands a fan base of several million followers.
Their participation signaled that GL content had begun attracting top-level talent from Thailand’s mainstream entertainment industry.
The series received widespread acclaim and rose to the top of both Douban and MyDramaList ratings rankings among Thai GL productions, demonstrating the growing recognition and legitimacy of the genre.
The Four Elements Project（2026）
On January 24, 2026, Earth premiered as the first installment of The Four Elements Project.
Currently the largest project in Thai GL history, the initiative consists of four GL series—Earth, Water, Air, and Fire—with eight episodes each.
North Star successfully brought together top Thai GL stars from different management companies, including FreenBecky and EngLot.
Through a series-based approach to audience engagement and brand building, the project reflects the producers’ confidence in both the scale and commercial potential of the Thai GL market.
From a Niche Genre to a Thriving Industry
From GAP proving the commercial viability of Thai GL, to the arrival of beauty pageant organizations, BL entertainment companies, mainstream television networks, top actresses, and large-scale production projects, each milestone has played a role in moving the industry forward.
In 2022, there was only one major Thai GL series: GAP. The number grew to three in 2023, sixteen in 2024, and twenty-five in 2025. More than thirty Thai GL series are expected to be released in 2026.
(Only series with at least four episodes and an average episode length of approximately one hour are included in these statistics.)
It will be exciting to see what the future holds for Thai GL.
— Gogo
June 4, 2026