The stony likenesses of Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, Kim Jong Un and Donald Trump looked down over stalls of camping equipment and a climbing wall as part of a pop-up display in one of the Thai capital’s biggest malls.
Bangkok’s Seacon Square is known for its unconventional exhibits, this year showcasing a “Great Wall of China” and a “Noah’s Ark” with real animals, but this is perhaps its first overtly political display.
“It’s like a powerful statement, all of them together,” James Kumar, a 32-year-old mall-goer from Australia, said on Thursday.
According to a statement from the mall, the concept “wasn’t meant to deliver any single message — but to invite conversation”.
American Andrew Davis, described by his partner as a Trump supporter, said the marketing ploy was funny.
“I think Trump would really like this, because in the past he’s made jokes about adding himself to the real Mount Rushmore,” Davis said.
However, he said it would be “a huge political drama” if it were displayed in the US. “That’s how divided the country is right now.”
‘All authoritarians’
Trump has denied suggesting he should be carved alongside the faces of presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln.
The US president traditionally sits on the opposite side of the geopolitical divide from the three other leaders, although a Chinese shopper also saw the humour in the display.
Trump has voiced admiration for China’s Xi, Russia’s Putin and North Korea’s Kim, touting his close relationships with them.
Many of the shoppers AFP spoke to on Thursday wanted to remain anonymous due to the gimmick’s political nature, with some saying the leaders were “all authoritarians”.
“As an American, I feel sad to say it is an accurate display,” one US visitor said. “So I’m sorry to the world that this is now our image.”
Ratchanee, a Thai woman who only gave her first name, said she followed the news involving all four leaders.
“I want the world to love each other,” she said.
The display had not generated a public response from diplomats after its first two days, even though some shoppers wondered whether it was too shocking to last.
“I’m surprised Seacon — which is a major Thai company — would let something this politically awkward be displayed here,” said a long-time British resident who gave his name as George.