Street food vendors made a giant meatball cake and gave away 500 kilos of meatballs to mark the 26th birthday of Thai rapper Lalisa 'Lisa' Manoban of K-pop group Blackpink.

The sellers coordinated with the Tourism Authority of Thailand in Buriram province - Lisa's home town - to create the festive meatball cake in honour of the dancer, whom they credited for their booming businesses today.

The meatball vendors, whose livelihoods were nearly wiped out by the pandemic, had reported their sales skyrocketed after Lisa mentioned the food, Yuen Kin or 'standing meatballs', as one of her childhood favourites in a 2021 interview with talk show host Vuthithorn 'Woody' Milintachinda.

After the passing mention, local and foreign fans alike flocked to the stalls hoping to sample the celebrity's beloved snack.

Arunsri Kamnerdklang, the owner of the Yai Pha meatball shop, said that this was the second time she had organised a birthday celebration for Lisa.

She said: 'We wish Lisa well and hope she remains healthy, produces great work, and continues to be loved by everyone.

'We are incredibly grateful to her for promoting our products globally and helping us generate continuous revenue. We are glad that despite her success, she has not forgotten her hometown, and has helped us survive through the pandemic.'

Kannapat Jirakraipong, deputy director of the TAT office in Buriram, also extended her well-wishes to Lisa, hoping the singer would remain healthy and popular. She also thanked Lisa for the interest the influential K-pop idol had sparked in the province.

Yuen kin meatballs are a specialty of vendors at the Buriram train station. The meatballs are then either grilled or deep-fried, and slathered in a Thai chilli paste sauce before being served on skewers.

The sauce, Lisa had said, was what set the snacks apart from other similar treats found in South Korea.