Asanee Chotikul, right, jams with guitarist Pichet Kruawan during the show in Sydney.

On their world tour, Asanee-Wasan wow the crowds in Australia

Music legends Asanee and Wasan Chotikul played to an eager crowd on Sunday night in Sydney, the first overseas stop of their world tour.

With a waiting list of more than 3,000 online reservations and the free tickets being sold on for as much as A$50 (Bt1,500), some fans didn't get to the show.

"We're worried about some tickets that were mailed out but then returned to us," said marketing director Chutchai "Boy" Wiratyosin during a welcome party at Consul General Kiattikhun Chartprasert's home. "And we're not happy that our free tickets are being traded for cash."

"The brothers are only playing one concert [in Australia] but their Thai fans don't just live in Sydney. They're all over the country, as far away as Perth," lamented one Thai expatriate, who's lived in Sydney for 10 years.

Golden oldies

"I've never seen Thais in this age group - the late 30s and over-40s - flock to a concert," said a young reporter for the Thai News of Sydney. "And no Thai concerts are ever held at this amusement park."

The concert, in Luna Park's Big Top, kicked off at 8pm with a jazz performance by australia's Chris Alexander Trio, who drew enthusiastic applause.

The audience erupted when the Thai duo arrived on stage and the brothers wasted no time, swinging into "Bar Hop Fang" and "Wua Luem Tua", before tugging at heartstrings with golden-oldies "Suk Jai" and "Ther Pan Jai". Fans sang along to the ballads, moved to the medley of danceable hits, and joined in with the well-known covers, including the highlighted promo song "Khon Huajai Singha".