3 days ago
Soft power high on the agenda
Thailand is advancing its soft power push, with the country's creative culture playing an increasingly key role, suspended Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra said on Tuesday.
Ms Paetongtarn, who is also the culture minister, made the comments during her opening speech at the 2nd annual SPLASH -- Soft Power Forum 2025 at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center.
She underscored the importance of creative culture in her speech.
"Creative culture is a soft power that is used all over the world. People are no longer interested in buying just products or services," she said.
"Developing soft power is about the experience that was purchased. Buy something that reflects who we are. Our country, in particular, has a rich culture."
She explained how the international community values locality.
"Locality can have value. This is an important thing for the international community. And importantly, today, no matter what technology it is, we have various social media tools," she said.
In this post-pandemic era, she said, Thailand has strengthened its domestic industry foundations.
Ms Paetongtarn said the next level is to connect with the world, where Thailand's top five soft power assets -- Thai cuisine, Muay Thai, jewellery, wellness, and filmmaking -- will be enhanced through reconstructed programmes.
For example, there is "Thai Cuisina", a new Thai food industry platform that integrates suppliers, supply chains, supermarkets, and buyers from overseas countries worldwide, as well as a cooking learning programme.
She said an ongoing programme that encourages film and TV productions in the kingdom involves a 30% cash rebate for productions being made in Thailand.
Ms Paetongtarn also spoke about how Thailand is now part of a rapidly changing world. "There are things that we can't predict," she said.
Many factors around the world are causing change, leading to the emergence of transforming technologies, she said. Change is constant, she said, adding that being adaptable is a timeless solution to it.
