Moo Deng may appear to many people as a dangerous baby hippo, but to the Thai government, where he comes from, he is a cultural ambassador and a shining example of the country’s drive to develop what it calls “soft power.”
Name soft power it was coined during the Cold War by the American political scientist Joseph Nye, who used it to describe “when a country makes other countries want what it wants” without using force, as opposed to hard power “to command others.” to do what he wants.”
But in the past year and a half, since the Pheu Thai party came to power in August 2023, Thailand has sought to redefine soft power instead of making others seek it. you have—with special emphasis on the country’s cultural highlights to attract tourists and foreign investment.
Moo Deng is not alone. Lalisa “LISA” Manobal, a Thai singer and member of K-pop powerhouse BLACKPINK, has also been praised for her contributions to Thailand’s “soft power”.
While Thailand’s cultural tide has been flowing for years and “soft power” has also been promoted by previous governments, a major push began when Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, a few weeks after his election last year, announced the creation of the National Committee for Soft Power Strategies. (NPSSC), which has set 11 key focus areas: food, sports, festivals, music, film, literature, art, design, sports, fashion, and tourism.
In the months since then, Thailand has supported extending its Songkran festival from three days to a month, legalizing same-sex marriage, and promoting Thai-made film and TV (from its exports as alleged criticism. How To Make Millions Before Grandma Dies and winning prizes Hunger in international productions such as the upcoming season of The White Lotus and the next installment of Jurassic World franchise), among other measures—all in the name of developing its “soft power”.
2024 has been seen as a big “win” year for Thailand’s global image, and the soft power strategy shows no signs of slowing down. When Srettha was removed from office by the Constitutional Court in August 2024, his successor Paetongtarn Shinawatra, who had previously been vice-chairman of the NSPSC, was eager to assume the mantle of soft power. It was central to his inaugural policy statement in September, and in October, he singled out soft power as one of the country’s “grand strategies” for the next decade.
But while the private sector has embraced and praised the strategy, some academics and observers have criticized it for its lack of clarity and coherence.
“While well-intentioned, the government’s focus on soft power initiatives that promote tourism, trade and investment falls far short, said Assistant Professor Peera Charoenvattananukul in the political science department at Thammasat University,” in a recent article at the Singapore-based institute. The Straits Times. “It will take more than just promoting its local and cultural assets to the world to gain influence and trust in the political arena, added Prof Peera, who works on foreign policy.”
Indeed, despite all its self-proclaimed achievements this year, Thailand did not advance in the Global Soft Power Index for 2024, where it ranked 40th among the 193 UN member states that Brand Finance measured in several metrics that assess familiarity, reputation, and influence—although it received high marks in the subcategories of “business and commerce” and “culture and heritage.”
Kitti Prasirtuk, a professor of international relations at Thammasat, says Thailand should instead take a “broader view of soft power” that focuses on more than just culture and tourism and recognizes that shifts take time. “A country’s image depends on its overall reputation in politics, the economy, foreign policy, values, and domestic programs and institutions,” Kitti told TIME. In his book on soft power, the founder of the term Nye wrote: “Persuasion is always more effective than coercion, and many values such as democracy, human rights, and individual opportunities are deeply seductive.” And in those areas, Thailand, although making some progress since its years of junta rule, still lags far behind.
But leader Paetongtarn seems less concerned with what “soft power” means than what he hopes it can deliver. “I think the definition is not that important, since the government is trying to achieve big goals by developing industries to develop soft power and develop the economy,” he said last December. Economic development is sorely needed: Thailand’s GDP growth trails that of regional neighbors Indonesia, the Philippines, and Vietnam, and the tourism-heavy economy is still struggling to fully recover from COVID-19.
At the end of the day, Thammasat’s Peera tells TIME, Thailand’s pursuit of cultural influence will ultimately be judged by whether it serves the purpose of the Thai people: “The government’s understanding of soft power may differ from Joseph Nye’s definitions of soft power,” he said. he says, “but … if it boosts the economy, who cares?”
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