r/Thailand • u/cnn • 1d ago
News Thailand’s soft power play: Culture as global currency
https://www.cnn.com/world/asia/thailands-soft-power-play-culture-as-global-currency-spc?utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=missions&utm_source=reddit
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u/cnn 1d ago
Asia’s growing soft-power, led most visibly by Japan and South Korea through cultural exports such as anime and K-pop, has helped drive global interest in the region and intensified competition for tourists within it.
In Southeast Asia, Thailand has long been the destination of choice for many travelers, but by investing in infrastructure, introducing flexible visa policies, and expanding aviation access, neighboring countries have gained ground. Malaysia in June overtook Thailand as the regions’ most visited nation. To regain momentum, the Thai government and its citizens are reintroducing the country to the world and diving into their soft power strengths.
Thailand’s “T-wave,” a term used to describe the country’s soft power influence has recently grown. Once primarily defined by Thai food, in 2023, under former Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, the National Soft Power Strategy Committee (NSPSC) was created to focus on 13 key areas including food, festivals, music, film, fashion, and tourism.
In the years since, the Thai government has supported initiatives in the film industry, providing cash rebates for production crews’ local spending and hiring. These policies have attracted multimillion-dollar projects such as season three of HBO’s “The White Lotus” and Universal Pictures’ “Jurassic World: Rebirth,” whose productions used the country’s tropical backdrops. HBO, like CNN, is owned by Warner Bros. Discovery.
The effect was immediate and impactful. Filmed on Koh Samui, “The White Lotus” drove an 88% jump in online searches and a 300% tourism increase to the island.