Not Losing Sight of Soft Power

Summary

This discussion at the World Economic Forum focused on Thailand’s soft power strategy, featuring Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra. The conversation explored how Thailand is leveraging its cultural assets to boost its global influence and economy. Shinawatra outlined the government’s 13-pillar approach to soft power, encompassing areas such as food, film, tourism, and wellness.

The Prime Minister emphasized Thailand’s efforts to enhance its tourism sector, highlighting the country’s diverse attractions from beaches to city life. She discussed the importance of Thai cuisine as a global ambassador, mentioning the recent UNESCO recognition of Tom Yum Goong. The conversation also touched on Thailand’s wellness industry, noting its competitive pricing and quality services.

Shinawatra explained the government’s role as a facilitator in promoting soft power, working closely with various industries to address challenges and create opportunities. She highlighted initiatives like the “One Family, One Soft Power” program aimed at skill development, and efforts to make Thailand more accessible to tourists through visa exemptions.

The discussion also covered Thailand’s film industry, with the government offering incentives to attract international productions. Shinawatra stressed the importance of preserving and promoting Thai culture, mentioning traditional arts and festivals like Songkran.

Throughout the conversation, the Prime Minister emphasized Thailand’s welcoming nature and the country’s potential for growth and investment. She concluded by expressing optimism about creating new opportunities for Thailand on the global stage through soft power initiatives.

Keypoints

Major discussion points:

– Thailand’s soft power strategy and 13 pillars to promote Thai culture, tourism, food, arts, etc.

– Efforts to boost tourism through visa exemptions, festivals, and promoting different regions

– Developing skills and opportunities for Thai people through initiatives like “One Family, One Soft Power”

– Promoting Thai food, film industry, and cultural exports as part of the soft power agenda

– The Prime Minister’s background and approach to governing

Overall purpose:

The discussion aimed to introduce Thailand’s new Prime Minister and highlight the country’s soft power strategy to boost tourism, cultural exports, and economic growth through promoting Thai culture, food, arts, and other industries.

Tone:

The tone was friendly, enthusiastic and promotional throughout. The Prime Minister spoke positively about Thailand’s attributes and opportunities, while the interviewer asked encouraging questions to showcase Thailand’s soft power initiatives. The conversation maintained an upbeat, optimistic tone focused on Thailand’s strengths and potential.

Speakers

– Yana Peel

Role: Head of philanthropy, arts and culture globally at House of Chanel

Expertise: Philanthropy, arts and culture

– Paetongtarn Shinawatra

Role: Prime Minister of Thailand

Expertise: Government leadership, soft power strategy

Additional speakers:

– None identified

Thailand’s Soft Power Strategy: A Comprehensive Approach to Economic and Cultural Growth

This World Economic Forum discussion featured Thailand’s Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, interviewed by Yana Peel, Head of philanthropy, arts and culture globally at House of Chanel. The conversation centered on Thailand’s ambitious soft power strategy, designed to boost the country’s global influence and economic growth through cultural assets and strategic initiatives.

Prime Minister’s Background and Vision

Prime Minister Shinawatra, in office for six months at the time of the discussion, brings a unique perspective to her role. She campaigned while pregnant and has a background in hospitality, having studied abroad. She defined soft power as the ability to attract and co-opt rather than coerce, emphasizing Thailand’s rich cultural assets as key elements of this approach.

Soft Power Framework and Government Approach

Thailand’s strategy is built on a 13-pillar approach to soft power, encompassing diverse areas such as food, film, tourism, wellness, and Muay Thai. The government positions itself as a facilitator, working collaboratively with various industries to address challenges and create opportunities. This approach was developed through extensive consultation with industry stakeholders, reflecting a bottom-up policy-making process.

A key initiative within this framework is the “One Family, One Soft Power” (OFOS) program, which aims to engage citizens directly in the soft power agenda through online registration and free training. The organizational structure supporting the soft power strategy involves separate committees for each pillar, comprising industry experts and relevant ministers.

Tourism and Cultural Promotion

Tourism remains a cornerstone of Thailand’s soft power strategy. The Prime Minister highlighted the country’s diverse attractions, from beaches to city life, with Bangkok recognized as the world’s most visited city. To further boost tourism, the government has implemented visa exemptions for nearly 100 countries.

The discussion emphasized the expansion of traditional events for economic benefit, notably the extension of the Songkran Festival to a month-long celebration in April. This move exemplifies the blend of cultural preservation and economic strategy central to Thailand’s approach. The government aims to create year-round cultural festivals to attract tourists every month.

Thai cuisine was highlighted as a significant soft power asset, with the recent UNESCO recognition of Tom Yum Goong as intangible cultural heritage. The Prime Minister positioned Thai food as the “kitchen of the world,” emphasizing its health benefits and global appeal. She also shared her personal favorite, boat noodles, illustrating the diversity of Thai culinary offerings.

Wellness and medical tourism were identified as key drivers of the tourism sector, with Thailand offering competitive pricing and quality services. Performing arts was also mentioned as a new addition to the soft power pillars.

Economic Opportunities and Investment

The soft power strategy aims to generate significant economic growth, with a target of $116 billion set for soft power-related economic activities. The film industry is a particular focus, with the government offering incentives such as cash rebates to attract international productions.

Prime Minister Shinawatra emphasized Thailand’s commitment to improving the ease of doing business and providing government support for investors. She declared 2024 as the “year of opportunities” for Thailand, signaling a push for increased foreign investment and economic growth.

Global Cultural Impact

The discussion highlighted Thailand’s growing global cultural influence, mentioning examples such as Lisa from Blackpink and other Thai artists gaining international recognition. This cultural export contributes significantly to Thailand’s soft power strategy.

Conclusion

Thailand’s soft power strategy, as presented by Prime Minister Shinawatra, represents a comprehensive and collaborative approach to leveraging the country’s cultural assets for economic growth and global influence. By focusing on areas such as tourism, cuisine, and cultural events, while actively engaging citizens and industries, Thailand aims to create new opportunities on the global stage. The success of this strategy will likely depend on effective implementation, continuous industry collaboration, and the ability to measure and adapt to outcomes over time.

Yana Peel: Good afternoon, and welcome to the session at the World Economic Forum. It is the greatest privilege to be here among so many people I admire in the room, and a pleasure to welcome all of our livestream viewers and listeners. My name is Yana Peel. I drive philanthropy as the House of Chanel, as the head of arts and culture globally, and empower women through the Fondation Chanel. So it is the greatest honour to be here today with a woman who has made history by becoming, in fact, the youngest ever Prime Minister of Thailand, just six months ago, and then being honoured as one of Time’s 100 most powerful women in the magazine. Now today, we are here to talk about soft power. And I remember Joseph Nye teaching me that soft power, in the term that he coined, was about how attraction and persuasion could be much more powerful than coercion when it came to many aspects of global politics. And so I remember this, and I think that with these levers in mind, Thailand is truly winning hearts and minds and forging ahead. From food to film to tourism to wellness, Thailand is seeking to redefine itself for a new age. Soft power is at the core of an agenda to generate hard currency, and $116 billion is the target that the government has set. Now on the ground, Bangkok is the most visited city in the world. Who has been to Thailand in this room? Incredibly impressive. Hopefully a similar response from our live stream guests. And on the world stage, the artists and architects are the most brilliant ambassadors. We know that our friend Kulapa Yantrasat is extending the Metropolitan Museum and also building the D.I.B. Gallery in Bangkok. Everyone has heard of the deeply influential artist, Rikrit Taravanija, who has been in museums from the Tate to MoMA for 20 years, cooking up Pad Thai as his art and really fusing art, life, and culture. We know, of course, about Apichatpong Virasatakul, the most celebrated filmmaker, and of course, who hasn’t heard of Lisa Bee from Blackpink? So with that in mind, it is the greatest pleasure to have the opportunity to introduce here, for the first time, to this World Economic Forum audience, It’s a pleasure to have you, Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, on this stage. Thank you so much.

Paetongtarn Shinawatra: Thank you, Yana, for a very kind introduction. I’m very honoured to be here today and also very, very excited because I told you earlier that I talk about soft power all the time, but it’s all in Thai. So today it’s in English, so I’m quite excited, but very happy to be here. Thank you.

Yana Peel: A very special privilege for our audience to be here with Prime Minister Srinivasa and discussing some of the pillars of her incredibly ambitious agenda. You have set out with your committee an ambition that has really celebrated the world over. Can you tell us about the platform for this soft power agenda you have set?

Paetongtarn Shinawatra: Yes. So I noticed that I think all Thai people realise that we have a very rich culture and we know that our food is very famous around the world and people that have never been to Thailand before already taste Thai food, something like that. So we know that our soft power is very strong. So we look into all the industries that can affect Thai economy. So that’s why we come up with the 13 pillars that can show that each industry can be enhanced and can be more vulnerable for the country if we can just put it in the very right direction and just support them. I always say that the government is the facilitator. The people always do something first and we can facilitate them, we can support them and they can go further than they can. So we work together. Yeah, all the pillars here.

Yana Peel: A quick question about the clothing you are wearing because we have talked about fashion being at the core of your industry and there’s something extraordinary here with the craft in your jacket. So before we turn to tourism.

Paetongtarn Shinawatra: This is the fabric, the cotton fabric from Nong Bua Lampu. It’s a province in Thailand. So the craftsmanship for this print is especially from that province. So I hope that the people in Thailand who see this fabric would be proud of themselves. So that’s why I wear it here today and I wear it very proudly. So yeah, and the colour, everything I choose for myself because I think that I love the green and the black together.

Yana Peel: Fantastic. We’ll turn to tourism. Skills will come later but I know that everybody has seen that incredible film The Beach with Leonardo DiCaprio. But who knew that Bangkok was the most visited city in the world beyond Istanbul, London and Paris. Tell us what you are doing to drive this tourism and where the tourists are coming from.

Paetongtarn Shinawatra: I actually think that you know how Thai people are. They’re very easy going, very polite and I think they’re very welcoming. But as the years go by, I think that we call ourselves the land of smile. But right now the smile is just not enough. I think that when the tourists before the COVID time is quite like a lot and it has disappeared, I think it happens to every country. So now they all come back and now we have all the tourists contribute like 20% of our GDP and we know that we need to have more than just a land of smile, more than just a land of tourism like that. So we create a lot more like soft power for the people who come to Thailand willing to do more than just sightseeing. But they can appreciate all the soft power of Thailand as well such as like Thai boxing or Muay Thai. Yes, of course. How many gyms do you have in the country? I think in London it’s 6,000. Muay Thai gyms. So fitness is very important. Yes. But around the world it’s like 40,000 gyms around the world. So we try to make them have the certificate of proof that this is guaranteed by Thai Muay Thai, original Muay Thai for them to just like teach people around the world about Muay Thai.

Yana Peel: So wellness is an important factor in the agenda as well. Can you tell us where the tourists are coming from and how wellness is driving tourists to different regions across the country?

Paetongtarn Shinawatra: So the wellness, I think like our price is very competitive. So and our service as well. So when people come to Thailand they can find like a very reasonable price like from 500 baht is around like three, like what like 100, less than 50 pounds, 50 dollars, US dollar, something like that. You can have a massage, like full massage, or you can go somewhere and have like one thousand dollars for a full massage as well. So we have different sector and different price. So this is very competitive and more than that, not just the relaxing, but we have like the medical treatment as well. When you have problem with your muscle pain, something like that, we have the special treatment that can kill you from all the pain. So I think this is one of the place that people around the world choose Thailand for their retirement and also like all the wellness center. They provide many treatments that can help the customers feel relaxed, feel more strong and feel more energetic. So yeah.

Yana Peel: And so you have had many tourists from theMiddle East that has been a very big source of friendship and allyship in tourism. Increasingly in Europe we hear about the numbers that are driving tourism as well. Can you tell us where the tourists are coming from and which part of the countries you’re most excited about in terms of their tourist and agricultural development? Actually, it’s like Thailand.

Paetongtarn Shinawatra: We have like north of Thailand, like south of Thailand. So each nation just have their own favorite place. OK, mostly they want to go to see the beautiful beach. So in Phuket, south of Thailand is very beautiful. But most of the tourists like to go to the north of Thailand as well because end of the year is not too hot anymore. And of course, like Bangkok is a city of you can just go and have like a shopping time, night time party or, you know, just a very like city life. So they choose a different part to come to Thailand. We have the Tourists come from all over the world to Thailand. This is what we are very grateful for. So when they come to Thailand, they can make sure that they have all the activities to do. And they can enjoy each individually differently. So in Thailand, we have in the different part of Thailand, we have different kind of food as well. So when people want to experience all the different kind of food, they go to different part of Thailand. So it’s like, I think when people come, they don’t just stop for one place. They go to many places. And here’s the Thai food that they want to experience.

Yana Peel: It’s almost lunch. Is there anything? Very, very, very tempting to be here.

Paetongtarn Shinawatra: I believe that there’s some of your favorite dish.

Yana Peel: Tom Yum Goong. We’ve talked about Thai fish cakes.

Paetongtarn Shinawatra: Tom Yum Goong, yes.

Yana Peel: Tom Yum Goong, of course.

Paetongtarn Shinawatra: Yes, this is mango and sticky rice. That’s very famous as well, the sweets.

Yana Peel: We have with us also a guest who fed this World Economic Forum yesterday so graciously. And as the founder of a kunzthal in Bangkok, I think the art world was very impressed. So I think the food of the world is also something which you’ve been really promoting as part of your agenda. Can you tell us more about Thai food and what it means to you as a lever for soft power on the world stage?

Paetongtarn Shinawatra: So we mostly call it the kitchen of the world, I think because our cuisine is very famous for people around the world. And not just the taste of the food, but it’s like the herbs in there and all the ingredients that we put in can help you with all the symptoms that you have. Like maybe you feel not good in your stomach. Some of the herbs can cure that as well. So all the ingredients can help you with the health. And for the diet, it’s very good for your health too. So we have a different kind of food. And that’s why we become very famous, and all the ingredients.

Yana Peel: I remember that wonderful film, How To Get Rich Before Grandma Dies, which was a Thai film that had the best title and won hearts and minds the world over. Is there lots of intergenerational sharing of knowledge in terms of food and education, passing on of skills?

Paetongtarn Shinawatra: Even for Thai people like myself, when I watch a movie or when I’m inspired by all the food, I feel like I have to go out and eat Thai food. So it’s very, very inspiring. And also, if you know, the Tom Yum Goong just got the speaking of which at UNESCO also have the Tom Yum Goong as intangible cultural heritage of humanity last month. Congratulations. Thank you very much. We are very proud of that. And also Songkran Festival.

Yana Peel: Oh, yes, so with UNESCO, we were thinking about what is the best time of year to visit. What else are you doing with UNESCO? And we’d love to hear what happens here in April at the Songkran Festival.

Paetongtarn Shinawatra: Songkran is normally on 11 to 15. It’s like the Songkran events that mostly are going to happen in Thailand. But since we have the soft power committee, we try to have the festival the whole month of April. So since the 1st of April until like the 30th of April. So the different part of Thailand, as I said earlier, so we have the different event, different festival. So this is going to be the festival month of Thailand. So not just like, oh, people miss like the period of the Songkran time. But actually, we have much more, many more events around Thailand. So you can go anywhere. And you can help like spread the water. And we have like, you can go back home and be with your family. It’s like it’s called Thai New Year.

Yana Peel: Thai New Year.

Paetongtarn Shinawatra: Yes, Songkran is Thai New Year.

Yana Peel: Thai New Year, wonderful.

Paetongtarn Shinawatra: And as we’re heading towards Chinese New Year.

Yana Peel: Chinese New Year.

Paetongtarn Shinawatra: Something like that.

Yana Peel: Khong Hoi Fat Choy. Yes. As I think about that, I also think about this commission and committee on soft power that you chaired from 2023. Yes. So maybe if you share with our audience how you chaired this committee and the evolution of the pillars that you chose to define the country’s soft power strategy.

Paetongtarn Shinawatra: So this policy comes before the election. So we try to talk with the different industries and ask them what’s going on in that industries. Because I don’t think like the government know best. No, the government doesn’t know best. The people know best. So we come to talk to different industries. And we ask about their problems, about the issue that the government can support. Like we are the facilitator. So I ask them, if we become the government, what should we do for you guys? And give you example for like the film industry. Like, oh, they have so many rules that they can’t do this and that. And that’s going to affect this and that. So we wrote down everything. And once we become a government, we try to fix all that. So right now, like if you film in Thailand, you will also get the cash rebate or something like that to interact with all the filmmaker around the world.

Yana Peel: Oh, that’s a credit.

Paetongtarn Shinawatra: Yes, a credit.

Yana Peel: So our country, the UK, is very active in this in terms of film credits to ensure that the production happens.

Paetongtarn Shinawatra: Yes, because we look at the numbers. Like last year, if I’m not wrong, about like 70-something productions of the movie come to film in Thailand from around the world. Yes, so the number is quite high. And we try to make their life easier.

Yana Peel: We’re very excited. At the moment, we have in Thailand Tilda Swinton and Api Chatpong working on some work. So we always know that our arts and culture colleagues are very keen to go to Thailand. And that performance art is also such an incredible culture and such a vibrant, vibrant scene. I remember when you were campaigning, it was amazing to see this young pregnant woman on this campaign trail. And it was really inspiring. And your agenda was about ties and that real possibility. And I’d like to understand a little bit more about that agenda for Thailand, this real possibility that is also showing up in the skill promotion that I know that you’ve been furthering, trying to drive 20 million people into skills that they wouldn’t otherwise be equipped with.

Paetongtarn Shinawatra: Yes, because when we prepare all the industries, we have to make the people have more skills in each industries as well. So yes, I was pregnant during the campaign. And I think that inspired a lot of people that they can do whatever they want. And if they put their mind on it, then they should be able to do it. So when I was pregnant, I talked to a lot of people as well. And I do think that Thai people have so much potential, but they just wait for the opportunity to come and wait for the government to open the gates for them to just show off their ability to do that. So I try to make people, so we have like the trend, we call it Ofos. So one family, one soft power.

Yana Peel: One family, one soft power.

Paetongtarn Shinawatra: Yes, it’s called Ofos.

Yana Peel: Yes.

Paetongtarn Shinawatra: So we find like just one person from each family, let them choose from the 13 pillars what they’re good at. And they come together and then they register online and try to make it like, if they’re good at food, you don’t have to be like advanced in food. You can be just beginner and we practice you and we have a very professional group of people that can train them. So yes, that’s what our ambition is to just make it to 20 million.

Yana Peel: That’s such a beautiful message here when we’re speaking so much about automation and about the race to automate. The idea of human creation and human skilling and up-skilling is so vital.

Paetongtarn Shinawatra: We don’t even limit like the age or like how good you are, something like that. And everything is for free. Government will support all that. All this. Yes. Thank you.

Yana Peel: Maybe we can start on the slide that has those 14 pillars. 13 pillars.

Paetongtarn Shinawatra: The 13 pillars.

Yana Peel: Just so we can also look at some of the skills that are being generated. And how are you looking at success in terms of this soft power agenda? It’s only six months in. At Chanel, we say, le temps Chanel. It’s a long time horizon that you have.

Paetongtarn Shinawatra: But how are you looking at the milestones in terms of how you are going to be hitting the ambitions here? So we do both actually like on ground, to teach people, to see them, to go out and make them do like practice together and also online as well. So that’s how we manage to have everybody can get into all the education that we’re gonna give them. So I think online would help a lot with teaching people. So we have here, well, it’s performing arts, like all the show. Because Thailand has special show as well. It’s called like Khon, something like that. The dancing, like the way they dress is different. So it can show our culture very, very good.

Yana Peel: And I believe you expanded this because. because when you were chairing this committee, there were a certain number of pillars. Can you tell us what you expanded?

Paetongtarn Shinawatra: So wellness and performing arts are the new ones. So we see all the potential. Actually, when we start doing it, people keep commenting and say, why don’t you have this and that as well? Why don’t you have this and that? We also want to have everything, every industries, but we just want to focus on these 13 pillars first, because we can focus and we can put on our budget as well. It’s all about the budget too. So 13 pillars first, it’s quite a lot already. It’s a lot already, yes.

Yana Peel: How are you managing this? I’ve had the privilege of meeting some of the people that work on your team, the ministers of agriculture. We’ve talked about the exports, the rice, the rubber. How are you managing such an ambitious agenda?

Paetongtarn Shinawatra: So this committee, including other ministers as well. So each one have the different committee. So each pillars have their own committee, their own people from that industry. So this is not like something that you just come together and just do it. But the people in each industries know what they’re doing, because they are in this business. And we have ministers and all the committee that can support them, can help them with all the laws that can happen for like, wrote the law for like 30 years ago. And for today, there has to be change, something like that. So I have all the ministers in this pillars for this.

Yana Peel: Which are you most personally involved with? Which are you most excited about modernizing? I know it’s hard to pick a favorite child.

Paetongtarn Shinawatra: Do I have to choose?

Yana Peel: How about, which are you very involved with? Or currently looking at?

Paetongtarn Shinawatra: Currently, not as much as before, actually.

Yana Peel: Yes.

Paetongtarn Shinawatra: Not as much, but before I think food and also food, female sport, I would say. But actually I talked to all of them together because I sit in the main board. So I talked to all of them, but I mostly involved like food, female and sport. Because these three are ones that we want to push further. Like I said, Muay Thai earlier and food as well. So yeah.

Yana Peel: Did your time studying abroad, learning hospitality, extending this knowledge, was that something that you imported back in terms of how you work? I’m thinking about our country, the UK, where I think you did some learning.

Paetongtarn Shinawatra: I have more ideas of like hotels.

Yana Peel: Yes.

Paetongtarn Shinawatra: Like tourists or something like that. So when we talk about like tourism of Thailand or like hotels in politics day, like I have today, it would be easier for me to think of, yes. All the hotels and shows.

Yana Peel: And if we come and visit you in your beautiful country and raise these statistics even higher, how will tourism evolve as you see it in the next couple of years? What changes do you see on the horizon?

Paetongtarn Shinawatra: I think that people would come to Thailand more because of the visa exemption as well. That right now, I think around like almost 100 countries that can come to Thailand with no visa. So we arrange since the former prime minister, to have like the, you can come to Thailand without a visa. So it’s very, it’s opened the big door for all the tourists. And also when you come to Thailand, the experience is gonna be different. All the festival is not the same because right now we make the April full of like Songkran festival, but we plan on having all the festival like in 12 months, like every month have different festivals, something like that. So that’s what we plan. Right now we fill in most of the months already. So you can come to Thailand whenever you want. You can have experience like new experiences.

Yana Peel: And so the definition I gave of soft power at the beginning was a very classic definition of soft power that for 70 years has been used since Joseph Nye coined this idea in terms of attraction and persuasion being more impactful than other means of influence. How do you define soft power?

Paetongtarn Shinawatra: Soft power is like a tool for the nations that can influence other country to pay attention. Just like our culture, our uniqueness and food, something like that. Just to, it’s like nation’s abilities, to attract people around the world. That’s our soft power. And the slide just went by already, but I really want to show you my favorite dish as well.

Yana Peel: Great. It’s one of the soft power. Let’s go back to your favorite dish.

Paetongtarn Shinawatra: I don’t want to skip that because this may be not.

Yana Peel: Diane von Furstenberg is getting very hungry in this session.

Paetongtarn Shinawatra: Maybe it’s not very famous for everybody, but this is my very comfort food and I can have it every day. Can you show the boat noodle? I think it’s on, it’s from one, two, three, four, five. Yes, this one. Thank you very much.

Yana Peel: This is not yet UNESCO heritage, so we are pitching. No, not yet. We are making a call to action for this.

Paetongtarn Shinawatra: So at the beginning, it’s like Thai people sell it on the boat. Many years ago, it’s like people lives next to the river, by the river. So when the boats come, they sell the noodle. So it has like beef noodle, pork noodle, chicken, you have everything. But what I like most is the boat noodle. So it’s like more like a beef noodle. And like the soup is very, very good. You can, even though it’s hot, but when you eat in a hot weather, it’s still very nice. I don’t know why.

Yana Peel: Everyone yesterday was talking about the mango sticky rice. There was a very big feast here at the World Economic Forum. As we look at the topic of collaboration being essential to the intelligent age, I’m just curious in terms of people you have met in the past couple of days, what has the response been to this very robust delegation from your country? Have you had many attractions and much interest in the soft power strategy from the people here at WEF?

Paetongtarn Shinawatra: I think that when I talk to many big companies around the world, they’ve all been to Thailand. That’s something that I’m very, very proud of. At least they have taste like Thai food before. I’m very proud of that. And when I introduce our country, tell them where is where, what to do in the country, they already know. So something like that is very friendly. But of course, when I talk to them and invite them to invest in our country, so of course if they work with the government, we fully support them and just make them feel very supportive. And it’s like an ease of doing business that they don’t have to go through a lot of paperwork, go through a lot of system that is too complicated. So when we connect together, so we can have something big for the country. So I had a very good meeting these two, three days. Yes, and today, of course, with you.

Yana Peel: That’s wonderful, thank you. Well, as the session comes to a close, I wanted to know if you had any final words or messages. I think you’ve all convinced us, if not only to have Tom Yum Goong for lunch today, to definitely visit Thailand, to contribute to this incredible interest in your fashion, in your art, in your artisanship, in your film, in your sport, in your food, in your culture. It’s wonderful to be here with so many people who have been to Thailand with a young prime minister who has such wise ambitions. Do you have any final thoughts for us?

Paetongtarn Shinawatra: I pronounce, yes, thank you. I pronounce like the beginning of the year that this year is gonna be the year of opportunities for the country. And of course, I’m here today. I think I come to tell everybody myself that Thailand has many good soft power and people are very welcoming. So today, I think that I create some more opportunities for the country. So of course, this is gonna be a good, good year for us. So thank you very much for welcoming me here.

Agreement Points

Importance of soft power for Thailand’s economy and culture

speakers

– Paetongtarn Shinawatra
– Yana Peel

arguments

13 pillars of soft power identified to enhance Thai economy and culture

Target of $116 billion set for soft power-related economic growth

summary

Both speakers emphasize the significance of soft power in boosting Thailand’s economy and cultural influence, with the government setting specific targets and strategies.

Tourism as a key driver of Thailand’s economy

speakers

– Paetongtarn Shinawatra
– Yana Peel

arguments

Diverse attractions across different regions of Thailand

Bangkok is the most visited city in the world

summary

Both speakers highlight the importance of tourism for Thailand’s economy, emphasizing the country’s diverse attractions and Bangkok’s status as a top global destination.

Promotion of Thai culture and cuisine

speakers

– Paetongtarn Shinawatra
– Yana Peel

arguments

Thai food recognized globally, with Tom Yum Goong receiving UNESCO heritage status

Thai cuisine as “kitchen of the world” with health benefits

summary

Both speakers emphasize the global recognition of Thai cuisine and its importance in promoting Thai culture and attracting tourists.

Similar Viewpoints

The Thai government is actively supporting and facilitating various industries to enhance the country’s soft power and economic growth.

speakers

– Paetongtarn Shinawatra
– Yana Peel

arguments

Government acts as facilitator to support industries and people’s initiatives

Film industry incentives like cash rebates for international productions

Ease of doing business and government support for investors

Unexpected Consensus

Expansion of traditional events for economic benefit

speakers

– Paetongtarn Shinawatra

arguments

Songkran Festival expanded to a month-long celebration in April

explanation

The expansion of a traditional cultural event for economic purposes shows an unexpected blend of cultural preservation and economic strategy.

Overall Assessment

Summary

The speakers show strong agreement on the importance of soft power, tourism, and cultural promotion for Thailand’s economic growth and global influence.

Consensus level

High level of consensus between the speakers, implying a unified vision for Thailand’s development strategy focusing on soft power and cultural assets.

Different Viewpoints

Unexpected Differences

Overall Assessment

summary

No significant areas of disagreement were identified in the discussion.

difference_level

The level of disagreement was minimal to non-existent. The conversation was primarily informative, with the Prime Minister explaining Thailand’s soft power strategy and initiatives in response to questions from the interviewer.

Partial Agreements

Similar Viewpoints

The Thai government is actively supporting and facilitating various industries to enhance the country’s soft power and economic growth.

speakers

– Paetongtarn Shinawatra
– Yana Peel

arguments

Government acts as facilitator to support industries and people’s initiatives

Film industry incentives like cash rebates for international productions

Ease of doing business and government support for investors

Key Takeaways

Thailand has launched a comprehensive soft power strategy focused on 13 key pillars to enhance its economy and cultural influence globally

Tourism remains a major focus, with efforts to diversify attractions beyond traditional sightseeing and promote wellness tourism

Thai cuisine and cultural festivals like Songkran are being leveraged as major soft power assets

The government is taking an active role in facilitating and supporting various industries to boost soft power

Thailand is working to make the country more attractive for international investment and business

Resolutions and Action Items

Expand the Songkran festival to a month-long celebration in April

Implement visa exemptions for nearly 100 countries to boost tourism

Provide cash rebates and incentives for international film productions in Thailand

Launch the One Family One Soft Power (OFOS) initiative to engage 20 million people in skill development

Create year-round cultural festivals to attract tourists in every month

Unresolved Issues

Specific metrics or timelines for measuring the success of the soft power strategy

Details on how the government will balance traditional culture with modernization efforts

Strategies for addressing potential challenges in scaling up tourism infrastructure

Suggested Compromises

None identified

So we look into all the industries that can affect Thai economy. So that’s why we come up with the 13 pillars that can show that each industry can be enhanced and can be more vulnerable for the country if we can just put it in the very right direction and just support them. I always say that the government is the facilitator. The people always do something first and we can facilitate them, we can support them and they can go further than they can. So we work together.

speaker

Paetongtarn Shinawatra

reason

This comment provides insight into the Thai government’s strategic approach to soft power, emphasizing collaboration between government and industries.

impact

It set the tone for the rest of the discussion, framing the government’s role as a facilitator rather than a top-down director of soft power initiatives.

So this policy comes before the election. So we try to talk with the different industries and ask them what’s going on in that industries. Because I don’t think like the government know best. No, the government doesn’t know best. The people know best.

speaker

Paetongtarn Shinawatra

reason

This comment reveals a bottom-up approach to policy-making, emphasizing the importance of industry input.

impact

It shifted the conversation to focus on the collaborative nature of Thailand’s soft power strategy and how it was developed.

So we have like the trend, we call it Ofos. So one family, one soft power.

speaker

Paetongtarn Shinawatra

reason

This introduces a novel approach to engaging citizens in the soft power initiative at a grassroots level.

impact

It led to a discussion about skill development and how the government is involving citizens in the soft power agenda.

So this committee, including other ministers as well. So each one have the different committee. So each pillars have their own committee, their own people from that industry.

speaker

Paetongtarn Shinawatra

reason

This comment provides insight into the organizational structure behind the soft power initiative.

impact

It deepened the conversation by revealing the complexity and thoroughness of the government’s approach to implementing the soft power strategy.

Overall Assessment

These key comments shaped the discussion by revealing the collaborative, bottom-up nature of Thailand’s soft power strategy. They highlighted the government’s role as a facilitator, the importance of industry input, citizen engagement, and the organizational structure supporting the initiative. This framing moved the conversation beyond a simple list of cultural assets to a more nuanced exploration of how Thailand is strategically developing and leveraging its soft power.

How is the success of the soft power agenda being measured?

speaker

Yana Peel

explanation

Understanding the metrics for success is crucial for evaluating the effectiveness of the soft power strategy.

What specific changes are being made to laws and regulations to support the film industry in Thailand?

speaker

Paetongtarn Shinawatra

explanation

This information would provide insight into how the government is actively facilitating growth in the film industry.

How is the government planning to fill all 12 months with different festivals?

speaker

Paetongtarn Shinawatra

explanation

This would provide more details on the tourism strategy and how Thailand plans to attract visitors year-round.

What specific initiatives are being implemented to support and promote Thai cuisine globally?

speaker

Yana Peel

explanation

Given the emphasis on food as a soft power pillar, understanding the specific actions being taken would be valuable.

How is the government planning to balance tourism growth with environmental sustainability?

speaker

Yana Peel

explanation

This is an important consideration given the focus on increasing tourism.

What specific skills are being prioritized in the government’s initiative to train 20 million people?

speaker

Yana Peel

explanation

Understanding the focus areas of the skills training program would provide insight into Thailand’s economic priorities.

How is the government collaborating with the private sector to implement the soft power strategy?

speaker

Paetongtarn Shinawatra

explanation

This would provide more information on the public-private partnerships driving the soft power agenda.