Culture Ministry aims to boost soft power contribution to Thai economy
The Culture Ministry is striving to elevate the impact of soft-power goods and services’ contribution to the GDP from 8.9% to an ambitious 15%, a top official said.
Dr Yupa Taweewattana-boworn, the ministry’s permanent secretary, said the Culture Ministry will also position Thai soft-power goods and services among the top 15 export items.
At a seminar in Khon Kaen early this month, Yupa unveiled a plan to drive Thai soft-power goods and content via various measures. Among them is promoting locally made films at international film festivals and developing professional negotiators to facilitate the sale of Thai film titles on the global stage.
Yupa said the ministry’s efforts have already borne fruit, with successful negotiations leading to substantial earnings at recent film festivals, namely:
• 1.99 billion baht at Cannes Film Festival
• 1.98 billion baht at Beijing International Film Festival
• 1.38 billion baht at Hong Kong International Film & TV Market
• 500 million baht at Tokyo International Film Festival
• 93 million baht at the Hong Kong International Film Festival
• 5 million baht at Shanghai International Film Festival
Under this plan, the ministry will study successful soft power models from other countries, explore soft power markets and invest in personnel development to bolster the promotion of Thai soft power.
Yupa said the ministry is also supporting the government’s broader soft power promotion policies, encompassing 11 industries, namely fashion, books, films and serials, festivals, foods, design, tourism, games, music, arts and sports.
The collective efforts aim to enhance Thailand’s global cultural influence and economic standing through the strategic utilisation of soft power.
