{"id":35819,"date":"2025-07-09T03:15:16","date_gmt":"2025-07-09T02:15:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/brandfinance.com\/?p=35819"},"modified":"2025-10-08T03:32:37","modified_gmt":"2025-10-08T02:32:37","slug":"the-land-of-smiles-a-rising-soft-power-force","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/brandfinance.com\/insights\/the-land-of-smiles-a-rising-soft-power-force","title":{"rendered":"The Land of Smiles: A rising Soft Power force"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

This article was originally published in the Brand Finance Thailand 100<\/a> 2025 report<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Soft Power is the ability of a nation to shape global opinions, behaviours, and preferences through attraction and persuasion rather than coercion. In the Brand Finance Global Soft Power Index 2025, Thailand advanced to 39th place, with a score of 45.4 out of 100. This rise reflects the nation\u2019s growing influence, especially in Culture & Heritage, People & Values, and its increasing commitment to global climate leadership.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cultural Diplomacy and Creative Industries<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

At the heart of Thailand\u2019s growing soft power is its vibrant cultural heritage. Recognising the potential of creative industries to expand global influence, the Thai government has launched initiatives like the \u201cOne Family One Soft Power\u201d (OFOS) programme. This initiative empowers citizens to become cultural ambassadors, aligning their skills with market needs while boosting the creative economy. It\u2019s not just about culture but about leveraging the country\u2019s creativity to make a meaningful impact on the world stage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thailand\u2019s dedication to culture is evident in the creation of the Thailand Creative Culture Agency (THACCA), which focuses on growing sectors such as food, fashion, music, sports, and tourism. These efforts are in line with the nation\u2019s reputation as a culinary leader and Thailand\u2019s ranking of sixth place for \u2018Food the World Loves\u2019, a position it has maintained for three consecutive years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The nation\u2019s People & Values pillar shines through its high ranking, with friendly people and fun both influencing in its soft power profile. This is underscored by Thailand\u2019s 14th place ranking as a \u2018Great Place to Visit\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The country\u2019s commitment to blending culture with innovation is exemplified in the \u201cSukjai Travel Thailand \u2013 Aunjai Everywhere\u201d campaign, a collaboration between the Tourism Authority of Thailand and AIS, which leverages digital connectivity to amplify Thailand\u2019s appeal while promoting sustainable tourism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

International Recognition and Media Influence<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Beyond cuisine, Thailand\u2019s soft power is increasingly shaped by its entertainment and media industries. Artists like Lisa Manobal have boosted the country's cultural profile worldwide. PTT, Thailand\u2019s energy giant, has also played a part with its sponsorship of sports and a commitment to supporting Thai talent, investing 200 million baht (approximately USD6.1 million) in various sports associations. The company also leads with its sustainability efforts, from reducing emissions to promoting EV infrastructure. Through initiatives like reforestation and public park projects, PTT helps project Thailand\u2019s positive image globally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Strategic Initiatives and Future Outlook<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Thailand\u2019s soft power strategy is set to grow with government-backed projects aimed at generating economic value and enhance the country\u2019s cultural influence. The goal of raising 4 trillion baht (approximately USD122 billion) in revenue over the next four years underscores the nation\u2019s determination to grow both economically and culturally. With Thailand\u2019s increasing \u2018Ease of Doing Business\u2019 (ranked 21st) and \u2018Products & Brands the World Loves\u2019 (ranked 20th), the country is well-positioned to attract investment, business, and global consumers. Additionally, its future growth potential, ranked 23rd, shows promise for further global influence.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This article was originally published in the Brand Finance Thailand 100 2025 report Soft Power is the ability of a nation to shape global opinions, behaviours, and preferences through attraction and persuasion rather than coercion. In the Brand Finance Global Soft Power Index 2025, Thailand advanced to 39th place, with a score of 45.4 out […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":35820,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1,137],"tags":[11,97,264],"class_list":["post-35819","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-insights","category-place-branding","tag-featured","tag-global-soft-power-index","tag-thailand"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/brandfinance.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35819","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/brandfinance.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/brandfinance.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brandfinance.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brandfinance.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=35819"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/brandfinance.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35819\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":35823,"href":"https:\/\/brandfinance.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35819\/revisions\/35823"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brandfinance.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/35820"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/brandfinance.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=35819"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brandfinance.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=35819"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brandfinance.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=35819"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}