oo Deng might seem to most people like just an , but to the government of Thailand, where she’s from, she’s a cultural ambassador and shining example of the country’s push to boost what it calls its “ .” The term was coined at the height of the Cold War by American political scientist Joseph Nye, who “when one country gets other countries to want what it wants” without the use of force, in contrast to the hard power “of ordering others to do what it wants.” But in the last year and a half, since the Pheu Thai party came to power in August 2023, Thailand has sought to redefine soft power instead as getting others to want what it —with a particular emphasis on highlighting the country’s cultural prominence to attract tourists and foreign investment.
Moo Deng isn’t alone. , the Thai singer and member of K-pop powerhouse , for her contributions to Thailand’s “soft power.” While Thailand’s cultural wave has been bubbling up for years and “soft power” was also promoted by previous governments, the major push when , just weeks after his election last year, announced the formation of the National Soft Power Strategy Committee (NSPSC), which laid out 11 key focus areas: food, gaming, festivals, music, film, literature, arts, design, sports, fashion, and tourism.
In the months since, Thailand has supported , , and promoting Thai-made film and TV (from its own exports like the and to international productions like the upcoming season of and the forthc.