The National Committee on Soft Power Development has vowed to develop Chatuchak Weekend Market in Bangkok as Thailand's soft power hub within the next two years. Surapong Suebwonglee, chairman of the national committee and deputy chairman of the Policy Advisory Board to the Prime Minister, said on Sunday that a recent meeting of the National Committee on Soft Power Development reported an increase in the soft power budget from 635 million baht in the 2024 fiscal year to 2.3 billion baht in the 2025 fiscal year, which runs from Oct 1 this year to Nov 30, 2025.
He said the meeting had considered preparations for the development of Chatuchak Market. "Currently, during weekends, at least 80,000 tourists visit Chatuchak Market per day. During peak periods, there may be as many as 300,000 tourists per day, which shows very high tourism potential," he said.
As a soft power hub, Chatuchak Market should have space for books, films, design, tourism, music, gaming, festivals, art and culture, fashion and craftsmanship and sports to showcase itself, he said. "Currently, the market has many stalls that fit in Thailand's soft power needs, such as books, fashion, and art, so it is an appropriate place for such development to be further expanded and to make Chatuchak Market the hub of Thailand's soft power," Dr Surapong said. He said the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration will first conduct a study to determine the market's potential.
The committee also agreed to set up a Chatuchak Market D.