Bangkok: The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Culture is making a major move! He's pushing a "cultural economy" model to integrate tourism, hoping to compete in the global soft power market. Mr. Prasop Riangngern, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Culture, revealed the direction of Thailand's Soft Power policy, stating that it is time for Thailand to transition from preserving traditional culture to a concrete "Cultural Economy." This is not just about restructuring government agencies, but about developing a strategy to utilize Thailand's vast cultural assets-including historical sites, Thai cuisine, and Muay Thai-to create added economic value and enhance its international image, as many countries have already successfully done, in order to distribute income to communities sustainably.

According to Thai News Agency, the new strategy emphasizes a holistic approach, starting from the upstream stage by leveraging storytelling derived from local wisdom to develop products and services; the midstream stage, such as international festivals and experiential tourism; and the downstream stage, utilizing the Tourism Authority of Thailand's (TAT) extensive global network for marketing and promotion. Currently, the Ministry of Culture lacks overseas offices, so collaborating with creative economy agencies is crucial in making Thai culture more accessible to people around the world.

However, propelling Thailand towards becoming a culturally influential nation requires a continuous and long-term vision. It is essential to study successful examples from other countries and adapt them to the Thai context. If creativity and technology can be harmoniously integrated with local identity, Thailand will create a sustainable new economic model. In the modern world, a nation's strength is not measured solely by wealth, but by making the world fall in love with its culture.