Lekha Shankar | Soft Power Thailand’s New Mantra
Launched by former Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, suspended since July by the Constitutional Court, this nationwide campaign has re-ignited a wave of high-energy activities
With the Thai-Cambodian war officially over, Thailand’s focus has shifted back to its flagship initiative, Soft Power. It’s indeed the nation’s new mantra!
Launched by former Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, suspended since July by the Constitutional Court, this nationwide campaign has re-ignited a wave of high-energy activities.
The centrepiece was the ‘SPLASH’ Soft Power Forum, organised by the newly established Thailand Creative Culture Agency (THACCA), which is tasked with promoting Thailand’s creative economy across 14 sectors, including film, food, art and wellness.
Among the various festivals and events, what stood out to this writer was the strong presence of Indian artists.
At the prestigious Bangkok Art Biennale (BAB), Thailand’s biggest Soft Power art event, 76 artistes from 39 countries participated. Prominent among them was Indian artist Ravinder Reddy, known for his bold fibreglass and bronze nudes of women. His works were featured at prominent venues like the National Gallery and Bangkok Art & Culture Centre, and his iconic bronze Head was earlier displayed in front of the Central World mall. Reddy was very impressed by Bangkok’s vibrant art scene. Meanwhile, BAB’s artistic director, Dr Apinan Poshyananda, praised artists like Reddy for putting Asian art on the global map.
The avante garde Mango Art Festival at River City Bangkok, showcased many galleries from Asia. Among these was Mumbai’s Inkriot Gallery. Owner Kush Mittal called the event an excellent opportunity to network across Asia and applauded Thailand’s Soft Power.
Thanks to THACCA’s support, the ‘Bangkok Experimental Film Festival’ made a comeback after a decade. It was held at the new One Bangkok complex. Founded by Cannes award-winning Thai filmmaker Apichatpong Weerasethakul, with the support of top local art curators like Gridthiya Gaweewong, and none other than Hollywood actress Tilda Swinton, the festival featured over 120 experimental films, installations and performances. Among the participants was the Indian collective ‘Kaddukkas’, represented by Anuj Malhotra, Ketan Dua and Mahesh S. They spoke of India’s own vibrant experimental film scene, particularly the Calcutta Experimental Film Festival. For Bangkok, they curated 10 short films from the National Film Archives, aligning with the theme “Nowhere Somewhere”, featuring directors KNT Shastry (1963), Neena Gupta (1993) and Shambhavi Kaul (2023).
At the International Creative Content Creators Forum, organised by the Thai Media Fund, the agency responsible for promoting soft power in the film field, globally renowned Indian filmmaker Pan Nalin served as an important speaker and mentor. A member of both the Oscar and European Film Committees, Nalin, whose film, Last Picture Show, won awards around the world, said he enjoyed the interaction with the youthful filmmakers of Asia. He praised Asian cinema’s rise, and noted the growing incentives in India and Thailand for international film productions.
A major panel discussion, The New Rules of Soft Power, was held in Bangkok, and included many global speakers. Among them, was Mike White, director of the hit Amazon series White Lotus, which was filmed entirely in Thailand. He highlighted the country’s soft power heritage — food, temples, music, dance, wellness. Thai PM Paetongtarn also attended the panel, calling soft power “the driver of economic progress”.
To showcase this, international media were taken to Nakhon Pathom, just 50 km from Bangkok, one of Thailand’s 11 designated Herbal Cities. For Indian tourists, it offers an ideal day trip, with temples, spas, great food and family-friendly activities.
A key event there was a panel discussion Unlocking Health Tourism, with Thai Soft Power, with speakers who covered everything from alternative medicines to herbal products, organic farming and wellness spas.
We later checked them all out. RXV Wellness Spa offered marvellous crystal sound and aquatic therapies. Pathom Organic Village, was ideal for farm experiences and corporate retreats. Air Orchid Farm displayed an amazing range of reasonably-priced, export-grade orchids. We heard that it had already been discovered by Indian tourists and entrepreneurs.
Doobua Café & Farm was a charming family-friendly spot, with animals, a lake, numerous activities and great organic food. We ourselves took part in a Lotus Petal Miang cooking workshop using fresh, organic ingredients. A boutique hotel is being constructed on the Doobua farm, poised to make it a sought-after weekend retreat.
Nakhon Pathom clearly exemplifies Thailand’s vision of Soft Power in action.
And the momentum continues. Upcoming events include Bangkok’s International Festival of Dance and Music, and the World Film Festival of Bangkok — both with strong Indian participation.
Watch this space.
