Culture Min eyes using Thainess to enhance national image, income

 

FILE photo

 

BANGKOK, 6 April 2018 (NNT) – Thailand's Ministry of Culture has announced it is devising a strategy to boost the popularity of Thai culture, aiming to improve global perceptions of the country and generate more revenue. 

During the latest “Meet the Press” event, which was the fifth of its kind, Culture Minister Weera Rojpotchanarat stated that his ministry has set out to use culture as an instrument to drive the nation in three aspects, comprising equipping citizens with morality and well-rounded knowledge, creating more income for communities and strengthening the national image in the global arena. 

The minister also highlighted the significant role of the Ramayana epic in Thai culture, saying his ministry is in the process of adapting the story into an animated film, set to debut in 2019, when Thailand will serve as the chair of ASEAN. The animation is expected to help promote Thai culture across the region. 

As a result of the “Love and Warmth at Winter’s End” Festival and the hit TV soap opera “Buppesannivas”, Mr Weera noted that cultural promotion within the country has been successful this year, with Thai citizens now placing increased value on their own culture. In this regard, he said more films and soap operas based on actual events in Thai history will be produced in the future. 

According to the minister, more people are visiting historical sites in the Kingdom, especially Wat Chaiwatthanaram in Ayutthaya where the number of tourists number increased fifteen-fold. Copies of Chinda Mani, Thailand’s first textbook, are now in high demand while sales of traditional Thai attire and fabrics are seeing a sharp rise, allowing local economies to flourish.

 

-- nnt

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The local media is doing a very good job already.

19 minutes ago, webfact said:

Thailand's Ministry of Culture has announced it is devising a strategy to boost the popularity of Thai culture, aiming to improve global perceptions of the country and generate more revenue. 

Is that the culture whereby state officials embezzle money from childrens and impoverished people funds.

Well if the minister believes, and is declaring publicly, that a soap opera is the foundation of the nations cultural and moral strengths, that the flagging economy can be revived by people buying polyester costumes to wear when visiting the filming locations and that a cartoon version of this soap opera will prove to be the great legacy of Thailand's year of leading ASEAN, then Thailand's presence on the international stage will be memorable, if only for the howls of hysterical laughter that will accompany it.

29 minutes ago, webfact said:

In this regard, he said more films and soap operas based on actual events in Thai history will be produced in the future. 

That will be interesting as the Thai version of its history doesn't always correspond with other countries versions of it.

Oh well, if it keeps folks feeling warm and fuzzy, whatever I guess.

Whenever I hear the word "Thainess" the first image that springs to mind is a busted up motorcycle.

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why don't they wait till SONGKRAN then they will see what thainess and the culture is all about.

mangled,bodies,arms,legs, and dead children scattered all over the roads,plus the empty beer bottles.

1 hour ago, webfact said:

The minister also highlighted the significant role of the Ramayana epic in Thai culture

And when even the culture minister himself obviously is not aware that the Ramayana is actually a 4th century BCE Indian/Hindu epic on which the 18th century CE Thai version, the Ramakien (รามเกียรติ์), is based (in other words, unfortunately it's more or less a rip-off, like so many things in Thai culture), then you've already got a slight problem with this grand scheme.

Thai Thickness at its best

1 hour ago, webfact said:

comprising equipping citizens with morality

I suggest the "Morality Squad" starts from the top down as some of the poorest people in Thailand have more morality than those in high places.

Special "morality" packages will be available for large groups such as police, politicians and government employees.

Maybe the late Yul Brynner could come to the rescue with a re-release of his famous film and we all should go around singing  "Getting to know you - getting to know all about you"

30 minutes ago, Misterwhisper said:

And when even the culture minister himself obviously is not aware that the Ramayana is actually a 4th century BCE Indian/Hindu epic on which the 18th century CE Thai version, the Ramakien (รามเกียรติ์), is based (in other words, unfortunately it's more or less a rip-off, like so many things in Thai culture), then you've already got a slight problem with this grand scheme.

How true, I am sure there are some Thais who believe Siddharta Gautama was a Siamese prince. 

yes the road carnage #1 ranking is defintley an attention grabber

2 hours ago, webfact said:

During the latest “Meet the Press” event, which was the fifth of its kind, Culture Minister Weera Rojpotchanarat stated that his ministry has set out to use culture as an instrument to drive the nation in three aspects, comprising equipping citizens with morality and well-rounded knowledge, creating more income for communities and strengthening the national image in the global arena. 

So, basically, the culture ministry is, in reality, at it’s core, now the propaganda ministry?

 

Double plus good. 

2 hours ago, Stoker58 said:

Whenever I hear the word "Thainess" the first image that springs to mind is a busted up motorcycle.

I see the same, except with added ladyboys having a knife fight over said busted bike.

2 hours ago, Bluespunk said:

So, basically, the culture ministry is, in reality, at it’s core, now the propaganda ministry?

 

Double plus good. 

Sadly few in Thailand and especially the current government would know the difference, unless this was their favorite song:  Doubleplusgood - 1984 - Eurythmics

5 hours ago, webfact said:

As a result of the “Love and Warmth at Winter’s End” Festival and the hit TV soap opera “Buppesannivas”, Mr Weera noted that cultural promotion within the country has been successful this year, with Thai citizens now placing increased value on their own culture.

Especially the present "culture"..... valued highly among the rich and powerful.....

At the end of the day. 

A majority come for the sex in pattaya. 

It's as simple as that. 

So what. 

Whenever I hear the word "Thainess" the first image that springs to mind is a busted up motorcycle.

That got me good. Thanks.

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11 hours ago, PatOngo said:

Is that the culture whereby state officials embezzle money from childrens and impoverished people funds.

Indeed the Culture of Corruption.

10 hours ago, Misterwhisper said:

And when even the culture minister himself obviously is not aware that the Ramayana is actually a 4th century BCE Indian/Hindu epic on which the 18th century CE Thai version, the Ramakien (รามเกียรติ์), is based (in other words, unfortunately it's more or less a rip-off, like so many things in Thai culture), then you've already got a slight problem with this grand scheme.

Absolutely right, Misterwhisper. It has often been said - very truly - that Thailand is a nation of imitators, not innovators.

 

Innovation requires freedom and flexibility and independence of thought. THAT can never be allowed here!

9 hours ago, Lemonltr said:

Maybe the late Yul Brynner could come to the rescue with a re-release of his famous film and we all should go around singing  "Getting to know you - getting to know all about you"

It's really eye-opening to watch that famous 'King and I' film  - made, as it was, decades and decades ago. One of the most resonant parts (for us long-term ex-pats here) is when certain young Thais are astonished and in utter disbelief when they learn from their British teacher that Thailand is not the centre of the world and not the biggest and most important country on the globe.

 

Attitudes still have not changed!

9 hours ago, ratcatcher said:

How true, I am sure there are some Thais who believe Siddharta Gautama was a Siamese prince. 

Yes, and I am sure - a wicked side of me would really love to try this experiment one day - that many Thai university students would not bat an eyelid (i.e. would completely believe) if the lecturer told them that the Buddha lived and was active both in India and Thailand five hundred years ago and helped build up Thailand into the great nation it is today!

 

To many Thai students (who seem to have no notion of historical time) 2,500 years ago and 500 years ago are interchangeable. Both are meaningless historical time-frames in their eyes!

 

12 hours ago, webfact said:

The minister also highlighted the significant role of the Ramayana epic in Thai culture

Maybe the minister should also highlight that although the culture is mainly taken from Bhuddism, all religions in Thailand practice it.

1 hour ago, Eligius said:

Absolutely right, Misterwhisper. It has often been said - very truly - that Thailand is a nation of imitators, not innovators.

 

Innovation requires freedom and flexibility and independence of thought. THAT can never be allowed here!

Something i sent to a thai lady of illrepute; TFS, to which she thought i was bf her for thur, frid and sat, but it was realization of 'thai? fake sure'. There is very little of substance because everything is corrupted and corruption is fake and not culture. 

16 hours ago, webfact said:

equipping citizens with morality and well-rounded knowledge, creating more income for communities and strengthening the national image in the global arena. 

equipping citizens with morality ?? What's that? 

 

well-rounded knowledge - I think we all agree it's too late for that... ??

 

strengthening the national image in the global arena - yes, it will, for a long time to come, be seen as a sex destination - ??

 

 

 

 

 

4 hours ago, Eligius said:

Yes, and I am sure - a wicked side of me would really love to try this experiment one day - that many Thai university students would not bat an eyelid (i.e. would completely believe) if the lecturer told them that the Buddha lived and was active both in India and Thailand five hundred years ago and helped build up Thailand into the great nation it is today!

 

To many Thai students (who seem to have no notion of historical time) 2,500 years ago and 500 years ago are interchangeable. Both are meaningless historical time-frames in their eyes!

 

I have observed something similar in my (English) classes... zero concept of time/historical time e.g. man only started flying in the 1990s... Say no more... ?

19 hours ago, webfact said:

".....devising a strategy to boost the popularity of Thai culture, aiming to improve global perceptions of the country and generate more revenue". 

The cat's out of the bag. Thainess apparently is all about making money and creating an image, accurate or otherwise.

I always thought Thainess was about culture and way of life; but I suppose making money and becoming filthy rich is a big part of Thai culture; particularly for those at the top end of town. With some flexible imagination turning the country into a rubbish dump and not holding elections could also be described as Thainess.

20 hours ago, webfact said:

comprising equipping citizens with morality and well-rounded knowledge, creating more income for communities and strengthening the national image in the global arena. 

-- Quite an admission, isn't it? That "the citizens" lack morality to the extent that it needs a national agenda to resolve the problem (good luck with that). Well done, minister.

 

-- Equipping "the citizens" with well-rounded knowledge? What on earth does that mean?

 

-- And as for the national image in the global arena -- I'm kind of guessing that this bit of idiocy is being dropped as I type.

 

It's clear that the culture and tourism portfolios are reserved for the village idiots in the administration.