OPINION: Why Thailand’s soft power is not as successful as South Korea’s

[webfact]

 

By Nad Bunnag, Thai PBS World

 

After female Thai rapper, Danupha “Milli” Khanatheerakul, ate mango sticky rice during her Coachella concert performance a week ago, the Thai dessert suddenly became a hot item and has been selling like hot cakes since.

 

This is not the first time a Thai food or product has become a top trending item, whether it has been presented by famous celebrities or featured in the international media.

 

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Last September, when Thai member of K-pop group BLACKPINK, Lalisa “Lisa” Manoban, wore traditional headdresses and costumes in her debut solo single video, such accessories saw a significant increase in their sales in local markets. Local meatballs, in Lisa’s hometown of Buri Ram, also saw unprecedented popularity, after her exclusive interview with famous TV presenter, Woody.

 

Unfortunately, such hype is somewhat short-lived and nowhere near South Korea’s success in its use of soft power, commonly known as the “Hallyu Wave”.

 

Full story: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/opinion-why-thailands-soft-power-is-not-as-successful-as-south-koreas/

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2022-04-26

 

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[Walker88]

No surprise South Korea's soft power dwarfs Thailand. South Korea did a few things right, such as borrowing the economic model of Japan and building chaebols, the Korean equivalent of conglomerates like Mitsubishi, Sumitomo, Mitsui, etc. Working hard to improve quality, South Korean companies also followed the same road as Japan to reach world class industrial status.

 

Sixty years ago, if a product broke, the joke was, "Made in Japan". Then along came Toyota, Honda, Sony and a host of other companies (ironically following the industrial philosophy of W. Edwards Deming), who forced Western companies to get their acts together. South Korean quality was once poor; now few have many complaints about Samsung, LG, Hyundai, Kia, etc.

 

Because of the war, and the now-70 year presence of US troops in South Korea, that country had a bit of a ready audience. The country exploited that window and built upon it.

 

Entertainment kind of piggy-backed off of the industrial success and name recognition brought about through industry. Korean Soaps made a splash in former enemy Japan, then spread throughout the rest of Asia. It took a few decades, but now even a cutesy Boy Band like BTS is known in the US. Of course, the first big South Korean hit in the West was Gangnam Style by Psy.

 

Thailand lacks the industrial base that South Korea has, which put the country's name in front of consumers worldwide, and set the stage for soft power like BTS and Psy, or even kimchi. When folks elsewhere in the world think of South Korea, they think quality products at a decent price, and now even entertainment. When the world thinks of Thailand, it thinks spicy food and bargirls, or maybe Leonardo di Caprio and The Beach.

 

Thailand has a long way to go to catch South Korea, and shows no indication it can ever develop the industrial might that seems to be the first step in opening the door to soft power.

[GarryP]

16 minutes ago, Walker88 said:

Thailand has a long way to go to catch South Korea, and shows no indication it can ever develop the industrial might that seems to be the first step in opening the door to soft power.

South Korea took the power away from the military too and have been much better at handling corruption. They moved forward into the modern world. Unlike Thailand, which is still still run by mostly dinosaurs with connections and the generals, rather than the younger generations who would likely be more understanding of how to improve its soft power. 

[Walker88]

18 minutes ago, GarryP said:

South Korea took the power away from the military too and have been much better at handling corruption.

Yes. I cannot recall if it's 2, or maybe 3 former Presidents of South Korea who were jailed for corruption. That certainly sends a message about rule of law, and encourages both foreign and domestic investment.

[overherebc]

41 minutes ago, Walker88 said:

No surprise South Korea's soft power dwarfs Thailand. South Korea did a few things right, such as borrowing the economic model of Japan and building chaebols, the Korean equivalent of conglomerates like Mitsubishi, Sumitomo, Mitsui, etc. Working hard to improve quality, South Korean companies also followed the same road as Japan to reach world class industrial status.

 

Sixty years ago, if a product broke, the joke was, "Made in Japan". Then along came Toyota, Honda, Sony and a host of other companies (ironically following the industrial philosophy of W. Edwards Deming), who forced Western companies to get their acts together. South Korean quality was once poor; now few have many complaints about Samsung, LG, Hyundai, Kia, etc.

 

Because of the war, and the now-70 year presence of US troops in South Korea, that country had a bit of a ready audience. The country exploited that window and built upon it.

 

Entertainment kind of piggy-backed off of the industrial success and name recognition brought about through industry. Korean Soaps made a splash in former enemy Japan, then spread throughout the rest of Asia. It took a few decades, but now even a cutesy Boy Band like BTS is known in the US. Of course, the first big South Korean hit in the West was Gangnam Style by Psy.

 

Thailand lacks the industrial base that South Korea has, which put the country's name in front of consumers worldwide, and set the stage for soft power like BTS and Psy, or even kimchi. When folks elsewhere in the world think of South Korea, they think quality products at a decent price, and now even entertainment. When the world thinks of Thailand, it thinks spicy food and bargirls, or maybe Leonardo di Caprio and The Beach.

 

Thailand has a long way to go to catch South Korea, and shows no indication it can ever develop the industrial might that seems to be the first step in opening the door to soft power.

As above and I would throw in two basic seasons, summer/winter and this means people have always been used to planning for a cold time of the year. 

Thailand has really no winter and every day is the same as yesterday (basically) so planning has never been required. Any planning here is done by other nationalities.

[Tropicalevo]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

Unfortunately, such hype is somewhat short-lived and nowhere near South Korea’s success in its use of soft power,

Maybe because the South Korean Prime Minister does not sue the people promoting that soft power.

Unlike the Thai Prime Minister who is suing Milli and has already had her fined for an online post.

[John Drake]

South Korea (and Japan) have strong immigration and cultural ties with many American cities and states. They are a visible presence in the landscape. The intermixing of Koreans directly into America helps with the spread of its so-called "soft power."  Thais in the US are mostly grouped in one spot. Say "Thailand" and connections in the American mind are vague at best. At worst, they're like what I still keep getting from people who think I live in Taiwan. In terms of Asia and its soft power in the US, I would rank as follows: 1) Japan 2) China 3)South Korea 4) Vietnam 5)Cambodia (for not altogether good reasons). The rest are all a muddle, although Thailand may be near to being "best of the rest." And no, India doesn't count as part of this picture, while Singapore, if it's thought of as anything other than a World War II history documentary, gets mention only because it canes teenage boys for chewing bubble gum.

Edited April 26, 2022 by John Drake

[Misterwhisper]

One of the issues with Thailand's perceived and much-trumpeted "soft power" is that it practically never reaches beyond the country's national borders. Thus it's irrelevant and inconsequential.

 

> Milli's "mango and sticky rice promotion" triggered a sales pike WITHIN Thailand, but not anywhere else.

> Lisa's "Buriram meatballs" (which really are quite mediocre and not much different from any other meatballs) sold like hotcakes IN Thailand, but not abroad.

> And as the article pointed out, the traditional headdresses and costumes promoted in Lisa's video "saw a significant increase in their sales in local markets".

> Although "Blackpink" has become a pop music phenomenon in many countries particularly in Asia, Lalisa Manoban herself is NOT hyped up as a Thai member of "Blackpink" but rather is regarded as "lead singer of South Korean group, Blackpink". Except in Thailand, of course, where it's ALL about Lisa, Lisa, Lisa.

 

Meanwhile, South Korea's "soft power" has been reaching far beyond its national borders, and on so many levels, from pop music to fashion and consumer electronics to automotive technology.

 

Granted, Thai restaurants have become ubiquitous in many cities around the globe but - and that has to be pointed out, too! - they invariably serve localized, toned-down, quite disappointing versions that are an insult to the real thing. And yes, Thai boxing has been successfully exported as well. BUT... it remains a niche sports everywhere outside of Thailand. Lastly,

 

Thailand exports gigantic volumes of frozen shrimps and chicken, as well as rice and herbal condiments to all corners of the world. Yet in the end it is immaterial to the general consumer whether they just put Thai shrimps or Vietnamese shrimps or Malaysian shrimps or Indonesian shrimps into their shopping cart as long as the price is right. 

 

Quintessentially speaking, not much Thai "soft power" is actually happening on an international level. That is if you discount the Thai hookers who - just like frozen shrimps and chicken - ALSO can be found practically anywhere on this planet. But they are of course not the sort of "soft power" the local media and government agencies have in mind when they disseminate their now almost daily published "soft power" drivel.      

[Berkshire]

3 hours ago, Walker88 said:

No surprise South Korea's soft power dwarfs Thailand. South Korea did a few things right, such as borrowing the economic model of Japan and building chaebols, the Korean equivalent of conglomerates like Mitsubishi, Sumitomo, Mitsui, etc. Working hard to improve quality, South Korean companies also followed the same road as Japan to reach world class industrial status.

 

Sixty years ago, if a product broke, the joke was, "Made in Japan". Then along came Toyota, Honda, Sony and a host of other companies (ironically following the industrial philosophy of W. Edwards Deming), who forced Western companies to get their acts together. South Korean quality was once poor; now few have many complaints about Samsung, LG, Hyundai, Kia, etc.

 

Because of the war, and the now-70 year presence of US troops in South Korea, that country had a bit of a ready audience. The country exploited that window and built upon it.

 

Entertainment kind of piggy-backed off of the industrial success and name recognition brought about through industry. Korean Soaps made a splash in former enemy Japan, then spread throughout the rest of Asia. It took a few decades, but now even a cutesy Boy Band like BTS is known in the US. Of course, the first big South Korean hit in the West was Gangnam Style by Psy.

 

Thailand lacks the industrial base that South Korea has, which put the country's name in front of consumers worldwide, and set the stage for soft power like BTS and Psy, or even kimchi. When folks elsewhere in the world think of South Korea, they think quality products at a decent price, and now even entertainment. When the world thinks of Thailand, it thinks spicy food and bargirls, or maybe Leonardo di Caprio and The Beach.

 

Thailand has a long way to go to catch South Korea, and shows no indication it can ever develop the industrial might that seems to be the first step in opening the door to soft power.

Nevermind Thailand, S. Korea has been more successful than any Asian country in exporting its cultural identity all over the world.  More so than China or even Japan.  China and Japan have been focused on exporting products while S. Korea has been exporting "themselves," that is music, TV shows, movies, etc.  A S. Korean movie won the Academy Awards for Best Picture just last year.  

 

For Thailand, or any other Asian country, to duplicate what S. Korea did, there would have to be a national strategy.  The government would have to want to do it.  I don't think there's a willingness or the know how to pull it off in Thailand or any other Asian country. 

[hotchilli]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

Unfortunately, such hype is somewhat short-lived and nowhere near South Korea’s success in its use of soft power, commonly known as the “Hallyu Wave”.

I thought with Thailands shallowness it would be the hub of soft-power.

Almost anything and everything triggers a stampede to copy.

[GarryP]

6 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

I thought with Thailands shallowness it would be the hub of soft-power.

Almost anything and everything triggers a stampede to copy.

I think you mean limp-d!ck power. It seems to excel at this. 

[zyphodb]

3 hours ago, Misterwhisper said:

One of the issues with Thailand's perceived and much-trumpeted "soft power" is that it practically never reaches beyond the country's national borders. Thus it's irrelevant and inconsequential.

 

> Milli's "mango and sticky rice promotion" triggered a sales pike WITHIN Thailand, but not anywhere else.

> Lisa's "Buriram meatballs" (which really are quite mediocre and not much different from any other meatballs) sold like hotcakes IN Thailand, but not abroad.

> And as the article pointed out, the traditional headdresses and costumes promoted in Lisa's video "saw a significant increase in their sales in local markets".

> Although "Blackpink" has become a pop music phenomenon in many countries particularly in Asia, Lalisa Manoban herself is NOT hyped up as a Thai member of "Blackpink" but rather is regarded as "lead singer of South Korean group, Blackpink". Except in Thailand, of course, where it's ALL about Lisa, Lisa, Lisa.

 

Meanwhile, South Korea's "soft power" has been reaching far beyond its national borders, and on so many levels, from pop music to fashion and consumer electronics to automotive technology.

 

Granted, Thai restaurants have become ubiquitous in many cities around the globe but - and that has to be pointed out, too! - they invariably serve localized, toned-down, quite disappointing versions that are an insult to the real thing. And yes, Thai boxing has been successfully exported as well. BUT... it remains a niche sports everywhere outside of Thailand. Lastly,

 

Thailand exports gigantic volumes of frozen shrimps and chicken, as well as rice and herbal condiments to all corners of the world. Yet in the end it is immaterial to the general consumer whether they just put Thai shrimps or Vietnamese shrimps or Malaysian shrimps or Indonesian shrimps into their shopping cart as long as the price is right. 

 

Quintessentially speaking, not much Thai "soft power" is actually happening on an international level. That is if you discount the Thai hookers who - just like frozen shrimps and chicken - ALSO can be found practically anywhere on this planet. But they are of course not the sort of "soft power" the local media and government agencies have in mind when they disseminate their now almost daily published "soft power" drivel.      

Ah, but Thailand is the centre of the universe so soft power here doesn't mean the same thing as it does to the rest of the world lol

[worldexpress]

Korean "soft' power projects an aura of credibility and substance that comes from a solid foundation. They are the 10th largest of economy (from NOTHING but hard work with no natural resources) despite being about 1/4 of the size of Thailand.  The Koreans are world class in

• Ship building (#1)
• Construction (They built the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, a Petronas Tower in Malaysia, the just-opened 1915 Canakkale Bridge in Turkey, etc.)
• Sports (they're competitive in just about everything)
• Classical music
• Military strength and hardware production

The list can go on and on. It's laughable Thailand even dares to be compared with Korea, or any other first world country. They have a long way to go.

 

 

 

 

Edited April 27, 2022 by worldexpress

[mtls2005]

"Why Thailand’s soft power is not as successful as South Korea’s?"

 

 

I'm surprised the author of the op-ed piece, presumably a reasonably edumacated thai citizen needs to ask such a question, unless rhetorically.

 

Any "power', "soft" certainly, needs to be tightly controlled. It cannot be ceded under any circumstances. Just look at the claw-backs since 1932.

 

"Hard" power? Meh. Been there, done that, as recently as 1997. The ultra-nationalists won't let that happen again.

 

 

That Milli first earned a Defamation charge, and only as a result of some press, was hailed as a soft-power savant tells you everything you need to know.

 

Will be interesting if she is co-opted?

 

Edited April 27, 2022 by mtls2005

[candide]

Hmmm... Let me guess. Because South Korean is no longer ruled by a military autocracy since the mid-80s?

[mtls2005]

7 minutes ago, candide said:

Hmmm... Let me guess. Because South Korean is no longer ruled by a military autocracy since the mid-80s?

Exactly, well that a one or two other significant "things".

 

Not exactly rocket science, but maybe for the author it's some sort of revelation?

 

 

[candide]

12 minutes ago, mtls2005 said:

Exactly, well that a one or two other significant "things".

 

Not exactly rocket science, but maybe for the author it's some sort of revelation?

 

 

On the same subject, another difference is that the military-linked autocracy was rather competent in SK.