Countries around the world use soft power to spread their appeal and influence, though some have proved more successful in achieving this than others. (Photo by Z @dead____artist)

 

 Soft power. The United States has Hollywood, jazz and Facebook while South Korea can boast K-pop, kimchi and taekwondo. For Thailand, pad thai, tom yum kung and Muay Thai pack a global punch. Mango sticky rice is the most recent addition to that list after Thai female rapper Danupha “Milli” Khanatheerakul grabbed a bowl during her set at the Coachella festival in California.  

 

Countries around the world use soft power to spread their appeal and influence, though some have proved more successful in achieving this than others.

 

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Wealthy and powerful states tend to be better at projecting their soft power internationally, though certain smaller ones — like Singapore and Switzerland — have achieved similar success, say experts.

 

What is soft power?

 

Coined by American political scientist Joseph Nye in the late 1980s, the term soft power means “the ability to get what you want through attraction and persuasion rather than coercion or payment” — in contrast to “hard power”, which refers to the use of force or military action.

 

Full story: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/from-thailand-to-america-to-china-the-secret-to-global-success-is-soft-power/

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2022-04-29

 

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Ukrain had a lot of it and now they are getting pounded every day with hard missiles and bomba.....If you have hard power, soft power sell itself!!

If "soft power" owes its success to the Woke of Hollywood, god help us all....

That really have a hard on for soft power lately.

 

So is COVID-19 soft power for China?

3 hours ago, webfact said:

The United States has Hollywood, jazz and Facebook

Jazz ?? Weird choice for a Top3 of US soft power ????

 

 

3 hours ago, webfact said:

Soft power. The United States has Hollywood, jazz and Facebook while South Korea can boast K-pop, kimchi and taekwondo. For Thailand, pad thai, tom yum kung and Muay Thai pack a global punch

Correction, Thailand has Walking street, Bangla road, Soi Cowboy, Pat pong, Nana.. etc etc nothing else.

1 hour ago, blazes said:

If "soft power" owes its success to the Woke of Hollywood, god help us all....

The soft power is finely pulling back the curtain and we are seeing these people for the first time as they really are. Kansas may be the only safe place left?

3 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

Correction, Thailand has Walking street, Bangla road, Soi Cowboy, Pat pong, Nana.. etc etc nothing else.

Thats hard power thanks to ED tabbies 

Viagra can help with soft power.

My mind goes toward the China “Belt and Road” initiative and again thanks to China, the U.S. shipments of COVID vaccines around the globe as “soft power”.

2 hours ago, Willy Wombat said:

That really have a hard on for soft power lately.

 

Could it replace "hub" as the buzz word of choice for the Thai media?  Time will tell. 

 

2 hours ago, Isaan sailor said:

So is COVID-19 soft power for China?

Well, it certainly has got them noticed over the last couple of years...

Yes, granted, many countries around the world have their particular strengths, leading to them attaining soft power in one or another area; or several. It's a quite natural development, actually.

 

The big difference to Thailand is of course that these countries do NOT constantly, incessantly and obsessively trumpet about it in practically every other news article.

3 hours ago, Misterwhisper said:

The big difference to Thailand is of course that these countries do NOT constantly, incessantly and obsessively trumpet about it in practically every other news article.

The result of soft heads.

does Thailand cultivate anything that would give them recognition or influence? it's sad that sticky rice is their answer. the gov't isn't interested in spending money to cultivate culture, and Thailand won't have any influence until they do. just another lazy gov't that wants results without the effort.

"walk softly but carry a big stick"

On 4/29/2022 at 6:56 AM, rwill said:

Viagra can help with soft power.

Yes it does! LOL!!!

soft power (your def) “the ability to get what you want through attraction and persuasion rather than coercion or payment”

None of the examples of soft power are soft power... "The United States has Hollywood, jazz and Facebook while South Korea can boast K-pop, kimchi and taekwondo. For Thailand, pad thai, tom yum kung and Muay Thai pack a global punch."

More like static electricity.... just cultural features.... how did pad thai help get Thailand off human trafficking charges, for example?  Did X men keep Putin from invading Ukraine?