Of the policies that the various political parties campaigned on during the 2023 general election in Thailand, one that especially raised my eyebrow was Pheu Thai’s “One Family, One Soft Power” policy. It described a proposal where at least one family member from every household have the chance to enter a “creative skills incubation center” at no cost. 

 

The merits of such a policy can be debated. The name, on the other hand, is to me unambiguously bad. It is confusing. It misuses a key term. And it hints at a deeper problem: a lack of conceptual clarity on what “soft power” is and how it can best be harnessed.

 

When a word catches fire in Thai bureaucratese, it becomes virtually inescapable. Soft power is the latest instance. It was first promoted under the Prayut Chan-o-cha administration, which announced that it would prioritize support for the “5Fs”: food, film, fashion, fighting, and festivals. Under the Srettha Thavisin government, use of this term has proliferated even further. The government has now set up a National Soft Power Strategy Committee headed by the prime minister and Paethongtharn Shinawatra. 

 

by Ken Mathis Lohatepanont

 

Full story: THAI ENQUIRER 2024-02-21

 

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1 hour ago, webfact said:

When a word catches fire in Thai bureaucratese

 

wasnt sure bureaucratese was a word so i googled it... nada, zilch....  just love the reporting here i can learn secret words used by the bureaucrats to infiltrate them. next step is to dye my hair black and learn to eat somtam without making faces 

Edited February 21, 20242 yr by Pouatchee

19 minutes ago, Pouatchee said:

 

wasnt sure bureaucratese was a word so i googled it... nada, zilch....  just love the reporting here i can learn secret words used by the bureaucrats to infiltrate them. next step is to dye my hair black and learn to eat somtam without making faces 

"Dictionary

Definitions from Oxford Languages · Learn more

bu·reau·crat·ese

/byo͝oˌräkrəˈtēz,ˌbyo͝orəˌkradˈēz/

noun

a style of speech or writing characterized by jargon, euphemism, and abstractions, held to be typical of bureaucrats."

 

So i guess your Google is different from my Google.

This was at the top of the page but there was a pageful of references to this word.

Mysterious why your search would have none.

Edited February 21, 20242 yr by cdemundo

4 minutes ago, cdemundo said:

 

So i guess your Google is different from my Google.

 

i stand corrected.

 

i checked again and when i copy and pasted google changed bureaucratese to bureaucrats automatically and i just didnt notice.

2 hours ago, webfact said:

The government has now set up a National Soft Power Strategy Committee headed by the prime minister and Paethongtharn Shinawatra. 

I thought she or her father was PM?

8 hours ago, webfact said:

The merits of such a policy can be debated. The name, on the other hand, is to me unambiguously bad. It is confusing. It misuses a key term. And it hints at a deeper problem: a lack of conceptual clarity on what “soft power” is and how it can best be harnessed.

I used to understand the word "hub" this "soft power" goes over my head.

13 hours ago, webfact said:

The government has now set up a National Soft Power Strategy Committee

Which will no doubt require a budget.

 

Another day, another trough.

16 hours ago, webfact said:

one family member from every household have the chance to enter a “creative skills incubation center” at no cost

Why hold back.

Make it the chance to enter a university or trade skill school at no cost.