The recent proposal to merge the Ministry of Culture with the Ministry of Tourism should be treated with great caution. This idea may appear to be just a bureaucratic restructuring. But the two ministries have distinct missions, functions and skill sets that should not be combined. The Ministry of Culture protects cultural heritage and supports the arts. The Ministry of Tourism promotes and regulates tourism as a key driver of economic growth.
Culture might attract tourists or generate revenue, but that is not why it is valuable. Heritage and the arts have intrinsic importance to the nation, Thais and the world. Cultural heritage is the source of a people's identity. It gives them a sense of their roots and an understanding of who they are. In the fine arts, Thailand's people express themselves through visual art, literature, film, music and dance.
