Harvard University Professor Joseph Nye coined the term "soft power", or the ability to obtain preferred outcomes by attraction, rather than coercion or payment, in his book Bound To Lead in 1990. However, he has since seen his brainchild, scribbled out on his kitchen table, grow in scope of application and distance.
He wrote in an article published in Nature in early 2017: "With time, I have come to realise that concepts such as soft power are like children. As an academic or a public intellectual, you can love and discipline them when they are young, but as they grow, they wander off and make new company, both good and bad. There is not much you can do about it, even if you were present at the creation."
His comment holds true more so than ever now as the Thai government is jumping on the bandwagon to promote the country's soft power after 19-year-old rapper Milli, the first Thai singer at Coachella, ate mango and sticky rice on stage. It is not surprising for the government to do this though. It once touted a plan following the phenomenal success of Thai-born K-pop singer Lisa, who wore a traditional golden headdress for her first solo single last September.
While these individual feats can bring recognition, I must beg to differ on the government's understanding of soft power and propaganda campaigns. Nye recounted how his concept took hold in China.
In 2007, Chinese President Hu Jintao said it needed to invest in soft power. Officials asked him how to increase its influence and he replied: "China should realise that most of a country's soft power comes from civil society, rather than from its government. Propaganda is not credible and does not attract. China needs to give more leeway to the talents of its civil society, even though this is difficult to reconcile with tight party control."
What comes close to real soft power is not Milli's performance or the sweet treat. Milli also debunked the backward stereotype of Thailand by saying: "I didn't ride an elephant." Besides, she took aim at bood (Thai word for rot) in government the same way she did last year despite facing a fine for public insult.
Milli is an example of those who have embraced foreign cultural influence due to the impact of globalisation or the process by which capital, information and people acquired global reach in the last few decades of the 20th century. Just being Thai and carrying traditional items do not give the country its much-yearned soft power in the international community.
However, Thai authorities have mistaken tradition for soft power. Last December, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said the nation, religion and king are the source of the country's soft power during a visit to the South, sparking criticism of whether he really grasps the concept. But as Nye said, soft power comes from civil society. In other words, it should go beyond state ideology. But freedom does not thrive under authoritarian rule. Thai authorities have cracked down on dissenters, breeding a climate of fear. In a recent annual report by Amnesty International, over 1,400 people face legal actions for criticising the government last year, while at least 116 people have been charged with royal defamation.
When it comes to artists, they should be guaranteed freedom of expression, a precondition for the country's soft power. However, those who cross the line are facing suppression. Last year, veteran editor Suchart Sawasdsri became the first national artist of a line-up of more than 300 to be stripped of his title and benefits for his political stance, signalling others to stay silent.
It is not surprising that officials have only a few products, like national dishes and performances, but they are too anachronistic, insular or out of touch with reality to create a global cultural wave. Thailand should give up the notion of exceptionalism, or the idea that the country is special because it was never colonised. It averted colonisation by adopting a semi-colonial compromise.
Fear of foreign interference remains prevalent in today's xenophobic discourse. For example, conservative groups often allege that pro-democracy protesters and human rights organisations are being backed by foreign countries. It reflects a world order in which states have the power within their territories and may not interfere with others' affairs.
In fact, South Korea's transition from authoritarian rule to democracy in the late 1980s was key in the development of the country's soft power because it guaranteed diversity of thought, enhancing its appeal and global reach. Its cultural wave, Hallyu, kicked off after the Asian Financial Crisis in the late 1990s because the government wanted to export its culture.
Since then, it has gone global. I watched Full House and read the translated books in 2004. Due to the popularity of the soapy drama, other products were rolled out like songs and souvenirs. I remember buying Bangkok Post's Student Weekly featuring Rain or Jung Ji-hoon on its cover. To create soft power, Thailand should start by letting democracy take its course.
Thana Boonlert is a feature writer for the Life section of the Bangkok Post.
