Thailand unveils plan to promote cultural products worldwide

Illustrative image. (Photo: Thai PBS)

Bangkok (VNA) - The Ministry of Commerce (MOC) of Thailand has pledged to take measures to drive the government's soft power development policy with a focus on promoting Thai cultural products worldwide through a "5F" approach, referring to food, film, fashion, fighting and festivals, local media reported.  

According to Phusit Ratanakul Sereroengrit, Director-General of the MOC's Department of International Trade Promotion (DITP), the government recognises these areas as potential vehicles for soft power, adding that the ministry will coordinate with the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Tourism and Sports to push the soft power policy forward.

DITP was tasked with encouraging entrepreneurs to export products with a special focus on changing their mindset to incorporate more Thai culture and values. The goal is to ensure they are accepted internationally, particularly in the areas of food, film, fashion, lifestyle products and digital content.

Data from the Ministry of Culture revealed the film industry was worth 34.1 billion baht (988 million USD) in 2021. The Digital Economy Promotion Agency's data valued the software industry at 163 billion baht, games at 37.1 billion baht, animation at 3.39 billion baht and characters at 1.6 billion baht.

In addition, the production of foreign films and content production via contracts have also recorded significant growth in recent years.

According to Phusit, the department wants to prioritise key export markets, including the US, Europe, India, mainland China, Hong Kong, East Asia and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), focusing on building confidence and promoting a positive image of Thai products and services.

He said this goal would be attained through initiatives such as the certification of Thai restaurants using the Thai Select seal provided by the Ministry of Commerce worldwide, participation in international film festivals in the US, the Republic of Korea and France, and export promotion of health, wellness and spa products within ASEAN, the Middle East and Europe.

Thai Select is part of the Thai Kitchen World Cuisine programme introduced in 2006 aiming to take advantage of the global popularity of the country's cuisine.

Phusit emphasised that Thailand will strive to promote its identity in fashion and lifestyle products throughout Asia countries, Australia, Europe and the US via international trade fairs such as STYLE Bangkok.

Thailand's food export value tallied 946 billion baht in 2022, up 16% year-on-year. This year, the ministry aims to achieve 5% growth, capitalising on the high potential of the food security sector, he said, adding that it is also targeting 14% growth in digital content exports./.