More than just a mango

The recent craze over mango sticky rice had Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha mulling ways to harness Thailand’s cultural influence abroad, although it begs the question of how much the state understands soft power and whether it is committed enough to carry through with the vision.

For years, the debate surrounding the concept of soft power has taken different courses. While the government identifies soft power with exploiting the power of Thai traditional and cultural influences overseas, the private sector advocates a more open-minded approach, arguing influences can spring from something unflattering.

Businesses and non-governmental players associated with creating soft power also ask…