The mango that moved the world

Many people enjoyed an unexpected windfall after the rapper Milli ate the beloved Thai dessert mango sticky rice onstage at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival earlier this year.

Mango vendors had higher revenues while riders queued up for hours in front of their favourite mango sticky rice shops. A similar experience occurred after Blackpink singer Lisa said she wanted to buy the famed deep-fried meatballs from her home province of Buri Ram as soon as she returned home. The local delicacy suddenly became sought after across the country, with sales skyrocketing among vendors in the northeastern province.

These cultural touchstones that help enhance a country’s image and economy are examples of soft power, which the Thai government hopes to harness through the creation of a committee for national image enhancement through soft power, with…