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Living with Thainess? Excuse me?
Kavi Chongkittavorn
The Nation (Opinion)
Published on August 29, 2005

It is amazing that the Thai government has the audacity to embark on a campaign called “Living with Thainess”, or “Vithi Thai Su Lok”, at this time when anything related to Thailand on the international stage seems to be negative because of the government’s human-rights violations and media muzzling.

Vithi thai su lok means bringing Thai way of life to the world – and indicates a very narcissistic way of looking at things.

The Commerce Ministry last week briefed Thai ambassadors and consular heads stationed overseas about the government’s ongoing efforts to promote the country’s heritage and traditions as cultural products. The ministry asked them all to become the country’s salesmen. To compete in the world today, the government believes that Thailand needs to create new cultural products that can compete with those of other countries. On the global level, the US has Hollywood culture, blue jeans, music, pizza and hamburgers, while Japan has manga cartoons and its own food and music as its cultural products. South Korea, which has seen an upsurge in its cultural influence in films and martial arts, is enjoying the fruits of their commercial success. In China, food, handicrafts and history-rich holiday destinations are the country’s best assets. The argument goes that Thailand needs to follow the same path and create cultural icons on the global stage. The government has chosen Otop products, Thai cuisine and fruit, tourism, movies and boxing, among other things, as our selling points. It is hard to argue against any effort that promotes Thai culture and in the process makes money. But it is pretty scary if the campaign means to be something more than that.

Who wants to “live with Thainess” anywhere, really? In the viewpoints of neighbouring Laos, Burma and Cambodia, such a pronouncement would seem to imply a Thai-centred attitude and a sense of superiority. In the age of globalisation, the world has become more cosmopolitan and interconnected anyway, and living with Thainess seems to be a rather superficial way of drawing attention to Thailand’s cultural heritage. It’s sad how the government is promoting Thai culture in such a money-focused way. Everything that can translate Thai culture into cash is a now a novelty. Label Thai products, give them add-on value and export them. Foreigners will eat them up, they say.

To be fair, the campaign to sell Thailand’s culture, products and local traditions to foreigners is not new. It has been going for years, but previously on a small scale, with good taste and with a great deal of cultural sensitivity.

The “Amazing Thailand” campaign of the 1990s was exceptional. It so successfully boosted Thailand’s image in positive ways, and was such a boon to the tourist industry, that it increased the country’s confidence and led to new campaigns promoting Thai cuisine, and Thailand as an adventure-sport destination.

Now the scale and marketing of Thainess to the world by the government is humongous. Really, it is a bit out of proportion. The aim is to commercialise every aspect of Thai culture. That is the way to increase foreign-exchange earnings and create jobs. The long-term outcomes of this approach have yet to be discerned. Obviously, the government wants to maximise the country’s assets in every possible way without dwelling on the negative consequences.

The government is using the ruling Thai Rak Thai party’s marketing strategies, gimmicks and expertise to create a brand for Thailand in just about everything. In months and years to come, the government will zero in on making Thailand’s sea, sun and sand (minus ###) and Otop products globally known brand names. Obviously, there are other new things that the government will dig up along the way. Well, it is part of the overall strategies. Thailand has a huge potential for developing more sea resorts, adventure-sport sites and diving spots, which can turn the country into a “Paradise on Earth”. That is the government’s aim.

Problem is, Thailand is not a paradise or as exotic as the government claims. The country is in a deep crisis both in the political and economic areas. Pretending everything is fine and dandy is not a good way to introduce Thailand.

Despite the great damage done to the country’s pride and image, as inflicted and repeatedly exacerbated by the government and its leaders, Thailand still enjoys a reservoir of goodwill around the world. This has been due to our forefathers and leaders who have saved up lots of goodwill capital overseas and within the UN system. But this goodwill is receding fast.

For instance, at the recent cross-examination of the Thai human-rights record at the UN’s Geneva offices, international human-rights experts recalled the good old days and better records Thailand enjoyed. They expressed regret that the country has been subjected to the UN Human Rights Commission for further enquiries and calls for clarification. The chilling effect of such human-rights violations is marring Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra’s visit to the UN and the US.

Thailand’s positive image has been tarnished. If the human-rights violations and media muzzling, and the proliferation of leadership arrogance that has become Thaksin’s stigma, are allowed to continue, then the country’s international reputation will suffer a serious blow. And Thainess will be something disdained by the world.