Thai soft power push marks 170 years of Thailand-France ties
Thailand is looking to France for lessons in turning culture into global influence, as Culture Minister Sabeeda Thaised led talks on May 22 to mark 170 years of Thailand-France diplomatic ties and push Thai soft power through five areas of cooperation.
At 5.30pm local time, Sabeeda and senior Ministry of Culture executives met French Culture Minister Catherine Pégard during an official visit to France.
The meeting marked the 170th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Thailand and France. It also continued cultural links dating back more than 340 years to the reign of King Narai the Great.
Both sides discussed ways to strengthen cultural cooperation between people, society, and creative industries. Thailand expressed its intention to deepen cooperation through concrete joint projects and activities.
Sabeeda said the visit reflected the Thai Ministry of Culture’s proactive role in studying France’s global model for cultural management.
She said Thailand aimed to adapt those lessons to its own context, particularly in developing cultural industries and the creative economy to compete internationally.
The Thai delegation also held talks with representatives from leading French cultural organisations, including Comité Colbert, Centre National de la Danse (CND), and France Muséums.
The talks focused on five key areas of cooperation: developing cultural and creative industries, upgrading the film industry, exchanging performing arts knowledge, strengthening museum and cultural heritage cooperation, and supporting collaboration among UNESCO Creative Cities Network members.
Thailand believes the cooperation would help build on long-term relations and raise the country’s role in international culture and creative industries in a concrete way.
The visit comes as a Royal Thai dress exhibition opens in Paris under the patronage of Princess Sirivannavari Nariratana Rajakanya, presenting royal garments, Thai textiles and contemporary designs at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs.
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