2-12-2023 (BANGKOK) In a bid to enhance its “soft power” and attract a global audience, Thailand has revealed plans to extend its traditional Songkran festival into a month-long extravaganza starting next year. Paetongtarn Shinawatra, leader of the Pheu Thai Party and president of the National Soft Power Strategy Committee (NSPSC), made the announcement on Friday, expressing the committee’s determination to elevate Songkran to one of the world’s premier festivals.
“Let’s make the Songkran festival the event that everyone has to fly to Thailand to attend. Let’s make Thailand [home of] one of the top 10 global festivals,” declared Ms Paetongtarn.
According to her Facebook post, the extended festival is anticipated to inject a staggering 35 billion baht into the Thai economy. The NSPSC has already drafted a budget of 5.1 billion baht, earmarked for key industries such as festival events (1 billion baht), culinary affairs (1 billion baht), tourism (711 million baht), entertainment (545 million baht), sports (500 million baht), Thai arts (380 million baht), creative design (310 million baht), music (144 million baht), and books (69 million baht).
Dr Surapong Suebwonglee, vice president of the NSPSC, emphasized the importance of passing the Soft Power Act and establishing the Thailand Creative Content Agency (Thacca) to bolster the country’s soft power. Thacca will oversee 12 sub-committees, each focusing on a specific soft power industry with representation from respective sectors.
The NSPSC is set to review the proposed budget by December 14 before presenting the final report to the cabinet in January.
Chadatip Chutrakul, CEO of Siam Piwat Co, the operator of Siam Paragon, Siam Center, and Siam Discovery malls, outlined plans for more than 10,000 nationwide events throughout 2024, with the extended Songkran festival in April as the highlight.
As the president of the sub-committee on festival events, Ms Chadatip disclosed that the water festival would take place on Rachadamnoen Avenue and other locations in Old Town Bangkok, featuring performances by global and local artists. Provinces across Thailand will also host water festival events throughout April, showcasing their unique regional traditions.
Ms Chadatip highlighted the positive impact on local employment and the opportunity for organizers to train locals in event planning. Additionally, the sub-committee plans to develop a mobile app to promote Thailand’s soft power to an international audience.
