Thailand 4.0 and the Internal Focus of Nation Branding

ABSTRACT

This paper examines nation branding in the context of post-coup Thailand. It challenges the dominant view within the nation-branding literature that nation branding is an externally-oriented, apolitical, business-derived practice aimed at increasing a country’s global competitive advantage. Instead, the paper argues, nation branding is a highly-politicised practice that is primarily aimed at changing the social attitudes and behaviours of the nation’s citizens. To demonstrate the political nature and internal focus of nation branding, this paper examines one of Thailand’s recent branding initiatives – the Thailand 4.0 project – that promotes sustainable economic growth in a digital age. The paper first discusses nation branding from a theoretical perspective drawing on studies in the fields of business, international relations, culture and the media. Secondly, it contextualises Thai nation branding within the political developments of the past decade. Thirdly, it analyses the project’s contents and surrounding discourses, drawing on primary data gathered during the author’s 2016 field research in Thailand. The paper argues that Thailand 4.0 is an exercise in internal nation branding aimed at enhancing the military junta’s power and legitimacy by “selling” a vision of economic prosperity to the Thai people in exchange for their support, trust and loyalty.

KEYWORDS:

• Nation branding
• Thailand
• Thailand 4.0
• internal nation branding
• military
• politics

Acknowledgments

I would like to thank Duncan McCargo, Adam Tyson and Juliette Schwak for all their feedback and help, the two anonymous referees for their comments and all participants in this research for their insights. An earlier version of this article was presented at the Political Studies Association 67^th Annual International Conference in Glasgow, 10–12 April 2017.

Notes

1. For examples of these, see N. Paris, “Sandwich Eating and 1984: 8 things that can get you arrested in Thailand”, The Telegraph, 11 September 2014. Retrieved from http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/asia/thailand/articles/Sandwich-eating-and-1984-8-things-that-can-get-you-arrested-in-Thailand/.

2. The research used in this paper covers the junta’s nation-branding efforts until 1 December 2016, when King Vajiralongkorn officially ascended the Thai throne.

3. For a similar argument in the context of Kazakhstan, see Fauve (2015).

4. The author interviewed 11 governmental officials across different ministries between June and November 2016. Many officials were aware of the English term “nation branding”. For those who were not, the author translated the term as การสร้างแบรนด์แห่งชาติ and explained its meaning. None of the interviewed officials had heard of the term nation branding in relation to the Prayuth administration.

5. The video is available in Thai at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OEfY3rQZpNo.

6. The original Thai caption reads เราเริ่มแล้ว คุณเริ่มหรือยัง.

7. Forbes assumed that the Crown Property Bureau was the King’s personal property, which was a contentious question at the time. See “The King is Not Rich”, Prachatai, 25 February 2011. Retrieved from https://prachatai.com/english/node/2329.