Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha has commended Lalisa Manobal, known as “Lisa Blackpink,” a Thai member of the renowned Korean K-pop band Blackpink, for making Thailand’s “soft power” better known worldwide.

Speaking on 10 June 2023, Deputy Secretary-General to the Prime Minister for Political Affairs and Acting Government Spokesperson Anucha Burapachaisri referred to Lisa’s visit to Ayutthaya province recently, when she posted photographs of herself wearing a Thai skirt in traditional blue handwoven fabric known as mudmee. The skirt had been made in Mueang district in the northeastern province of Udon Thani, which is famous for handwoven silk and cotton products and hosts many historical, cultural, and natural attractions.

Mr. Anucha said that Lisa and a group of her friends visited Ayutthaya, a former capital of Thailand, which is a major tourist attraction with many cultural and historical sites. Ayutthaya was declared a World Heritage Site by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) on 13 December 1991. 

He said that the Prime Minister praised Lisa for her expression of love and taking pride in Thai culture and her wearing of Thai costumes on appropriate occasions, as well as her talks about “Thainess” during her participation in various activities.

For instance, a music video featuring Lisa in a Thai-style costume with the traditional headdress chada played a role in making Thai culture more exposed to the eyes of the world. It reflects the use of a creative idea in combination with contemporary culture, and has attracted millions of viewers at the global level.

Moreover, Mr. Anucha pointed out that Lisa has inspired young Thai people to pay greater attention to wearing Thai fabric and taking pride in Thai culture. Her expression and actions have helped boost Thailand’s soft power and moved the Thai economy forward through tourism promotion and wealth distribution to the regional areas of the country. 

Soft power has become an important tool in growing economic value. The Thai government has set a policy to promote soft power in order to make Thailand’s creative industries known internationally and to increase the country’s economic value and generate income for communities.