Protecting culture is key
PM Paetongtarn is the second prime minister in Thai history to concurrently take up the post of culture minister. The first was Field Marshal Plaek Pibulsongkram in 1952. Field Marshal Plaek -- known for his media savviness, used elements of Thai culture, such as patriotic literature, food and even dress codes to propel his ultra-nationalistic propaganda campaign.
In modern times, this portfolio is regarded as Grade C in Thai politics -- the seat is either given to political rookies or to return favours to loyal politicians. The ministry receives around 7 billion baht annually, among the five ministries that have the lowest budget allocation. Unlike agriculture, education or even the labour ministries, the Minister of Culture does not have the opportunity to engage or give favours to local voters.
It must be said that the Pheu Thai Party has paid a lot of attention to cultural management. The party has created culturally inclined policies such as the creative economy and soft power. During his first term, her father and then-prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra created special bodies such as the Office of Knowledge Management and Development (OKMD) and new cultural museums to cater to modern culture, such as Museum Siam.
With Ms Paetongtarn at its helm, it is certain that this ministry will get more financial and policy support.
Indeed, the embattled PM made a good impression on her first day. Appearing energetic and fresh, Ms Paetongtarn said she had enough energy to serve the Ministry of Culture. She told officials that her goal is to "commercialise" Thai culture -- areas such as food, boxing, and even promoting film production, which aligns with the Pheu Thai Party's flagship "soft power" policy.
Yet the task of the Culture Ministry is more than just peddling soft power. The Ministry of Culture has a lot of challenges and problems that have been left unresolved. The most glaring problem is the faltering conservation of Thailand's heritage buildings.
Thailand has sold its cultural heritage for tourism. Yet, we have seen valuable architectural heritage buildings left in disrepair or simply knocked down, such as the Sala Chalermthai Theatre and, recently, the Scala Theatre. Both architectural gems were demolished simply because they were not listed under the Ancient Monuments, Antiques, Objects of Art and National Museums Act 1961. The new minister must improve such laws to protect such architectural gems.
Even some national heritage buildings are affected by development projects. One glaring example was the attempt to explore petrochemical resources near the highly valuable Si Thep Historical Park in 2018. Without strong local opposition, oil exploration would have continued near the heritage site, and Si Thep would not have been listed as a Unesco World Heritage Site in 2023. PM Paetongtarn should use her power and experience to make development policies to support soft power and cultural heritage protection.
Politicians who sit at the Ministry of Culture must pay more attention towards protecting and preserving existing cultural heritage sites. Without this, Thailand will not have much soft power to sell.
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