[ad_1]
The song’s huge success comes at a time when official definitions of “Thailand” and “Thainess” are changing in Thailand. After two decades of rapid export-led growth, Thailand has transformed itself into an upper-middle-income economy, with poverty rates falling sharply since 2011.
However, as this “turbo capitalism” accelerates across the board, the national discourse at home becomes unclear.
Since the colonial era of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the Thai elite has sought to maintain control over the region in the face of Western powers, and so the definition of Thailand and Thai-ness has been tightly controlled. The explicit definition and outline of these official concepts of Thai culture has resulted in national identity becoming an act of conformity.
While Thailand’s political system still has many problems, the 2023 coalition government has brought a sense of stability and social progress. This is in stark contrast to the situation 10 years ago, when several high-profile international performers (including Frankie Valli, Taylor Swift and Eric Clapton) canceled Bangkok concerts due to political unrest.
Just two years ago, researchers cited a country’s political values as an “obstacle” to soft power development. But in the context of Rockstar, that seems like a clear overstatement.
[ad_2]
Source link
