Perceptions of Thais Toward Turkish Foreign Policies Through the Soft Power 30

Abstract

This paper investigates the impacts of Turkish soft power towards Thailand from the perspective of Thai citizens. This study also examines the initial attitudes of Thais toward Turkey as a whole and builds a resource of data in order to promote Thailand-Turkey relations. It uses the qualitative method that relied on academic papers. In-depth interviews with 14 key informants were undertaken, online public opinion surveys also sought. The study finds that, after acquiring the data and evaluating it using the 6 indicators framework of the Soft Power 30, Turkey’s soft power has the most effective and identifiable impact on Thai citizens on cultural and historical dimensions. Global society engagement, education, economics, and technological factors all show a second-highest impact accordingly. In terms of the political and government dimensions, it appears that they have less impact on Thai society. It was also discovered that different religious groups had distinct sentiments regarding Turkey. Muslim in Thailand have more favorable sentiments of Turkey than any other religious group. This might be owing to the image that Turkey has cultivated in the international arena. The major impediment to the growth of Thailand-Turkey ties is a lack of mutual information. As a result, this research proposes that there should be an exchange of information and promoting mutual understanding between governments, private agencies, and educational institutions.