Exploring India’s Soft Power Strategy in Thailand: The Impact of Social Media on Cultural Diplomacy.

Abstract

This article conceptualizes India’s soft power strategy toward Thailand through the theoretical intersection of cultural diplomacy and digital diplomacy. Drawing on Nye’s notion of soft power and subsequent frameworks on networked public diplomacy, the study argues that India’s engagement increasingly depends on its capacity to convert cultural resources, such as religion, media, and heritage, into communicative capital within the digital sphere.

While India’s strength lies in its cultural continuity grounded in shared ancient civilizational linkages, its digital execution is constrained by institutional fragmentation and limited localization. This incoherence weakens the consistency of India’s narrative, allowing regional competitors, China, Japan, and South Korea, to dominate Thailand’s attention economy through more coordinated and technologically integrated soft power models. The article concludes that strengthening cross-institutional collaboration, developing localized content strategies, and aligning cultural narratives with digital infrastructures are essential steps for India to enhance its credibility, visibility, and long-term sustainability as a digital soft power actor in Southeast Asia.