BLUEPRINT FOR GLOBAL SUCCESS

Inspired by South Korea, the Thailand Creative Culture Agency is spearheading efforts to drive the creative economy

- STORY: SUWITCHA CHAIYONG

The Thailand Creative Culture Agency (THACCA) was established as a result of the success of Korea Creative Content Agency (KOCCA), which develops cultural and entertainment content that can achieve global influence and lead to economic benefits.

THACCA aims to drive Thailand's creative economy in 14 industries including film, TV series, festivals, art and sports.

Recently, the THACCA organised the event "Splash Soft Power Forum" at Queen Sirikit National Convention Center (QSNCC) to drive the economy, to push soft power strategies and collaborate with local and international organisations.

At the visionary stage, the forum "Actors Without Borders: The Role of Performers in a World Where Stories Know No Boundaries" revealed experiences of two Thai performers — Pirat "Mike" Nitipaisalkul and Nam Laks on the international stage.

Pirat, better known as Mike, rose to fame as Golf Mike during his teenage years. He became an established actor in Thailand with many successful TV drama series such as Full House and Kiss Me. In 2015, he started working in China on the TV series Wu Xin: The Monster Killer and has acted in many Chinese TV series since then. In 2018, he became the first Thai actor to win the Foreign Artist of the Year Award at the Weibo Fan Festival which highlights his popularity in China. With his acting talent, Mike became a supporting actor in a 2021 Hollywood action movie The Misfits; Pierce Brosnan also starred in the film.

Meanwhile, Nam Laks was a cast member in the Netflix reality TV show Bling Empire: New York in 2023. The programme presents the opulent lifestyle of Asians and Asian-Americans in New York. Nam is the daughter of Nakorn Laksanakarn, a Thai millionaire in the real estate and hospitality industries.