Thailand has expressed interest in expanding cultural cooperation with Nigeria and other African countries through artistic exchanges, cultural festivals, youth programmes and creative industry partnerships.
Kittiporn Chaiboon, Acting Director of the Cultural Education Institution at Thailand’s Department of Cultural Promotion, Ministry of Culture, said the partnerships could strengthen diplomatic relations and promote mutual understanding.
Speaking in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Bangkok, Chaiboon said opportunities existed for joint artistic performances, academic collaboration, cultural presentations and exchanges between Thai and African creatives.
She noted that digital platforms could help young people share music, visual arts, traditional knowledge and contemporary cultural expressions. Culinary exchanges could also introduce Thai and Nigerian cuisines to wider audiences.
On cultural preservation, Chaiboon said Thailand supported traditional artists, documented local knowledge and organised festivals to keep its heritage alive. However, she identified globalisation, changing lifestyles and declining interest in some traditional crafts among young people as key challenges.
She said social media, digital storytelling and modern product design could help make cultural heritage more appealing while creating employment and business opportunities.
Chaiboon also highlighted community-based tourism, textiles, local cuisine, film, music and digital content as areas with economic potential. She called for investment in skills development, digital marketing and business training to support sustainable cultural industries.
