Title: Boylywood's soft power and Thai public diplomacy

Authors: Poowin Bunyavejchewin; Kornphanat Tungkeunkunt; Orawan Nugprachaya

Addresses: Thammasat University Research Unit in History and International Politics, Institute of East Asian Studies, Thammasat University, Pathum Thani, Thailand ' Faculty of Liberal Arts, Thammasat University, Pathum Thani, Phra Nakhon, Bangkok, Thailand ' Institute of East Asian Studies, Thammasat University, Pathum Thani, Phra Nakhon, Bangkok, Thailand

Abstract: Thai Boys Love (BL) drama series, which feature love between cute boys and/or stylish young men, has enjoyed global popularity in recent years, causing the home-grown BL entertainment industry - Boylywood - to grow rapidly. Although Boylywood exhibited high potential as a source of Thailand's soft power, it was not until 2021 that the Foreign Ministry in Bangkok began to include Thai BL dramas as part of the country's public diplomacy content. This was preponderantly due to Boylywood's ability to function as a revenue generator. Regime legitimation and the establishment's de facto green light were also factors that furthered Thai BL drama's soft power. Despite the government's initially limited involvement, Boylywood has become the country's most lucrative source of soft power, at least economically. Moreover, Thai public diplomacy's openness can be a catalyst for the government to maximise the potential utility of Thai BL drama's soft power.

Keywords: Boylywood; public diplomacy; soft power; Thai BL; Thai Boys Love; Thai Boys Love series; Thai foreign policy; Thailand; Y series.

DOI: 10.1504/IJDIPE.2025.149230

International Journal of Diplomacy and Economy, 2025 Vol.11 No.4, pp.382 - 400

Received: 09 Dec 2023
Accepted: 27 Feb 2024
Published online: 20 Oct 2025 *

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