Thailand a top 10 nation for perceptions of food and fun

New Brand Finance report reflects Thailand’s strong global appeal, supported by tourism strength and business confidence

• Thailand ranks 12^th globally for being a great place to visit, reinforcing tourism appeal
• Business confidence strengthens: Thailand ranks 18^th for ease of doing business and 21^st for 'future growth potential'
• US holds top spot in Global Soft Power Index despite broad declines; Japan overtakes the UK for 3^rd place

BANGKOK, 27 January 2026 – Thailand ranks 38^th globally for Soft Power with a score of 45.0/100, up one place from 39^th in 2025, according to new iteration of the Global Soft Power Index by Brand Finance.

Brand Finance publishes the Global Soft Power Index based on a survey of more than 150,000 respondents from over 100 countries to gather data on global perceptions of all 193 member states of the United Nations. Thanks to the scope of the survey, the Index is the world’s most comprehensive study on perceptions of nation brands, providing an in-depth analysis of the evolving status of Soft Power as nations navigate significant global changes and challenges. 

Soft Power is defined as a nation’s ability to influence the preferences and behaviours of various actors in the international arena (states, corporations, communities, publics, etc.) through attraction and persuasion rather than coercion. Each nation is scored across 55 different metrics to arrive at an overall score out of 100 and ranked in order from 1^st to 193^rd.

Thailand’s results in 2026 highlight the strength of Soft Power built through lived experience and global familiarity. The country ranks 7^th for both 'food the world loves' and 'fun', reinforcing how cultural accessibility and everyday appeal translate into preference, advocacy, and repeat engagement.

Thailand’s tourism perceptions remain a major competitive advantage. The nation ranks 12^th globally for being a great place to visit, improving two places from 2025, reinforcing its position as one of the world’s most attractive travel destinations. Thailand welcomed around 33 million international visitors last year, according to its Ministry of Tourism and Sports, supported by major events and traveler facilitation measures. Together, these results reflect a nation brand shaped by experiences that are widely recognised, easy to share, and consistently reinforced through travel and leisure exposure.

Thailand’s performance also reflects improving business confidence. In the Business & Trade pillar, Thailand ranks 18^th for ease of doing business, improving three places from 2025. It also ranks 21^st for future growth potential, rising two places, signaling growing confidence in Thailand’s long-term competitiveness and opportunity.

Alex Haigh, Managing Director Asia Pacific, Brand Finance, commented:

"Thailand’s Soft Power shows how influence is often built through experience rather than messaging. When a country is globally associated with travel appeal, world-loved cuisine, and an unmistakable sense of enjoyment, it creates familiarity that scales far beyond traditional communications.”

Global Insights: US Soft Power decline accelerates as Japan overtakes the UK to take 3^rd place

The Global Soft Power Index 2026 highlights a broad global decline of nation brand perceptions, driven by economic uncertainty, geopolitical tension, and social pressures. Audiences worldwide are more cautious and more likely to scrutinise nations’ behaviour, leading to lower scores across the Index and echoing the trust erosion seen during the COVID-19 period.

Despite retaining 1^st place overall, the United States records the steepest overall decline among all nation brands ranked, driven by sharp declines in Reputation (26^th, -11) and key nation brand attributes amid international backlash to “America First” policies. Key declines are observed in friendliness, (-32), generosity, (-68) ease of doing business, (-21) support for climate action (-16), political stability, (-8) human rights, (-10) and ethical standards (-4).  Nevertheless, the US retains its number one position for Familiarity and Influence, underpinned by continued global leadership in arts and entertainment, (1^st) sport, (3^rd) iconic brands, (2^nd) innovation, (3^rd) and space exploration (1^st).

Japan’s rise to 3^rd, now overtaking the United Kingdom (4^th), exemplifies its ability to build Soft Power through a direct experience of the nation brand. Japan has maintained strengths in Business & Trade (1^st), Sustainable Future (1^st), Education & Science (2^nd), and Governance (2^nd), while tourism has boosted Familiarity (6^th, +1) and related attributes, including appealing lifestyle (4^th, +9), visit appeal (8^th, +3), friendliness (7^th, +12), and fun (21^st, +15).

Konrad Jagodzinski, Place Branding Director, Brand Finance, commented:

“The negative shift in the global mood highlights a critical lesson about Soft Power in 2026. Publics are increasingly sensitive to the alignment of values, actions, and outcomes. Nations that fail to demonstrate reliability, credibility, and impact face erosion not only in specific domains but also in broader international reputation and relevance. Soft power is not solely about visibility or size; it is about perception that a nation is delivering on promises implicit in its brand. Nations failing to uphold these promises are penalised by global audiences.”