The linguistic aspect of “Soft Power” in Russian-Thailand relations

This article examines the teaching of Thai in Russia and the teaching of Russian in Thailand as foreign languages at university level. The findings suggest that the teaching of Thai as a foreign language and Thai studies in Russia begins in the 1950s, while the teaching of Russian in Thailand begins in the 1970s and the teaching of Russian studies begins in the early 2000s. The teaching of Thai language in Russia depends on the specific objectives of each educational institution, especially the training of people for diplomatic duties, people working as language interpreters, scholars, and specialists in the field of Thai language. As for Russian language teaching and Russian studies in Thailand, they have some similarities with specific objectives, namely, to enable graduates to communicate with native speakers in the public and private sectors and to create experts in Russia. The development of foreign language teaching is influenced by various factors, one of which is the resumption of diplomatic relations between Russia and Thailand. The introduction of Thai language teaching in Russia comes from the Soviet Union sending diplomatic personnel to Thailand to initiate the development of cooperation. The factor in Thailand is due to the gradual easing of tensions on the international stage in the region, which subsequently leads to the emergence of economic cooperation between the two countries. Among the factors influencing the development of curricula are the dynamics of political relations between Russia and Thailand. Therefore, Russian and Thai educational institutions need to prepare their staff to support the work of government and private sector.