The representation of Thainess, a historical journey of the Tourism Authority of Thailand's public relations (1979–2022)

Purpose To analyse the representation of Thainess in the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT)'s public relations campaigns targeting international audiences throughout four-decade history (1979–2022) and to examine changes in the representation throughout the period. Design/methodology/approach The study employed a narrative historical study using a qualitative content analysis to examine Thainess in the TAT's international public relations landmark campaigns, along with Dann's (1996), the language of tourism, combining visual and verbal techniques. Findings Throughout the three transitional phases of the TAT's Thainess portrayal, Thainess is a key marketing and identity-building tool for Thai Tourism promotion. Thainess has shifted from a strong portrayal of cultural heritage in the early phases to be more experiential and accessible blending traditional and modern cultural elements. Thainess' scope has expanded from physical settings, people and national values to health, wellness and sustainability. Research limitations/implications The research focused primarily on English-language materials. The representations of Thainess in different languages need to be explored. A comparative analysis of tourism public relations in other countries could be investigated to expand the global tourism public relations history. Practical implications Suggestions for the future development of tourism public relations to national identity promotion targeting international audiences are given. Social implications The study suggests societal impacts of TAT's campaigns on the domestic level. Further study can be conducted from domestic tourism viewpoints. Originality/value This study provides a contribution to the diachronic study of the representation of a national identity from communication and sociolinguistic perspectives in historical public relations tourism.