Abstract
Nations face an urgent necessity to develop sustainable development policies, but adopting foreign models is impractical due to unique national contexts. This research evaluates the creative economy's potential to propel national sustainable development. The study utilizes a qualitative methodology combining content analysis of four strategically selected countries to establish a global conceptual framework, alongside an in-depth case study of Thailand. Results indicate that while Thailand’s creative economy theoretically aligns with 10 of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), actual national progress remains lagging. The main contribution of this paper is demonstrating that policy effectiveness must be evaluated against real-world implementation rather than merely policy on paper. The practical implication is that policymakers must assess national circumstances alongside policy frameworks to ensure the feasible and effective implementation of the creative economy for sustainable development.
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