to elevate the reputation and worth of Thai cuisine on the global stage and to develop and market Thailand as a top-tier culinary tourism destination.
The “Amazing Thailand Culinary City” project was started by the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) to promote Thailand as a top-tier culinary tourism destination that offers cutting-edge innovations and high-touch experiences to foster development under a creative economy, in line with the Thai government’s Bio-Circular-Green or BCG Economy Model.Both B2B and B2C components of the Amazing Thailand Culinary City initiative are intended to connect company owners in the culinary tourism industry and foster business networking opportunities, as well as to raise awareness of Thai cuisine throughout Thailand.
The Thailand Travel Mart Plus (TTM+) 2023, which is scheduled to take place from May 31 to June 2 at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre in Bangkok, will be held in conjunction with the ‘Amazing Thailand Culinary City’ event as part of the project’s B2B strategy. There will be 30 gastronomy tourism sellers at the three-day B2B exhibition, and they will compete in the City Dining Experience, Farm to Table, and Culinary Cooking Activity categories.
Visitors will be able to sample food from the many participating restaurants, as well as participate in B2B meetings to discuss Thailand’s culinary tourist offerings and receive traditional Thai massages, among other activities. In addition, there will be an exhibition of lesser-known “hidden dishes” from all throughout Thailand, like Tom Yam Kung, Phat Thai, and Green Curry, which have won international awards.
International food blogger Mark Wiens, who has over 10 million YouTube subscribers, and Chef Thitid ‘Ton’ Tassanakajohn, whose Bangkok restaurant Le Du was ranked No. 1 in the recently released Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants 2023 list, will participate in a panel discussion to discuss the topic of using food to boost the tourism economy, preparing for the expansion of gastronomy tourism, and related trends.
Culinary events titled “4 Locations: 4 Styles” are planned to take place in all four of Thailand’s regions in May and June as part of the project’s B2C strategy. These include the dates of Chiang Mai (19–21 May), Khon Kaen (9–11 June), Phuket (16–18 June 2023), and Chanthaburi (23–25 June) in the Northern and Southern regions, respectively.
Participants in each of the four events will include local businesses, other entrepreneurs, and food entrepreneurs from the surrounding area. Workshops on how to make regionally specific snacks will be offered, along with cooking demonstrations, an exhibition on the potential and uniqueness of Thai cuisine, and excellent local cuisine to sample.
A panel discussion featuring Mr. Vincent Thierry, chef of the Michelin-starred lebua at State Tower, and Ms. Wisa Wangsupachart, well-known food blogger with more than 1.5 million followers on the TikTok channel bon_appetitbkk, was also held as part of the official launch of the Amazing Thailand Culinary City project.
