Dubai: The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) in Dubai concluded the month-long ‘Amazing Tastes of Thailand Fest 2012’ on Sunday in which 13 Thai restaurants across the UAE took part to promote their food, culture, and country.
Organised in part by the Royal Thai Consulate-General in Dubai, the second Thai food festival made it possible for the Thai community and other Dubai residents to know and explore the restaurants that offer authentic Thai food.
“Everyone likes Thai food here so we are trying to promote Thai food. We gathered a number of Thai restaurants for the community to know where to go to get authentic Thai food, cooked by Thai chefs because our food is very complex. It is not easy to do,” Fabio Chinda, Thai deputy consul general, told Gulf News.
The food festival, which began on June 8, was instrumental in the forging of stronger relations within the food industry.
“Most of the restaurants here are owned by foreigners but most of them have Thai chefs so it’s an opportunity for the Thai community to come together, to know each other. This was one way for the Thai community to come together and to think about our well wishes back home,” Vachirachai Sirisumpan, TAT assistant director, said.
Sirisumpan added that while residents here can enjoy a taste of Thailand, nothing beats the experience of actually going there. Hence, those who dined at the participating restaurants during the festival were given a chance to win a number of prizes, including a trip to Bangkok, among others.
“A lot of people, even Emiratis, and the expats who live here enjoy Thai food and you can see its popularity based on the number of Thai restaurants in Dubai and in Abu Dhabi as well. I think Thai food best represents Thailand. We want to send a message out about Thailand and its destinations, we think our food is one of the best messengers for this,” Sirisumpan said.
