Thailand enlists US influencers to boost authentic Thai restaurants
Commerce minister hands Select certificates of authenticity to seven stateside Thai restaurants at glitzy Hollywood ceremony
Commerce Minister Pichai Naripthaphan has sought help from 50 American influencers to promote Thai restaurants in the US that have won certificates of authenticity from his ministry.
Pichai presided over a ceremony in Hollywood, California to award Sa Wad Dee Thai Select certificates to seven US-based Thai restaurants at 6pm on Sunday local time.
The Commerce Ministry invited 50 US influencers with a combined 10 million online followers to join the ceremony, which was broadcast live on their Facebook and other social media.
Pichai said in his speech that all 50 US states were graced with Thai restaurants but most lacked authentic Thai flavours as they were run by Vietnamese, Laotians or other nationalities.
Hence, the Commerce Ministry has adopted the Thai Select mark to certify Thai restaurants serving genuine Thai food to guarantee satisfaction for US customers, he said.
During the event, Pichai handed out Thai Select certificates to seven more Thai restaurants in the US.
He noted that 1,664 Thai restaurants outside Thailand had now won Thai Select endorsement out of the estimated 18,800 Thai restaurants around the world.
The Commerce Ministry plans to incorporate stars in the Thai Select mark to mimic Michelin ratings and give customers a better idea of quality, Pichai added.
Thai restaurants abroad can apply for Select certification via their local Thai Commerce offices, who will dispatch officials to sample their menus and judge authenticity, the commerce minister said.
Sunday’s event also saw influencers join chefs from Thai Select restaurants to give cooking demonstrations, while restaurant owners were interviewed by US media.
US influencers invited to the event included Kimchi_chic (Facebook), rainaiscrazy (YouTube), mossala101 (Instagram), atsunamatsui (Instagram), and allcapskat (Instagram).
The seven restaurants awarded Thai Select certification at the event were:
- Ruen Pair
- Kanomwaan Thai Gelato and Dessert Café
- Three branches of Lum-ka-Naad
- Thai Thai Oceanside
- Thai Thai West Mission
Chosen to showcase authentic Thai dishes at the event were Thai restaurants Farmhouse Kitchen Thai Cuisine, Jitlada, Heng Heng, Luv2Eat Thai Bistro and Chao Krung Thai.
