TAT set to hold big event to boost the popularity of 'pad kaphrao'

The World Kaphrao Thailand Grand Prix 2023 will be held from August 25-27, 3pm to 10pm, at a location next to Bangkok’s Phadung Krung Kasem Canal, close to the Hua Lamphong railway station, TAT Governor Yuthasak Supasorn said on Thursday.

At the event, six regional cooking winners from across the country – North, Northeast, East, Central region, South, and Bangkok – will take part in the Pad Kaphrao Thailand Championship competition for a total prize money of over 1 million baht, he said.

The contestants will cook beef “pad kaphrao” under the theme “Authentic & Beyond”, with domestic ingredients and at least 50% of local content from the region they represent.

The TAT chief said that the cooking competition is part of the agency’s gastronomy tourism strategy adopted to help boost the number of tourist arrivals to Thailand this year.

“This year we aim to turn Thailand into a destination for travellers and gourmets from around the world. Gastronomy tourism is a market with high potential, and it can help create added value and revenue for local communities,” Yuthasak said.
 

Kaphrao, also spelt “kaprao”, is commonly known as holy basil – an aromatic perennial plant native to tropical regions, such as Southeast Asia.

Yuthasak said that the TAT decided to choose “pad kaphrao” as the first dish in its gastronomy tourism campaign as it reflects traditional Thai cuisine. He also pointed to the benefit of holy basil, which is considered a herb that helps with the digestive system.

At the event, there will be 12 booths offering international versions of “pad kaphrao”, as well as over 20 stalls of popular street food eateries. There will also be an exhibition of holy basil and other local herbs and entertainment shows.

Yuthasak said this was a good opportunity for tourists and foodies to enjoy a large variety of the popular Thai dish in one place.

He expected at least 15,000 visitors during the three days of the event, with a minimum of 35 million baht in revenue created.

“The TAT hopes that ‘pad kaphrao’ will be better known and more acceptable among foreigners after other Thai dishes such as ‘panaeng’, ‘massaman’, ‘tom yam’, ‘pad thai’, ‘khao soi’, and ‘somtam’,” Yuthasak said.

He said his agency was also studying the popularity of Thai dishes among foreign tourists to select the dish after “pad kaphrao” for the next gastronomy event.

More information about the upcoming event can be found on the Facebook page Street Food Legend.