Thailand eyes to become world gastronomy tourism hub

BANGKOK, May 18 (TNA- Tourism and Sports Minister Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul says that Thailand has targeted to become a world gastronomy tourism hub by 2018. Kobkarn told journalists on May 17 that her ministry has joined forces with all sectors to organize activities and events in the coming months, aimed to publicize the outstanding Thai cuisine to realize the targeted goal by next year. Kobkarn said the outstanding Thai cuisine to be jointly promoted by all parties concerned in both the public and the private sectors includes premium and street food. For globally-renowned street Thai food, Kobkarn stated that her ministry has cooperated with the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) to regulate roadside vendors in good order, while also ensuring the original tastes of their Thai dishes and their hygiene to meet international standards, including those in Yaowaraj, or Bangkok's Chinatown area, and Khaosan Road in the capital's Bang Lamphu area. According to the minister,activities to be organized in the coming months include a Thai food fair to be held at Bangkok's Airport Link electric train station in Makkasan area during June 8-11, in which top varieties of Thai rice as part of top hotels' menu will be showcased and served to international visitors, as well as Tuk Tuk food tours, in which international visitors will be guided to wellknown Thai food restaurants by traditional Thai motor tricycle taxis or "Tuk Tuk". The minister revealed that the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), under the supervision of her ministry, is also organizing Thai fruit fairs in the eastern Rayong, Chantaburi, Trat and Prachinburi Provinces during May-July, where fruit buffets are offered to international visitors by over 40 local orchards at 150-450 baht per head, expected to generate a total of more than 60 million baht revenues to the local orchards. Besides, a campaign on expanding organic Thai rice fields to 40,000 acres nationwide this year will be launched. Thailand will also host the "UNWTO World Forum on Gastronomy Tourism" next year. (TNA)