Thai Select making its mark

Commerce Minister Pichai Naripthaphan has teamed up with leading American influencers to promote Thai restaurants in the United States that have won certificates of authenticity from the ministry.
Mr Pichai chaired the opening ceremony of the Sa Wad Dee Thai Select Festival 2024 on Sunday at Serra on Vine, an event venue in Los Angeles.
The Ministry of Commerce invited 50 US influencers who have a combined audience of 10 million online followers to join the ceremony, which was broadcast live on their Facebook pages and other social media platforms.
Mr Pichai said in his speech that all 50 US states were graced with Thai restaurants, but many lacked authentic Thai flavours as they were run by Vietnamese, Lao or other nationalities.
For this reason, the ministry adopted the Thai Select certification for Thai restaurants serving genuine Thai food to guarantee professionalism, high standards, hygiene and Thai authenticity.
During the event, he handed out Thai Select certificates to seven more Thai restaurants in the US in recognition of their effort to reinforce the authenticity and quality of Thai cuisine.
To date, 1,664 Thai restaurants overseas have been awarded Thai Select certification out of an estimated 18,852 Thai restaurants worldwide.
In the future, the ministry plans to incorporate stars in the Thai Select certification system to mimic the Michelin ratings and give consumers a better idea of the quality of the food.
Thai restaurants abroad can apply for Thai Select certification via their local Thai commerce offices, which will dispatch officials to sample their dishes and judge the level of authenticity, Mr Pichai said.
Influencers joined chefs from Thai Select restaurants at the event to provide cooking demonstrations, while restaurant owners were interviewed by local media members.