On Friday 28 June 2024, THACCA or Thailand Creative Culture Agency arranged an opening ceremony of THACCA SPLASH – Soft Power Forum 2024 at Queen Sirikit National Convention Center. The event was set to announce the Government’s directions to use Soft Power or “a power which persuades other people or countries to comply with our requests without forcing by using social values and cultures” as a means to stimulate Thailand’s economy in an international level. The scheme relies on 11 creative industries which are the cultural identities of Thailand to boost global attentions such as books, music, festivals, tourism, games, sports, arts (including performing arts), design, fashion, motion pictures (movies, dramas, and series), and, indispensably, “food”.
Thai food and ingredients are considered one of the country’s unique national identities for international travelers. Not only well-known menus like Tom Yum Koong and Pad Thai, other Thai dishes which could impress foreigners are also able to be found amply in every region. Apart from the diversity of menus in each part of the country, Thai ingredients distinctively attract visitors from all over the world to come to Thailand and explore, including from exotic local ingredients to Geographical Indication (GI) products which could not be imitated in other locations of the world. The prominence of Thai cuisine also covers many gastronomic spectrums, from street food, food innovation for future, food sustainability to cultural education through food. With these importances, THACCA has established the Sub-Committee of Food Industry Motivator and appointed Chef Chumpol Jangprai, World’s first Sustainable Food Ambassador, as one of the National Soft Power Committee and the Chairman of Sub-Committee of Food Industry Motivator, with the missions to drive and encourage measures, policies, guidelines, and schemes which reinforce the development of Thai cuisine as a Soft Power.
As an outstanding educational institution in Thailand with specialty in culinary and hospitality businesses, Dusit Thani College, led by Rector Dr. Atthawet Prougestaporn and Head of MBA Program in Hospitality Business Management Dr. Natnaree Smith, was invited by the Chairman of Sub-Committee of Food Industry Motivator to join the team as a Sub-Committee as well as a Curriculum Review Committee. An activity that Dusit Thani College has an important role in is being one of 59 selected educational institutions nationwide by Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation (MHESI) as training centers in the project 1 Village 1 Thai Chef under the scheme 1 Family 1 Soft Power (One Family One Soft Power). The scheme aims to elevate the capabilities of Thai people by upskilling and reskilling 20 million skilled workers from 20 million families, while Dusit Thani College takes part in the skill development of management and cooking of Thai cuisine. The opening curricula which are available for all Thai citizens to enter Thai food industry include Professional Thai Chef, Cook Well Sell Well, Thai Food Business Management, and Restaurant Entrepreneur.
Furthermore, the representatives of Dusit Thani College’s MBA student and alumnus – Mr. Tanyapat Charoensup, MBA student from Gastronomy Business Management Concentration, and Chef Phuripat Jaiweerawattanakul, MBA student from Gastronomy Business Management Concentration and BBA Program Alumnus in Culinary Arts and Kitchen Management – participated in this event as motivators of Thai food industry as well. Mr. Tanyapat brought the overlooked Soft Power “grilled pork skewer and sticky rice” from his own business Muu-kang-rang Muping Boran to serve visitors throughout the 3 days of the event. Meanwhile, Chef Phuripat demonstrated 2 menus made of GI products – “Sohm Choon from Emperor Lychee, Pakpanang Tabtimsiam Pomelo, luscious Phuket Pineapple, and handpicked Si Sa Ket Shallot from Thailand” and “Granita from Sakonnakhon Mao Juice” – and shared his inspiring experience of being a chef plus his road of development in culinary career to on-site and Podcast audience. Both of them have been the pride of Dusit Thani College and Thailand’s culinary industry.
Dusit Thani College is dedicated to creating high-quality and skillful personnel for Thai culinary industry to move forward to the global level. The college also passes on knowledge in culinary arts and restaurant management to laypeople to enhance their skills toward their career and sustainable future. Not only increasing the opportunities to gain more incomes, stimulating economy at the household level, and turning passion into profession, the knowledge and skills given will sustainably bring Thai cuisine to an international level.
