Commerce Ministry eyes promoting Thai food during Olympics 2012

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BANGKOK, 20 June 2012  – The Ministry of Commerce is set to promote Thai food, restaurants, and fruit in the United Kingdom in anticipation of the upcoming Olympic Games 2012, a move which corresponds with the government’s Thai Food to the World strategy.

Director-General of the Department of International Trade Promotion (DITP) Nantawan Sakuntanak said that the DITP has been assigned to organize promotional activities to boost the sales of Thai products in the UK during the pre-Olympic season. The Ministry aims to take advantage of the influx of tourists and athletes to England for the London 2012 Olympics, scheduled to take place during July 27th-August 12th, as a way to increase market channels for Thai food products as well as create a name for Thai goods overseas.

The Office of Commercial Affairs in London has been tasked to organize a number of activities to promote Thai food products, restaurants and fruit. Thai restaurants meeting the government’s quality standard will be granted the Thai Select symbol as a guarantee for its excellence in taste, hygiene and service. At present, a total of 766 Thai restaurants abroad have been awarded the Thai Select symbol.

Among the numerous activities scheduled to be held across the UK, the DITP has collaborated with British supermarket chain Tesco to hold promotional sales of Thai fruit, such as mango, lychee, rambutan and mangosteen, in its outlets nationwide.

Mrs. Nantawan pointed out that the move to promote Thai culinary and food products prior to the start of the Olympic Games is in accordance with the government’s Thai Food to the World policy, aimed at increasing the global demand for Thai food.