Thailand plans to hold the world's first "Kaphrao Grand Prix" in Bangkok to showcase the authentic Thai dish to foreign travellers and increase local ingredient exports, aiming to increase food expenditure among tourists from 20% to 25% by 2027.
Yuthasak Supasorn, governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), said this marks the first time the agency has held an official promotion dedicated to pad kaphrao, a dish beloved by locals and tourists alike.
In the past, a similar event was held to promote pad thai.
"Food is a major factor when tourists make travel decisions," said Mr Yuthasak.
Even though kaphrao rice dishes are included on Thai restaurant menus worldwide, their recipes often do not have an authentic style, he said.
The event aims to promote authentic kaphrao rice dishes, highlighted by the Pad Kaphrao Thailand Championship, which seeks the most authentic recipe.
Contestants have the opportunity to promote their dishes worldwide, which is part of a plan to stimulate gastronomy tourism, said Mr Yuthasak.
He said smaller restaurants have a chance to reach foreign customers and increase their income by joining this event scheduled for Aug 25-27 near Phadung Krung Kasem Canal.
Mr Yuthasak said food is considered one aspect of soft power to stimulate tourism spending and help increase local ingredient exports, as Thailand is among the top 15 primary ingredients exporters in the world.
If the Thai recipe becomes more known, it could help grow food innovation research, he said.
Recently, Bangkok and Thailand were named Asia's best culinary city and Asia's best culinary destination in 2023, respectively, by the World Culinary Awards.
Mr Yuthasak said the TAT's strategy is to lure tourists to explore regional and local destinations through a variety of dishes.
The TAT aims for tourism revenue of 2.3 trillion baht this year, with food contributing around 20% of total receipts.
By 2027, the agency expects food expenditure should generate at least 25% of total tourist spending.
He said the TAT still hopes to welcome 28 million foreign arrivals this year as the Chinese market has recently revived.
In July, roughly 400,000 Chinese tourists visited Thailand, increasing from an average of 300,000 per month previously.
The TAT plans to implement a pre-screening system for visa applications to reduce the approval period for Chinese applicants starting in October, said Mr Yuthasak. This measure should help accelerate the number of visitors by 500,000 to 600,000 per month, especially during the Golden Week holiday in October, he said.
The Foreign Affairs Ministry recently announced a reduction in document requirements for tourist visa applications.
