The Thai government believes that a substandard Thai restaurant meal served abroad “…sabotages the country’s reputation.” To ensure the quality of Thai food abroad, the government has over the years initiated a series of programs designed to create universal standards for Thai food.
In 2003 the Ministry of Finance sent officials to the US to award certificates to deserving restaurants. On their return the project was abandoned.
Soon thereafter, the Ministry of Labor created Krua Thai Su Krua Lok (‘Thai kitchen goes global’). Its centerpiece was a 10-day Thai cooking course for those who wanted to prepare Thai food overseas.The effort was short-lived.
After some officials had a bad Thai meal abroad, in 2013 the Yingluck administration had the idea of standardising Thai food everywhere. The National Food Institute (NFI) came up with a program called Rod Thai Tae (‘authentic Thai taste’). A parallel effort was called the “Thai Delicious” project.
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