Bangkok, 21 November, 2017 – The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), in partnership with Gault & Millau, recently released a bilingual ‘Tasty Thailand’ guidebook supplement alongside the new Gault & Millau restaurant guide Belux edition 2018. The launch gala dinner was held in Brussels, Belgium, on 13 November, 2017, and was attended by more than 600 who’s who in the Belux’s fine-dining scene.
Mr. Yuthasak Supasorn (above pictures), TAT Governor, said the new Gault & Millau restaurant guide Belux edition 2018 included a 70-page supplement entitled Tasty Thailand sponsored by TAT with an aim of presenting the delights of Thai food to an even wider international audience.
“The promotion of Thai cuisine is one of TAT’s top-most priorities because it builds bridges with the agriculture sector, which is Thailand’s largest overall industry, and goes hand in hand with the great branding job being done by Thai restaurants the world over.
“There is also a focus on health and wellness, with many Thai dishes placing great importance on high-value herbs and other highly nutritional ingredients. And because we believe a country’s cuisine is a wonderful way in which to experience its culture, heritage and ways of life,’ Mr. Yuthasak added.
The Gault & Millau restaurant guide was founded by food critics, Henri Gault and Christian Millau, in 1965. The guide rates restaurants from 1 to 20 with awards based entirely on the quality of the food. There are now Gault & Millau guides for the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg, Switzerland, Germany and Poland, as well as France, Canada and Australia. The Gault & Millau restaurant guide Belux edition has a circulation of 35,000 copies.
The 70-page bilingual Gault & Millau Belux 2018’s Tasty Thailand guidebook supplement is printed in French and Dutch, and profiles the kingdom’s flourishing fine-dining scene and critically-acclaimed restaurants in Thailand and Belgium, famous Bangkok’s street food, products from the Royal Projects, key tourist destinations, and unique Thai local experiences in Thailand. It is expected to achieve a readership of five million.
In 2016, Thailand welcomed a total of 112,140 travellers from Belgium, up 4.13 per cent year-on-year. Belgian travellers visit Thailand on an average length of stay of 17 days, and are interested in nature, culture and food.
During the launch gala dinner, Boo Raan Thai Restaurant in Belgium was awarded “Asian Restaurant of the Year” by the Gault & Millau restaurant guide. Seen in the picture, Boo Raan’s owner and chef, Mr. Patrick D. Eigenaar (left) and the head chef, Ms. Dokkoon Kapueak (middle) received the prize from TAT Governor, Mr. Yuthasak Supasorn (right). Chef Eigenaar and Chef Kapueak also cooked the first appetizer dish, Tom Yum Cod Fish, for 600 guests during the gala dinner.
(Below) More photos from the launch gala dinner of the new Gault & Millau restaurant guide Belux edition 2018. Guests had the chance to sample several delicious Thai dishes and enjoyed Thai cultural performances and demonstrations on Thai cooking.
