Everyone loves Thailand for its world-renowned street food, but Thailand today is earning a reputation as a destination for fine dining thanks to a new generation of chefs serving up distinctive dishes at new dining establishments, according to Bloomberg News.

“A cluster of upscale restaurants in the Thai capital are climbing up international and regional best restaurant lists. They have turned one of the planet’s foremost destinations for cheap eats into a port of call for foodies seeking a luxurious experience,” Bloomberg wrote.

During the past three decades, Thai cuisine, once little-known in the West, has made impressive gains in popularity. During the late 1990s through the early 2000s, it was the fastest-growing ethnic food in popularity in the United States. But only in recent years have global gourmet food publications, websites and rating firms such as Michelin been recognizing the best chefs and restaurants in Thailand.

And those chefs and restaurants are more important to Thai tourism than many people realize, according to some economists and industry professionals.

"Thai politicians often say we want 'high quality tourists', meaning we want tourists with high purchasing power. But do we have enough fancy places for them?" Somprawin Manprasert, Chief Economist at Siam Commercial Bank, told Bloomberg. "That's why I think having more fine dining spots in Thailand — like right now — creates a good opportunity that really allows us to attract big-spender tourists."

Bloomberg pointed out that today Thailand has 10 eateries on Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants list, and two on the World’s 50 Best Restaurants rankings – Le Du at number 15 and Gaggan Anand at 17. Six restaurants in Bangkok have earned two Michelin stars and another 20 have earned one.

And although the quality of their fare rivals those of the best restaurants anywhere, their prices are still a relative bargain compared to comparable establishments in Hong Kong, New York and other destinations.

Thailand’s capital Bangkok is the Kingdom’s food capital. But great restaurants further afield are also gaining attention. The 2024 Michelin guide, for instance, will include the best restaurants on the resort island of Koh Samui.

Source: Royal Thai Embassy, Washington D.C.