BANGKOK, Mar 10 (Arab News): Thailand's aromatic, spicy cuisine has long been a huge draw for visitors. Now, the country is focusing on creating halal versions of popular dishes to attract more tourists from the Muslim world.
Since predominantly Buddhist Thailand re-established diplomatic ties with Saudi Arabia in 2022, there has been an increasing focus on attracting visitors from Muslim-majority countries to the popular tourism destination. Last month, the government announced a 2024-28 plan to promote Thailand as the "halal kitchen of the world" and Southeast Asia's "halal hub."
The main institution responsible for ensuring adherence to the rules governing halal food in Thailand is the Halal Science Centre at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, which has developed a standardization system known as Halal Assurance, Liability-Quality System, or HAL-Q, which is used by more than 770 food factories and 7,000 restaurants in the country, allowing them to use the word "halal" in their marketing.
According to the centre's founding director, Dr. Winai Dahlan, there are 900 such restaurants in Bangkok alone - already "enough to welcome Muslim tourists," he said.
"We work with the Central Islamic Council of Thailand," Dahlan said. "We are trying to introduce halal Thai food as a soft power of Thailand."
From the iconic lemongrass-flavored tom yum soup to pad thai, the savory noodles that are the national dish, the guiding principle of Thai cuisine is harmony. For Dahlan, having the food prepared in the halal way and certified as such, helps "boost the trust" of tourists, as more and more Muslim visitors have been arriving to the country.
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