Thai Restau rant Week
A Songkran Festival Celebration of
Incredible Food and Lots of Fun
the Amazing Thailand Way
Contributed by Tourism Authority of
Thailand-Los Angeles
The Tourism Authority of
Thailand (TAT) just concluded a
smashingly successful celebration
of Thailand's biggest annual
festival to welcome the Thai New
Year, Songkran, with the inaugural
Thai Restaurant Week in Los
Angeles and New York. Songkran
(April 13-15), is in keeping with the
Buddhist/Hindu solar calendar
and signifies the time the sun
enters the sign of Aries the Ram.
The event was participated by 19
restaurants in Los Angeles and 20
restaurants in New York, all of
them serving special dishes and/or
pre-fix menus throughout the
week, with TAT holding kick-off
events in both markets. In Los
Angeles, Thai cooking
demonstrations throughout the
week were conducted by Chef
Nooror Somany Steppe from the
Blue Elephant Cooking School in
Phuket. In New York, Thaithentic
catering and their chef Evelyn
Garcia held a Thai cooking
techniques demonstration and
served some of her favorite Thai
food at the kick-off event.
An online contest ran parallel to
the Thai Restaurant Week, which
was also a promo of the Tourism
Authority of Thailand. Interested
persons were encouraged to share
their New Year's resolutions or
previous Songkran experiences at
18 Asean Life APR 2016
#SONGKRANSTORY CONTEST.
Contest winner will experience
Songkran 2017 celebration in
Bangkok. The contest runs from
March 1 to April 30, 2016.
Idea behind
Thai Restaurant Week
During Songkran, most Thais go
back to their hometown to be with
family and friends. Those that
cannot go back home cook their
favorite food. Thus, in the U.S.,
TAT, in cooperation with various
Thais restaurants in Los Angeles
and New York City decided to
bring the taste of Thailand with the
creation of special dishes and
menus to celebrate the New Year.
This gives everyone the chance to
taste incredibly delicious food
from the different regions of
Thailand.
“This inaugural Songkran Thai
Restaurant Week is just the
beginning of our efforts to
promote Songkran festival in the
United States," said Srimala
Waraphaskul, the director of the
TAT-New York Office. "We look
forward to continuing this
tradition for many years to come,
and to have Songkran Festival
become one of the most renowned
festivals, with the world
celebrating with us in Thailand."
"Los Angeles has the largest Thai
community outside of Asia and we
look forward to Songkran
becoming a yearly celebration
here," said Kulpramote
Wannalert, director of the TATLos Angeles Office. "The support
that we have received from the
community has been
overwhelming and we look
forward to building this up
annually and across additional
cities in the United States and
Canada."
Located just 15 degrees north of
the equator, "Amazing Thailand" is
one of Southeast Asia's premier
travel destinations and home to
well-known tourist locations
including the capital city of
Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Phuket, Ko
Samui and Krabi. Known as the
"land of smiles," Thailand features
some of the world's finest luxury
hotels and resorts, and offers
visitors a rich tapestry of exotic
architecture, culture, cuisine,
traditions and adventures.
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