Bangkok: The Department of Industrial Promotion, commonly referred to as D-Prom, is advancing its initiative to enhance soft power by upgrading the “One Village, One Thai Chef” program and developing local Thai food community chef restaurants. The ambitious goal is to cultivate 17,000 chefs across 100 restaurants by the year 2025.
According to Thai News Agency, Ms. Natthaya Netyasupa, Director-General of the Department of Industrial Promotion, emphasized the strategic importance of promoting and elevating Thai cuisine, as well as community-based Thai chefs, to international standards. This initiative is seen as a magnet to draw more foreign tourists to Thailand annually, with food being the second-largest travel expense after accommodation.
By 2025, Deeprom, alongside partner agencies under the Subcommittee on Driving the Soft Power Industry, plans to further develop two key projects for their second year of implementation. The first, “One Village, One Thai Chef,” is designed to enhance the culinary knowled
ge and skills of individuals interested in Thai food. The program’s modern curriculum covers a range of topics, from authentic Thai cuisine and creative healthy dishes to adapted Thai desserts and Thai street food for online sales. Participants will undergo professional standards testing and receive certification from the Food Professional Qualification Institute, equipping them to advance in their culinary careers. The objective is to produce 17,000 professional Thai chefs nationwide, contributing an estimated economic value of over 3,036 million baht.
Additionally, the project aims to develop local Thai food community chef restaurants, focusing on skill enhancement in areas such as cost calculation, waste management, cooking techniques, and menu creation for tourists. These community chef restaurants will be elevated to premium status, aligning them with the Thai soft power restaurant model for the international stage. The integration of technology to expand marketing channels is also a key component, aime
d at drawing both Thai and international tourists. This initiative is expected to generate over 120 million baht in local ingredient use and create an economic impact exceeding 336 million baht.
Deeprom’s projects leverage Soft Power to create value through four strategic approaches: providing new skills through training, enhancing potential with modern tools, offering growth opportunities via market access and capital resources, and fostering strong community business partnerships. This holistic strategy aims to build sustainable businesses in collaboration with community entrepreneurs and various agencies.