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Thai producers cook up tasty delicacies in bid to become `Kitchen of the World'': ready-to-eat treats and other value-added frozen foods are front and center at Thailand International Food Exhibition and Muslim Food Exhibition in Bangkok. High tide of seafood products on display, as well as ethnic Thai, Western-style and Halal cuisine. (Focus on Thailand).

Article Excerpt
From Tom Yam Koong (spicy soup with shrimp) and Massman Curry (spicy beef stew with coconut cream) to Prik King Plu Dug (deep-fried catfish topped with red chili), the tasty delicacies of Thailand have long been enjoyed by gourmands the world over.

Now, in a bid to increase overseas sales of foodstuffs by broadening the international distribution base, Thailand's Department of Export Promotion (DEP) has launched a campaign to make the Southeast Asian nation the "Kitchen of the World." The plan involves not only stimulating demand for products through established supply lines, but also entails greatly expanding the number of authentic Thai restaurants in foreign countries from 5,000 to 8,000 by the year 2004.

In the vanguard of the movement, perhaps, is Coco Holding International Co., which aims to turn its Mango Tree concept of genuine Thai cuisine eateries into a global restaurant brand. The company has already transformed the popularity of its Bangkok flagship restaurant to a branch operation in London. Subsequent openings are scheduled to take place soon in Sydney and Tokyo before further expansion follows in earnest.

"Unlike family-run Thai restaurants overseas, we want to establish our restaurant as a brand backed by a corporation with strong technology and professional staff," said Pitaya Phanphensophon, managing director of Coco Holding International.

No doubt the Thai government is applauding the firm's plan for expansion. While its DEP arm (Fax: 662-513-5221) is not quite getting into the food franchise business per se, it's coming pretty close to doing so by providing would-be entrepreneurs with information regarding procurement of investment capital, idea concepts about target markets and business character of individual franchises, architectural design tips, and other "how to" advice on setting up Thai restaurants.

Going to this rather creative, though unusual step to further whet the world's appetite for authentic Thai cuisine would lead one to think that boosting the output and export of value added food products has become a national priority of sorts. It has, indeed.

"The government has laid out policies as well as strategies needed to achieve an 8% increase in this year's exports. Among them are the promotion of research and...

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