Tasteful Thailand brings Thai cuisine to the world with global documentary award
Tasteful Thailand, a TAT-Tencent documentary showcasing Thai cuisine and culture, has won Best Documentary at the Telly Awards in the United States.
The documentary Tasteful Thailand, a collaborative project between the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) and Tencent, has won the Best Documentary award at the Telly Awards in the United States, showcasing the charm of Thai cuisine to global audiences.
Deputy Government Spokeswoman Ploythalay Laksameesaengchan said the government welcomed the success of Tasteful Thailand after it received the award at the Telly Awards.
The documentary was produced through cooperation between the TAT and Tencent, the leading Chinese technology group. It was designed to tell the story of Thai food in a way that goes beyond flavour, reflecting the identity, culture and charm of people in each local community.
Ploythalay said the Telly Awards are an international television and video awards platform founded in 1979. Each year, more than 13,000 entries are submitted from six continents around the world.
She said the success of the Thai production, which was released via the WeTV platform, was a source of pride for the country and marked an important step in exporting Thai culinary soft power to the world.
The award also reinforces Thailand’s potential as a destination for gastronomy tourism, inspiring travellers to visit and experience the country for themselves.
Exploring 10 Thai ingredients through Michelin-recognised chefs
Tencent Video and WeTV officially launched Tasteful Thailand on January 29, positioning it as one of the year’s flagship cultural content projects aimed at stimulating the economy through food culture.
The 10-episode documentary takes viewers on a journey through the roots of Thai cuisine by exploring 10 important ingredients, including sticky rice, lemongrass, coconut sugar, fermented fish, coconut milk, chilli, yen ta fo and other ingredients that reflect Thailand’s national identity.
The production delves into storytelling from community lifestyles to the creation of refined culinary dishes.
A distinctive feature of the project is that the stories are told through the perspectives of 10 leading Thai chefs who have received international recognition, including Michelin Stars, Michelin Selected listings and Bib Gourmand awards.
These chefs do not simply present cooking techniques. They also reveal the backgrounds, memories and social contexts that shape the flavour of each dish, all delivered through world-class production standards.
Chinese producer helps connect culture with tourism
The project brought in a leading production team from China, led by Chen Xiaoqing, the legendary producer behind the hugely popular food documentary Once Upon A Bite, which has attracted billions of views.
The aim is for the documentary to serve as a bridge for cultural communication between Thailand and China.
Ploythalay said the government believed Tasteful Thailand would act as an important gateway, encouraging viewers around the world to travel to Thailand and experience the country in person.
She said using high-quality content to reach the Chinese and international markets would help raise the profile of Thai ingredients, broaden global awareness of Thai cuisine and support local economies in a sustainable way.
