Tourism Ministry seeking to boost street food quality
Famous around the world for its fresh and sometimes fiery flavours, Thailand’s street food is nevertheless in need of an upgrade, according to the Tourism Minister.
Weerasak Kowsurat said on Tuesday he would hold talks with the Public Health Ministry and the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration on how to upgrade quality of dishes sold by street vendors in the capital.
He revealed plans to invite representatives of the two agencies to discuss how to ensure street foods are hygienic by offering advice on how to store ingredients and how to properly clean utensils.
Weerasak said his ministry would also work with municipalities in provinces to boost the quality of street food in other cities around the country.
He said the Tourism Ministry would launch an awareness campaign for tourists, explaining the characteristics of each dish to help them get the most out of eating on the street.
Citing the latest available figures, Weerasak said that as of 2016 there were 103,000 street food outlets in Thailand, constituting 69 per cent of all food shops in the country.