Ministry of Commerce opens space in the middle of Times Square to hold Ignite Thailand Festival to promote Thai food, fashion and soft power brands for US tourists and consumers to get to know. Mr. Wutthikrai Leewiraphan, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Commerce, and his team joined the Ignite Thailand Festival: Think Thailand, Next Level, held at 46-47 Broadway Plaza and Duffy Square, Times Square on September 3, 2024, from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. US time. After joining the event, he revealed that the Ministry of Commerce has implemented the policy of Mr. Phumtham Vejjayachai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Commerce, to carry out activities to promote and publicize the image of Thai products in a new format. The purpose of organizing the Ignite Thailand Festival is to create awareness of the quality, standards, and advancements of various types of Thai products, including food, seasonings, Thai restaurants, and fashion, to build confidence and credibility for Thai product and service brands , to reinforce Thailand's image as a producer and exporter of quality products with standards that are environmentally friendly and socially impactful, to enhance the image, and to create positive attitudes toward Thai product and service brands to be more widely accepted and popular among US consumers, to create recognition and awareness of Thai product and service brands, as well as to create opportunities to access Thai products to be more widely accepted, and to publicize and create awareness of the Thai SELECT logo to be known among US consumers. 'The organization of the Ignite Thailand Festival this time is a policy of Mr. Phumtham Vejjayachai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Commerce, who sees the opportunity to increase the awareness of Thai products, especially Thai brand products, because in the past, consumers in the United States did not know much about Thai products and did not know that many products were produced in Thailand. This visit is to introduce them to Thailand, more than what th ey used to know, including innovative food products, future food products, value-added products from fruits to ice cream, etc. In addition, there are many fashion products, accessories, and others. The Ministry has designated the United States as the first market to promote Thai brand products from 10 major markets around the world, and next month, it will travel to promote in the United Kingdom,' said Mr. Wutthikrai. For this event, there were 19 booths displaying Thai products, including food products such as MAMA, Dek Somboon brand soy sauce, Chaokoh coconut milk and Ampol Foods, ice cream made from frozen fruits, 2 fashion brands, Future treasure (www.futuretreasureny.com) and Nakamol, and 9 booths of Thai restaurants that received the Thai SELECT symbol, including Mai Kaidee, Na Rath, Zabb Putawn, Pinto Garden, Sky Ice, Charoen Krung, Khaosan, Pata Paplean, GOOG, and the TOPTHAI x Amazon booth, 2 booths displaying Thai arts and culture, including umbrella painting and Thai costume photo booths, and 1 bo oth for the Thailand team. The event also features stage performances such as Thai cooking demonstrations, Thai fashion and lifestyle product showcases, and a display of Thai arts and culture that can create soft power for Thailand. There will also be a display of Thai food public relations media on billboards in Times Square from 5:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., and the decoration of 10 Pedi Cabs that provide services to people in Times Square during the week of activities to promote and publicize and elevate the image of Thai product and service brands. In addition, the event also featured cooking demonstrations and free samples by Chef Yo from Pinto Garden, Chef V, a Thai-Thai chef from Eleven Madison Park, a Michelin 3-star restaurant, and Chef Arnold, a former Top Chef Season 7 contestant, Food Network Star, and James Beard Best Chef Southeast nominee 2024. A cooking competition game was also organized, with the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Commerce co-selecting ingredients along with Chef Arnold, Che f Bao Bao, and Chef Hong to use in the competition game. In addition, the event also featured Thai dancing and Muay Thai to showcase the potential of the country's soft power to the public and tourists visiting Times Square. Source: Thai News Agency