KARACHI : Thai food festival – supported by Thai culture and musical show- starting on April 5 here at Beach Luxury Hotel has attracted a big number of people especially the food lovers of Karachi; the international city of diverse population and colours.
The first day was marked with presence of cluster of foreign diplomats posted in Karachi.
The festival timing is 7:30 P.M. to 11: 30 P.M. It is open on last three days of a week (Fridays, Saturdays, Sunday and Monday’s) and will continue till April 28,2019.The event has been organised by Royal Thai Consulate and Thai Airways International in collaboration with Avari Hotels Group. It has showcased authentic cuisine of Thailand, Consul General of Thailand in Karachi Thatree Chauvachata, was talking to journalists
Thai Consul General said Thai food was something that all visitors to Thailand did enjoy, and for locals, our national cuisine was a passion. Food production and dining played a huge part in strengthening of Thailand’s economy mainly the tourism sector and deserved to be celebrated on an international level.
He thanked Avari Hotels Group for supporting in organizing the food festival and that such events really mattered to bring two nations closer. Thai food was famous in the world.
The prominent food items at this festival were green curry with beef and eggplant, fish cakes, stir fry chicken with cashew nuts, Pad Thai with tamarind sauce, Tom Yum Gung and stir fry chicken with Tulsi.
He said the idea of creating a little Thailand in the heart of Karachi proved successful as a big number of people representing different sections of Pakistani society visited Thai food festival daily.
He praised the hospitality of Pakistani people and hoped the bilateral relations would further strengthen over the passage of time.
Thai Consul General appreciated the initiatives being taken by Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan; especially for the development of tourism. There were many tourism sites in Pakistan mainly in Northern areas and Sindh.
“ Pakistan is back on the track,” he remarked.
He acknowledged that Pakistan had the best historic sites like Texila and Moen-jo-Daro and that a big number of Thailand tourists would visit these beautiful places.
Thai diplomat said he was posted here five months back and had a very good time. He was trying to promote tourism between the two countries. The food festival was a part of these efforts. There were a chef and lady dancers’ group to display their professional skills. Corporate Director Sales Avari Group of Hotels
GM, Beach Luxury Hotel Muhammad Azeem Qureshi said this long Thai food festival would feature authentic cuisine from different parts of Thailand. Flavourful Som Tum, Yum Nua, Tom Yum Gung and many other delicious cooking arts would be treating the guests at Thai buffet spread.
From starters to soups to main courses and desserts, the food festival did highlight mouth-watering Thai dishes to all visitors to the festival. The visitors
He said last year Thai Food Festival held at Beach Luxury Hotel received a very good response. Thai food was very much affordable to the general public. He said the local tourism was the asset/base of the tourism industry in Pakistan. During the slowdown of foreign tourists over the last few years, it was the local tourism which helped the hotel industry in Pakistan to survive.
Pakistan has two special things known in the world. These are our culture and cuisine, Qureshi, said.
He underlined the need for promoting tourism in Pakistan by hotel chains along with diplomatic enclaves.
He informed that Avari Group Hotels, under its expansion plan, was going to set up hotels and motels in a different city of the country.
On this occasion, he shared the deliberations at the recent tourism summit held in Islamabad made by different stakeholders including hotel chains, and Federal and Provincial government’s representatives and concerned agencies for the promotion of tourism in Pakistan on the fast track.
He praised Prime Minister Imran Khan’s seriousness and practical approach for a boost to the tourism industry in Pakistan with a focus on public and private partnership.
He sad the Prime Minister had formed Committees to work out and pursue the goal of the rapid development of tourism in the country. One committee was headed by the owner of Avari Hotels Group, Baram Avari. As follow up, the next meeting of the stakeholder, under the umbrella of Federal Ministry of Tourism, would be held on April 17, 2019, in Islamabad.
Honorary Trade Adviser to Royal Thai Consulate, Arif Suleman said last year, more than one hundred thousand Thai visas were issued to Pakistanis.
He noted that with the improvement in tourism in Pakistan, its economy had improved.
He mentioned that Pakistan’s new visa policy would help increase the number of tourists to Pakistan. He suggested that more steps should be taken to boost bilateral trade, which should include the exchange of trade delegations.
