First Mini Thailand Week 2023 in Kota Kinabalu on September 21-24
Published on: Thursday, September 14, 2023
The traditional “Manora” Thai dance, which earned Unesco heritage status, will be performed during Mini Thailand Week 2023. Photo credit: Madaree Tohlala/AFP
Kota Kinabalu: Beyond business and bilateral Thailand-Sabah trade, the first ever Mini Thailand Week 2023 will give Sabahans the opportunity to taste and see the rich tapestry of Thai culture, cuisine and innovation in a tangible way.
Visitors will get a palpable experience of Thailand in six main categories – Food and Beverage, Lifestyle Products, Smart Farming, BCG (Bio-Circular-Green) and Green, Food Processing and Food Innovation.
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Running from Sept 21 to 24 at the Sabah International Convention Centre (SICC), it will run concurrently with the Sabah International Expo 2023 (SIE2023).
The event will see 74 booths set up outdoors and indoors, captivating Thai dance performances and cooking demonstrations for authentic Thai cooking, which is sure to transport attendees to the heart of Thailand right here in Sabah.
Project Manager Kachamat Panklieng said the outdoor zone would be dubbed “Thailand Kitchen of The World” where cooking demonstrations by chefs from Thailand would be conducted.
“Visitors can learn the secrets behind their Thai dishes and even taste the food that is being made. The cooking demonstrations are divided into two parts – main dishes and dessert.
“For the main dishes, the chef will demonstrate how to cook Tom Yam, Thai Green Curry, Tom Kha Gai (Thai coconut chicken soup) and Pad Th ai.
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“For dessert, visitors will be shown how to make coconut dumplings with coconut sugar, Thai pancakes and donuts, which are desserts of South Thailand as the chef is from there.
“We will be using authentic Thai products that are endorsed by the Thailand Ministry of Commerce, which are guaranteed to be good quality, such as the tom yam paste and pad Thai paste.
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“These products will be available for purchase during the event,” she told Daily Express, Wednesday.
Besides food, visitors will get to witness the “Manorah” or “Nora” traditional Thai dance which earned the prestigious Unesco heritage status in Dec 2021.
“There will also be a Bamboo Thai Tap Dance, which is similar to Sabah’s ‘Magunatip’ dance. So Sabahans can come and see the similarities between the two,” she said, adding that these performances will be held in two sessions each day during the four-day event.
On the six categories, Kachamat said there would be 36 booths and 44 brands under Food and Beverage, featuring a wide range of Thai cooking ingredients and products, such as cashew nuts and herbs.
“We have done a market survey and found there are not many Thai products in the Sabah market. So this is why we are bringing in these products and part of the aim in our partnership with SIE2023,” she said.
For the Lifestyle Products category, she said there will be 21 booths and 18 brands that will feature skincare, cosmetics, home spa products, home aroma, jewellery and herbal products from Thailand, among others.
Kachamat said as part of the bilateral Thailand-Sabah cooperation, Thailand will showcase modern technologies that can expose Sabahans to tech advancements through the Smart Farming, BCG (Bio-Circular-Green) and Go Green, Food Processing, and Food Innovation categories.
Under Smart Farming, Thailand companies will be exhibiting equipment in manufacturing and modern technology related to fibreglass, water treatment and biogas while the BCG and Go Green category will feature green sustainability products such as solar and biodegradable items.
“For food processing, there will be four brands that will feature gas cookers, gas regulators and medical products for livestock.
“Under the Food Innovation category, five brands will feature futuristic food, such as plant-based products and modified starch.
“An association providing entrepreneurship development and training in this area will also be present, so Sabahans can learn about it and join them if they are interested,” she said.
Additionally, Kachamat said Mini Thailand Week 2023 will not only give visitors a taste of Thailand, but also put Sabah on the global map.
“A lot of Thai people do not know about Sabah and Sarawak, most of them only know about Kuala Lumpur.
“So with the 74 exhibitors from Thailand coming to Sabah, they can learn more about the State and tell their family and friends about it when they go back,” she said.
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