The Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives has approved five activities to drive the “Thai Kitchen to the World” policy and to elevate traditional farming practices to modern agricultural techniques, while upgrading the agro-industry. 

The approval was made at a meeting via Zoom, chaired by Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives Akkhara Prompow on 4 March 2025 at the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives in Bangkok.

The five activities include (1) the promotion of alternative crop planting and animal husbandry in response to the market demand, (2) transformation of inappropriate farmland into precision agriculture, (3) integrated water resource management for area-based production development, (4) agricultural processing to produce goods of high quality for online and onsite sales, and (5) the development of pilot areas for modern agriculture and precision agriculture.

The Government has moved to revive the Thai Kitchen to the World policy, which showcases a prominent asset of Thailand to address global food security needs. The policy was established for the first time in 2003 to make Thai food and ingredients better known in the world market and promote Thailand’s tourism through authentic Thai food.

Mr. Akkhara stated that, in response to this policy, the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives would carry out various pilot projects to improve famers’ living conditions. For instance, unattended rice fields will be turned into farmland for high-value crops, such as oil palm, rubber, and Tubtim Siam Pomelo, which is a geographical indication (GI) fruit. They will also be developed into farmland for home-grown vegetables to meet the needs of the market.

In this connection, Mr. Akkhara said that relevant agencies under the ministry have been assigned to sign memorandums of understanding with provincial administrative organizations and subdistrict administrative organizations to join hands with local people in elevating the area-based agriculture sector. The ministry would also work actively to develop agro-industry to raise the income of Thai farmers.