On 12 - 16 December 2023, H.E. Mr. Chatchawan Sakornsin, Ambassador of Thailand to the Republic of Kazakhstan, led the team of the Royal Thai Embassy in Astana to visit Aktau city, located at the shore of Kazakhstan’s Caspian Sea, with a view to promoting Thai food and Thai food products and seeking ways to increase Thai trade in Kazakhstan. To this end, the Royal Thai Embassy in Astana, together with the 5-star Hotel Rixos Water World Aktau, jointly organized the Thai cuisine cooking demonstration on 14 December 2023, aimed at promoting Thai food cooking skills among the Hotel’s chef team. Another joint activity with the Hotel on 15 December 2023 was the organization of the Thai gastro dinner to showcase five renowned dishes of Thailand, namely, horsemeat in Thai Massaman curry, shrimp Tom Yum, chicken Pad Thai, beef in Thai spicy source, and Thai taro custard topped with ice-cream. The two activities were well attended by the middle-to-high-income Kazakhstanis and the media of the Mangystau region of Kazakhstan.

During the visit to Aktau city, Ambassador Chatchawan also met with the executives of Port Atau and Port Kuryk of Kazakhstan, playing a vital role in the trade route, logistics, and connectivity in the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route or Middle Corridor. During the meeting, crucial information for the Thai private sector for the use of these two ports to export Thai products to Kazakhstan, the Central Asian countries, and other countries and regions was discussed. In the Thai gastro dinner event, Ambassador Chatchawan also held talks with the executives of the Akimat of the Magystau region, particularly on the matter of the protection of Thai citizens, working and living in Aktau city.

The activities held in Aktau city by the Royal Thai Embassy in Astana between 12 and 16 December 2023 have successfully been concluded and they are in line with the policy of the Royal Thai Government in promoting Thailand’s Soft Power through Thai food. The activities also correspond with Thailand’s current proactive economic diplomacy in the sphere of connectivity and logistics that would help expand Thai products and increase Thai trade in Kazakhstan. In addition, Thai food and Thailand in general have become even more famous among Kazakhstanis through the media coverage on several media platforms by the Kazakhstan’s media attending the Thai food promoting activities.