Distinguished Guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

On behalf of the Royal Thai Embassy, it is my great pleasure to welcome you all to the Thai Food Festival 2008 at Mandarin Oriental Hotel Manila, a fusion of Thai gastronomic delight and culture.

In the same cordial note, I wish to express my warmest congratulations to the organizer and eminent host of the Thai Food Festival, the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Manila in cooperation with the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) and Thai Airways International.??? ?

The Thai Food Festival will not only showcase an array of authentic and sumptious Thai cuisine but will also feature an exhibition of Thai design and culture, giving our foreign and Filipino friends an opportunity to enjoy a unique Thai experience. ?

Thai cuisine has been gaining popularity worldwide. It is considered among the world's most delicious, with a unique blend of tastes consisting of hot, sour, sweet, and always highlighted with natural and healthy herbs. The combination of herbs such as ginger, lemongrass, galangal, coriander root and kaffir lime to be used in Thai cuisine is blended wisely and amazingly tasteful. Because of the high quality and natural ingredients used in preparing Thai dishes, it also helps promote good health.? ?
It is my firm confidence that this even will not only popularly bring about the promotion of Thai food to be more well-known in the Philippines, but will also serve as a cultural gateway to strengthen the people-to-people relations between Thais and Filipinos.

Last but not the least, the Royal Thai Embassy will work closely with all of you and support other activities through cultural diplomacy to promote better understanding between the Thai and Philippine communities here. ?

Once again, may I invite you all to sample the special cuisine and authentic Thai food for your amazing Thai dining pleasure.