On 23 October 2026, the Royal Thai Embassy in Dakar, together with the Embassies of nine other Asia-Pacific countries in Dakar, namely China, India, Indonesia, Iran, Japan, Malaysia, Pakistan, the Republic of Korea and Türkiye, jointly organised the “Asian Food Festival 2026 – Different Cultures, Diverse Flavours, One Asian Table” at the Blaise Senghor Cultural Center in Dakar. The event aimed to promote cultural exchange and tourism by showcasing the cuisines of the ten participating countries and introducing their rich culinary traditions to a wider audience in Senegal, West Africa and the international community residing in Senegal.

As part of Thailand’s participation, the Royal Thai Embassy presented Thai cuisine and cultural heritage through three main activities: (1) a selection of six Thai dishes and desserts, namely Pad Thai with Prawns, Larb Gai (Thai Spicy Minced Chicken Salad), Thai Papaya Salad (Som Tam), Med Khanun (Mung Bean and Egg Yolk Sweets), Khanom Chan (Thai Layered Dessert) and Lemongrass Drink; (2) video presentations showcasing Thailand’s diverse tourism attractions and experiences, including wellness tourism, cultural and community-based tourism, ecotourism, experiential tourism and gastronomic tourism, with particular emphasis on halal food; and (3) an exhibition of Thai arts and handicrafts, featuring fruit carving, wood carving, ceramic elephant figurines, artificial flower garlands, traditional decorative Tung flags and Bo Sang umbrellas.

The event was successfully held, attracting more than 350 invited guests free of charge. Participants included representatives of Senegalese government agencies, diplomatic missions from countries outside the Asia-Pacific region, international organisations, business communities, members of the media, school and university students, Senegalese nationals and members of the expatriate community in Senegal. The Thai food and cultural displays attracted considerable interest, with many visitors expressing their appreciation and positive impressions of Thailand.