2010 World Cup to Benefit Thai Food Industry

As South Africa is in the limelight as host to the current 2010 FIFA World Cup from 11 June to 11 July 2010, Thailand is also enjoying many advantages from the event, particularly in terms of food exports. The Thai food industry would likely expand and brings higher income to the country during the international football competition.

National Food Institute (NFI) Executive Vice President, Amorn Ngammongkolrat, believed the exports of Thai foods and the Thai food businesses in South Africa would generate income of more than 5 billion THB to the country in 2010. The exports such as rice, crops, seafood, processed food, and the entire things used as ingredients to cook all sorts of delicacies, as well as sweets would grow up.

Regarding the domestic market, Mr Amorn estimated that most of the Thai football fans would consume more fast food, snacks, fruit juices, milk, soft drinks, instant noodles, frozen food, coffee, and tea while watching their favorite matches. Therefore, those food businesses would benefit from the behavioral change of consumers during this period.

The NFI vice president added that consumers would prefer to have their meals in restaurants and watch live broadcasts of favorite matches or order dishes via delivery service rather than spending long time on their meals in restaurants without football matches to enjoy. Convenience stores nationwide, mostly opening around the clock, will also be popular places to stop by for football fans who have become late sleepers during this period.

Mr Amorn hence suggested food entrepreneurs adjust their strategies urgently in a bid to adapt themselves to the new trend of consumers, so that they would not lose such a good opportunity to stimulate their sales occurring only once in every four years.

Although Thailand has never been the host to the FIFA World Cup, and Thai football teams have never participated in the final tournament, it does not mean that Thailand would gain nothing from the international football competition. The food industry of Thailand has vast benefits to enjoy both in its home and abroad because the exquisite taste of Thai cuisine could be replaced by nothing, and this is one of the strengths of the kingdom.