Thai food goes halal as Bangkok looks to attract more Muslim tourists

Thai food goes halal as Bangkok looks to attract more Muslim tourists
Visitors check the menu of a halal food stall at Jodd Fairs Night Market in Bangkok, Thailand, Feb. 21, 2024. (AN Photo)
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Updated 09 March 2024
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Thai food goes halal as Bangkok looks to attract more Muslim tourists

Thai food goes halal as Bangkok looks to attract more Muslim tourists
  • Efforts to boost arrivals from the Middle East on rise since re-establishment of ties with Saudi Arabia
  • Thailand’s government seeks to promote the country as ‘halal kitchen of the world’

BANGKOK: Thailand’s aromatic, spicy cuisine has long been a huge draw for visitors. Now, the country is focusing on creating halal versions of popular dishes to attract more tourists from the Muslim world.

Since predominantly Buddhist Thailand re-established diplomatic ties with Saudi Arabia in 2022, there has been an increasing focus on attracting visitors from Muslim-majority countries to the popular tourism destination. Last month, the government announced a 2024-28 plan to promote Thailand as the “halal kitchen of the world” and Southeast Asia’s “halal hub.”

The main institution responsible for ensuring adherence to the rules governing halal food in Thailand is the Halal Science Center at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, which has developed a standardization system known as Halal Assurance, Liability-Quality System, or HAL-Q, which is used by more than 770 food factories and 7,000 restaurants in the country, allowing them to use the word “halal” in their marketing.

According to the center’s founding director, Dr. Winai Dahlan, there are 900 such restaurants in Bangkok alone — already “enough to welcome Muslim tourists,” he told Arab News.

“We work with the Central Islamic Council of Thailand,” Dahlan said. “We are trying to introduce halal Thai food as a soft power of Thailand.”

From the iconic lemongrass-flavored tom yum soup to pad thai, the savory noodles that are the national dish, the guiding principle of Thai cuisine is harmony. For Dahlan, having the food prepared in the halal way and certified as such, helps “boost the trust” of tourists, as more and more Muslim visitors have been arriving to the country.

At Sook Siam, an indoor floating-market-themed food hall at ICONSIAM Mall in Bangkok, the Kan Tang stand serves halal versions of the most famous Thai dishes.

“Tom yum is the best ... many people come (to have it) here,” said the stall’s attendant, Onk Natphuwanat.

But not all Muslim travelers know the relatively new food market, nor other places with halal vendors.

The Jodd Fairs Night Market in the Rama IX neighborhood is another location where halal food can be found — including seafood tom yum noodles, red beef curry, and pad thai. And in Bangkok’s Pratunam Market, a few stalls run by Thai Muslims offer halal food, though it requires some effort to find them.




A halal food stall displays its menu at Jodd Fairs Night Market in Bangkok, Thailand, Feb. 21, 2024. (AN Photo)

Some visitors, like Nani Rohayu, visiting with her husband and daughter from Thailand’s Muslim neighbor Malaysia, have been navigating the streets and alleys of Bangkok using culinary recommendations from social media.

For her family, following references they found online was a fun way of exploring the city and finding new halal bites.

“If you go from one street or alley to another, you will find halal (food). There is no problem,” Rohayu told Arab News, after a successful outing in search of tom yum, noodles, and mango sticky rice.

“There’s so much info on the internet,” she continued. “It is very easy.”


UK minister rules out using Nigel Farage as link to Trump

UK minister rules out using Nigel Farage as link to Trump
Updated 58 min 57 sec ago
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UK minister rules out using Nigel Farage as link to Trump

UK minister rules out using Nigel Farage as link to Trump
  • Nigel Farage, the Brexit-campaigner and self-described troublemaker, is a friend of Donald Trump
  • He has offered to act as an interlocutor between the British government and the Trump administration

LONDON: A British minister said on Sunday that the government is unlikely to ask the Reform party leader Nigel Farage to act as an intermediary to deal with US President-elect Donald Trump.
Farage, the Brexit-campaigner and self-described troublemaker, is a friend of Trump and was at his election victory party in Florida.
He has offered to act as an interlocutor between the British government and the Trump administration, which takes power in January.
The Treasury minister Darren Jones said on Sunday that the government would likely reject that offer.
“I think that’s probably unlikely,” he told Sky News, saying Farage, who is a member of parliament, should probably spend his time with his constituents rather than in the United States.
Governments around the world are trying to figure out how to deal with Trump, who has promised to increase tariffs and whose first four-year term was characterized by a protectionist trade policy and isolationist rhetoric, including threats to withdraw from NATO.
Starmer delayed starting a recruitment process for a new ambassador to Washington until the result of the US election was known.
The role will be crucial in the coming years in navigating Britain’s relationship with the Trump administration.
Farage said at the weekend he has “a great relationship” with Trump and would be willing to act as an intermediary for the government because it is in the national interest.


Indian soldiers battle Kashmir militants, one killed

Indian soldiers battle Kashmir militants, one killed
Updated 10 November 2024
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Indian soldiers battle Kashmir militants, one killed

Indian soldiers battle Kashmir militants, one killed
  • Police say two separate gunfights taking place in Zabarwan and Baramulla areas of Indian-administered Kashmir
  • Kashmir has been divided between nuclear-armed rivals India and Pakistan since their partition at end of British rule in 1947

NEW DELHI: Indian troops on Sunday were battling with gunmen in Indian-administered Kashmir with one suspected militant killed, the army said, the latest violence in the long-running insurgency in the disputed Muslim-majority territory.
Police said two separate gunfights were taking place in the Himalayan region, with fighting reported in both the Zabarwan and Baramulla areas.
“One terrorist has been neutralized by the security forces,” the army’s Chinar Corps said, a term they use indicating a gunman had been killed.
Kashmir has been divided between nuclear-armed rivals India and Pakistan since their partition at the chaotic end of British rule in 1947, and both countries claim the territory in full.
India has at least 500,000 troops deployed in Kashmir in a bid to end a conflict that has killed tens of thousands of civilians, soldiers and militants since 1989.
Militant groups demand either independence or its merger with Pakistan.
New Delhi regularly blames Pakistan for arming militants and helping them launch attacks, an allegation Islamabad denies.
Last week, an attacker hurled a grenade at a busy market in the main city of Srinagar, wounding 12 people.
Attacks since October have included gunmen launching an ambush on an army convoy, as well as firing on a construction camp, killing seven people.
On Wednesday, Kashmir’s newly-elected regional assembly passed a resolution demanding New Delhi restore the territory’s partial autonomy, canceled in 2019 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist government.


Indian soldiers battle Kashmir rebels, one killed

Indian soldiers battle Kashmir rebels, one killed
Updated 10 November 2024
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Indian soldiers battle Kashmir rebels, one killed

Indian soldiers battle Kashmir rebels, one killed
  • Police said two separate gunfights were taking place in the Himalayan region
  • Kashmir has been divided between rivals India and Pakistan since their partition in 1947

NEW DELHI: Indian troops on Sunday were battling with gunmen in Kashmir with one suspected rebel killed, the army said, the latest violence in the long-running insurgency in the disputed Muslim-majority territory.
Police said two separate gunfights were taking place in the Himalayan region, with fighting reported in both the Zabarwan and Baramulla areas.
“One terrorist has been neutralized by the security forces,” the army’s Chinar Corps said, a term they use indicating a gunman had been killed.
Kashmir has been divided between nuclear-armed rivals India and Pakistan since their partition at the chaotic end of British rule in 1947, and both countries claim the territory in full.
India has at least 500,000 troops deployed in Kashmir in a bid to end a conflict that has killed tens of thousands of civilians, soldiers and rebels since 1989.
Rebel groups demand either independence or its merger with Pakistan.
New Delhi regularly blames Pakistan for arming militants and helping them launch attacks, an allegation Islamabad denies.
Last week, an attacker hurled a grenade at a busy market in the main city of Srinagar, wounding 12 people.
Attacks since October have included gunmen launching an ambush on an army convoy, as well as firing on a construction camp, killing seven people.
On Wednesday, Kashmir’s newly-elected regional assembly passed a resolution demanding New Delhi restore the territory’s partial autonomy, canceled in 2019 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist government.


Asia, the world’s economic engine, prepares for Trump shock

Asia, the world’s economic engine, prepares for Trump shock
Updated 10 November 2024
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Asia, the world’s economic engine, prepares for Trump shock

Asia, the world’s economic engine, prepares for Trump shock
  • Trump vowed during campaign to slap 60 percent tariffs on Chinese goods entering US 
  • Move could impact Southeast Asia where production chains are closely linked to China 

TOKYO: Some Asian countries stand to gain if US president-elect Donald Trump pushes ahead with his promised massive tariffs on China and triggers a new wave of factory relocations to the rest of the region.
But a trade war between the world’s biggest economies would also destabilize markets everywhere, with Asia — which contributes the largest share of global growth — the most affected.
Trump, who won a crushing presidential victory this week, vowed during his campaign to slap 60 percent tariffs on all Chinese goods entering the United States in an attempt to balance trade between the two nations.
Analysts however question whether the new president will stick to such a high figure, and dispute the blow such tariffs could inflect on the Chinese economy, estimating GDP could be lowered by between 0.7 percent and 1.6 percent.
The cooling effect would also make waves throughout Southeast Asia, where production chains are closely linked to China and enjoy significant investment from Beijing.
“Lower US demand for Chinese goods due to higher tariffs on China will translate into lower demand for ASEAN exports, even if there aren’t US tariffs levied directly onto those economies,” said Adam Ahmad Samdin, of Oxford Economics.
Indonesia is particularly exposed through its strong exports of nickel and minerals, but China is also the top trading partner of Japan, Taiwan and South Korea.
In addition to China, Donald Trump has also warned of an increase of 10 to 20 percent on duties for all imports, as part of his protectionist policies and fixation that other countries take advantage of the US.
“The extent of these effects likely depends on the direct exposure of each economy to the US,” said Samdin, who added that America accounts for a 39.1 percent share of Cambodian exports, 27.4 percent from Vietnam, 17 percent from Thailand and 15.4 percent from the Philippines.
Trump first slapped China with heavy tariffs in 2018 during his first administration, leading to the emergence of “connector countries,” through which Chinese companies passed their products to avoid American taxes.
Those countries could be in the line of fire now.
“Vietnam’s electronics exports to the US could also be targeted by Trump, in a bid to halt the diversion of Chinese electronic products to the US via Vietnam since 2018,” said Lloyd Chan, a senior analyst at MUFG, Japan’s largest bank.
“This is not inconceivable. Trade rewiring has notably gained traction in the region’s electronics value chain.”
“India could itself become a target of protectionist measures by the US due to the large share of Chinese components in Indian products,” added Alexandra Hermann, an economist with Oxford Economics.
Trump could also impose higher tariffs on Indian goods in sectors such as “automobiles, textiles, pharmaceuticals and wines, which could make Indian exports less competitive in the US,” said Ajay Srivastava of the New Delhi-based Global Trade Research Initiative.
A trade war would be dangerous for India, said Ajay Sahai, director of the Federation of Indian Export Organizations.
“Trump is a transactional person. He may target higher tariffs on certain items of Indian exports so he can negotiate for lower tariffs for US products in India,” he told AFP.
In the medium term, these negative effects could be counterbalanced by establishing factories outside China to escape the fallout.
The “China+1” strategy initiated during Donald Trump’s first term saw production shifts to India, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam.
With its geographical position and cheap skilled labor, Vietnam has already been one of the main beneficiaries.
The country has notably received investments from Taiwanese Apple subcontractors Foxconn and Pegatron and South Korea’s Samsung, becoming the second-largest exporter of smartphones in the world behind China.
“The likelihood increases that even more businesses will want to... have a second, or third, production base outside China,” said Bruno Jaspaert, chairman of the European Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam.
Chinese firms themselves are investing massively from Vietnam to Indonesia in sectors including solar, batteries, electric vehicles and minerals.
“American companies and investors are very interested in opportunities in Vietnam and this will continue under the incoming Trump Administration,” said Adam Sitkoff, executive director of the American Chamber of Commerce in Hanoi.
But whether it is low-end or high-tech production, China’s competitive advantage in terms of price, scale and quality is difficult to reproduce, warns Nomura bank.
A reorganization of production chains could lead to a “loss of efficiency” and increased prices, “with a negative impact on global growth,” Thomas Helbling, deputy director of the IMF for Asia, recently explained to AFP.
Asian countries could therefore gain export market share but ultimately see their situation deteriorate amid weakening global demand.


King Charles III and Kate will attend remembrance events as both royals slowly return to duty

King Charles III and Kate will attend remembrance events as both royals slowly return to duty
Updated 10 November 2024
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King Charles III and Kate will attend remembrance events as both royals slowly return to duty

King Charles III and Kate will attend remembrance events as both royals slowly return to duty
  • King Charles III and the Princess of Wales both plan to attend the United Kingdom’s annual ceremony honoring fallen service personnel on Sunday.

LONDON: King Charles III and the Princess of Wales both plan to attend the United Kingdom’s annual ceremony honoring fallen service personnel on Sunday, a sign that the royal family is slowly returning to normal after a year in which two of the most popular royals were sidelined by cancer.
Remembrance Sunday is a totemic event in the UK, with the king leading senior royals, political leaders and envoys from the Commonwealth countries that fought alongside Britain in the two world wars in laying wreaths at the Cenotaph, the Portland stone memorial in central London that serves as the focal point for honoring the nation’s war dead.
The presence of both Charles, who is the commander in chief of the military, and Kate signals that normal royal service has been restored — at least for one day.
“They are showing respect to us, as we’ve shown to them by serving,” said Victor Needham-Crofton, 91, an army veteran who served during the Suez Crisis of 1956 and later in Kenya.
Charles was diagnosed with an undisclosed form of cancer in February, forcing him to step away from public appearances for two months as he focused on his treatment and recovery. Just a few weeks later, Kate announced her own cancer diagnosis, which sidelined her for much of the year as she underwent chemotherapy.
The king has been in good form in recent months and recently completed a taxing trip to Australia and Samoa. Kate, who made her first post-diagnosis public appearance during the monarch’s birthday parade in June, is slowly returning to public duties.
Prince William, Kate’s husband and the heir to the throne, reflected this week on the strain that the cancer scare has placed on the royal family.
“I’m so proud of my wife, I’m proud of my father, for handling the things that they have done,” William told reporters on Thursday as he wrapped up a four-day trip to South Africa. “But from a personal family point of view, it’s been, yeah, it’s been brutal.”
Charles’ ceremonial role as commander in chief of the armed forces is a holdover from the days when the monarch led his troops into battle. But the link between the monarchy and the military is still very strong, with service members taking an oath of allegiance to the king and members of the royal family supporting service personnel through a variety of charities. Charles and William both served on active duty in the military before taking up full-time royal duties.
On Sunday, Charles will lay a wreath of poppies at the base of the Cenotaph. William will leave his own floral tribute – featuring the Prince of Wales’ feathers and a new ribbon in Welsh red.
Kate will watch from a balcony of the nearby Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, as is tradition.
All will be present for the culmination of the event, when 10,000 military veterans march past the memorial and lay their own wreaths honoring fallen comrades.
While the Cenotaph is the focus of the national remembrance service, communities throughout the UK will hold their own ceremonies on Sunday.
Needham-Crofton, who served with the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers before a truck accident ended his military career, plans to attend a local service in Eastbourne on the south coast of England.
He has spent much of his time honoring veterans and trying to help them, including 20 years as a volunteer for the Taxi Charity for Military Veterans. Like some of his army tasks, raising cash was rather grueling as it involved standing in front of London subway stations collecting coins to help fund the group’s efforts.
“I like to respect all the veterans and do what I can for them,’’ he told The Associated Press. “It’s a brotherhood really. Even if you don’t know a veteran that you meet, you feel a kinship toward them. That is very important to me. I shall be like that for the rest of my life.’’