More than 1,300 Pad Thai dishes were sold within an hour during the Songkran Festival on April 26 in Los Angeles, setting a new Guinness World Record. The "2026 Thai New Year: Songkran Festival," hosted along a three-kilometer stretch of Hollywood Boulevard, attracted over 200,000 attendees and is regarded as the largest Thai festival outside of Thailand. The event featured a colorful cultural parade, live performances, and a cooking spectacle, alongside the record-setting Pad Thai sales.

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The festival commenced with a parade showcasing Thai cultural elements, drawing large crowds to Hollywood Boulevard. Participants included Thai youth in traditional attire and contestants from the Miss Thai Town 2026 pageant. The highlight of the day was the Pad Thai sales challenge, where chefs from 48 restaurants collaborated to surpass the 1,200 dish target. By the end of the hour, 1,338 dishes were sold, securing the Guinness World Record.

Guinness representatives confirmed the achievement, awarded official recognition, and presented certificates to the participants. The Royal Thai Consulate-General in Los Angeles, Tor Sornlump, mentioned that the record attempt was spurred by a surge in pre-orders, encouraging organizers to aim for the official recognition. Alongside this accomplishment, the chefs engaged in a cooking competition, diversifying the Pad Thai offerings.

The festival was supported by multiple Thai authorities, including the Tourism Authority of Thailand Los Angeles Office, further enhancing the event with cooking demonstrations and cultural displays. Large pans were used for live cooking shows featuring public figures like Sudarat Keyuraphan and Pita Limjaroenrat. Food stalls were a major attraction, with festival-goers enjoying classic Thai treats like mango sticky rice and fresh durian, adding to the vibrant festival environment.

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  Adapted by ASEAN Now · The Thaiger · 28 Apr 2026

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I'm looking for the appropriate word........oh yeah, flabbergasted.

80 Baht a serving?

I often wonder about these 'records': what was the previous record and when? Nice they had a big festival, but these records? Compared to what?

14 hours ago, Gsxrnz said:

I'm looking for the appropriate word........oh yeah, flabbergasted.

80 Baht a serving?

That's definitely farang price!

Dry Songkran!?! Where's the fun in that?

7 minutes ago, unblocktheplanet said:

Dry Songkran!?! Where's the fun in that?

Where is the fun in a wet one?

4 hours ago, scottiejohn said:

Where is the fun in a wet one?

Please stop, already, with the double entendres! I have fun drenching the kids and them drenching me. Don't be a spoilsport!

Decent pad thai, havent had in a while i would 80 baht.

I'm looking for the appropriate word........oh yeah, flabbergasted.

80 Baht a serving?

That's definitely farang price!

Hell, I pay that at a street Kiosk in BKK Chinatown. And that's for vegetarian. It's 100 baht with pork or chicken and 120 baht with shrimp. And the place is always standing room only, though they set out tables for a couple of dozen people on the street.

Here's a tip... If you want to get shrimp from a street kiosk, make sure you have Imodium and at least half a bog roll back in the room. And that the room's not too far away.

Edit: The chicken and the pork seem reliable...

Edited May 4May 4 by impulse

I have never heard of either chicken or pork in pad thai in Thailand.