London Olympics To Give Thai Food Exports A Boost

[webfact]

London Olympics to give Thai food exports a boost

PETCHANET PRATRUANGKRAI

THE NATION

London

BANGKOK: -- Thailand is confident of exporting more than US$1.2 billion (Bt38 billion) worth of foods to the United Kingdom this year, as the Summer Olympic Games in London boost demand and economic growth despite the financial problems in Europe.

"Although the financial crunch in the European Union has had an impact on Thailand's exports, demand for Thai products in the UK market, particularly foods, has not been affected, as Britons have good consumer sentiment [based on] the upcoming Olympic Games," said Chulit Stavorn, executive director of the Thai Trade Centre in London.

The United Kingdom is the largest market for Thai exports in the EU. Although last year shipments to the Netherlands exceeded those to the UK, it was because of higher fuel exports from Thailand.

Chulit said export of Thai foods to the UK had increased gradually each year from $675 million in 2007 to $938 million in 2010.

Last year, exports of Thai food products to the UK was worth $1.1 billion. Major export products were processed chicken, worth $555 million, followed by canned seafoods, frozen shrimp, rice, noodles and processed foods, and fresh and canned fruits.

Chulit said the EU's cancellation of its import ban on fresh chicken from Thailand in July would also boost the Kingdom's poultry exports to the UK and EU markets. He expects that Thai chicken exports to the UK should increase by $400 million this year.

In addition, Chulit expects that the plan of CP Foods, Thailand's leading food producer, to take over Birds Eye, a giant British fish-finger producer, will increase trading opportunity for Thai products in the UK market if the bid is successful.

The deal is not yet finalised, as more than three firms are interested in taking over Birds Eye. However, it was reported in British newspapers that CPF had offered a bid

-- The Nation 2012-05-28

[Yunla]

This is such a nonsense story. On the one hand they correctly say ;

Chulit said export of Thai foods to the UK had increased gradually each year from $675 million in 2007 to $938 million in 2010.

then they make this bizarre comment that sales will increase because of the Olympics. Sales will increase *anyway* because Thai cuisine is gaining popularity in the UK where they have always loved spicy food from abroad (especially curry). In addition, sensibly cooked Thai food is high in vegetables and seafood etc. and low in fat & makes it desireable in countries like the UK where they are trying to lose weight. Many Thai food dishes are also more affordable compared to other cuisines as they were designed as hearty & spicy peasant food. For this reason alone sales will certainly increase the worse the Uk /European economies get.

It is unlikely imo that the Olympics will affect Thai food eaten in the UK, many visitors to the Uk want to have the Uk "experience", bacon & egg, fish'n'chips etc..

Also nearly a third of London 2012 tickets are still unsold :

http://www.bbc.co.uk...ympics/18209178

Edited May 28, 2012 by Yunla

[alant]

cant wait to see cap'n birdseye speaking Thai on tv advertising fish fingers (wonder how that will translate?)

[jambco984]

olympics my a**e. As someone else says, its not going to matter one dot as produce would be shipped anyway. Is it the Thai way of saying look we had an input in another countries oympics.

I see the tv ads now, mama instant noodles sponsors the London 2012 Olympics. Aroy

[Payboy]

Sounds so much better when a mundane interview is converted into news by linking it to the Olympics.

[David48]

Sounds so much better when a mundane interview is converted into news by linking it to the Olympics.

Hey Payboy ... 3,000 posts ... well done mate ...

(3,092 ... sorry I'm a bit later ... better then finishing early!)

Edited May 28, 2012 by David48

[LuckyLew]

IMO there is a direct correlation to the number

of men from the UK that visit Thailand to the rise or fall

of Thai food exports to the UK

[chooka]

looking at the pic, do they still actually pack thier cans by hand, wasn't that process replaced back in the 19th century. I hope they wash thier hands after the toilet break. They are not even wearing food preparation gloves which I thought were mandatory.

Edited May 28, 2012 by chooka

[Thaddeus]

It is unlikely imo that the Olympics will affect Thai food eaten in the UK, many visitors to the Uk want to have the Uk "experience", bacon & egg, fish'n'chips etc..

The main etc being Chicken Tikka Masala.

Which a large amount of will be made from Thai chicken anyway.

[gand]

Could it be all the Thai brides in UK from BKK?

[gand]

Does that mean you can't get 'Bangers and Mash' anymore?

[gand]

cant wait to see cap'n birdseye speaking Thai on tv advertising fish fingers (wonder how that will translate?)

Stinky fingers?

[londonthai]

there would be more food exported to the uk over the olimpic time, but it's marginal. No, that thai food is not a favorite food for sportsmen and sport fans.

people will just buy more foods in the restaurants/take aways/pubs, but less cook home, to enjoy more of festivities

[Ferangled]

This is such a nonsense story. On the one hand they correctly say ;

Chulit said export of Thai foods to the UK had increased gradually each year from $675 million in 2007 to $938 million in 2010.

then they make this bizarre comment that sales will increase because of the Olympics. Sales will increase *anyway* because Thai cuisine is gaining popularity in the UK where they have always loved spicy food from abroad (especially curry). In addition, sensibly cooked Thai food is high in vegetables and seafood etc. and low in fat & makes it desireable in countries like the UK where they are trying to lose weight. Many Thai food dishes are also more affordable compared to other cuisines as they were designed as hearty & spicy peasant food. For this reason alone sales will certainly increase the worse the Uk /European economies get.

It is unlikely imo that the Olympics will affect Thai food eaten in the UK, many visitors to the Uk want to have the Uk "experience", bacon & egg, fish'n'chips etc..

Also nearly a third of London 2012 tickets are still unsold :

http://www.bbc.co.uk...ympics/18209178

Regarding a 3rd of the tickets not being sold, that's not down to a lack of demand but by appalling miss-management of the ticket sales. There was massive disappointment following the initial ticket sales and the whole process has been shrouded in mystery and complications since it's inception. 1000s of people that thought they had already bought tickets, having already received confirmation, were then told at a later date that their applications had been unsuccessful. The BBC's website reported back in February that all events bar Olympic football had already sold out, now we are told that organisers held back some 928,000 tickets... those responsible for Olympic ticket sales have truly shot themselves in the foot. If any events are not sold out it's not waning demand that is to blame it's purely down to bad organisation.

Thailand supplies UK with the vast majority of it's chicken and prawn, amongst other staples; undoubtedly this year will be a good year for Thai food exports to the UK but I sincerely doubt anyone is travelling simply to enjoy such internationally renowned English dishes such as "bacon n eggs & fish n chips etc"! The point isn't that people will be enjoying Thai dishes throughout the Olympics but that ingredients imported from Thailand will make up the constituent ingredients to many dishes served in UK - you'll find that Chicken Madras served in an Indian restaurant in Birmingham generally uses Thai chicken but it's still an English variation on Indian cuisine and not a Thai dish!

So in my humble opinion, contrary to many posts on here, there will be a minor upward trend in the amounts of Thai food exported to the UK this year as a direct result of the increased catering demand that comes with entertaining the boom of guests arriving to take in the sports... that said history has taught us that the Olympics doesn't necessarily mean increased numbers of tourists.

Looking at the figures from the last three venues - Bejing, Athens and Sydney, both Bejing and Athens actually experienced a drop in tourist numbers during the Olympic years (c.10%), while Australia saw tourist numbers fall in general for the 3 years following the games... and incidentally much of the damage done to the Greek economy was as a direct result of the vast overspending on Olympic facilities etc, many of which are now totally dilapidated and to date no one has put an official figure on in terms of financial costs.

Something else that few factor in are the amount of businesses that lose money as a direct result of hosting the Olympics - While Thai exporters may do well, I predict many flailing small English business going under as a direct result and I'm not talking Thai restaurants. I mean the father and son plumbers, electricians, painters etc that simply won't be able to work in the city for months on end and will lose business as a result. Meanwhile the large Olympic contracts will continue to pull in workers from mainland Europe and fill the pockets of the middlemen...

[puipuitom]

What a nonsense..

I import already Thai food products since 1976 as employee and since 1994 in my own company.

So much is deverted to other origins, like Sri Lanka, Philippines, Southern China, Vietnam, India...

Yes, Thai export to the EU grows, but could be at least twice the size as it is now.

Compare it with the size of total consumption into the EU, and.. ok, Thais will continue to sleep anyhow.

Edited May 28, 2012 by puipuitom

[Moruya]

When all the news about you is negative finding small nuggets of positive news is the order of the day.

If we are now truly down to counting how many Thai meals will be sold abroad as positive news then we're in a mess.

Next week there will be a positive index of exports of shrimp paste or fish sauce.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Thaivisa Connect App

[OzMick]

Unless they are holding food-eating contests, how will the world consumption of food vary?

Do they expect people to go to England to eat Thai food?

Perhaps they are counting all the Thais going to the olympics who won't be eating at home.

[CosmicSurfer]

looking at the pic, do they still actually pack thier cans by hand, wasn't that process replaced back in the 19th century. I hope they wash thier hands after the toilet break. They are not even wearing food preparation gloves which I thought were mandatory.

I have been in a few of these factories... They do have automated packing machines... these workers are doing QC and QA... either checking the consistency of the packed cans, or adding fish where some are missing.

But, rarely have I seen them wear hygienic plastic gloves... though the level of cleanliness and hygiene will vary between the factories, depending on their size and which label they are packing for. (Clover Leaf, Bumble Bee, etc.)

CS

[hhiser]

They should put that picture on every container of food being exported! I am sure that will help sales.

[bigbamboo]

cant wait to see cap'n birdseye speaking Thai on tv advertising fish fingers (wonder how that will translate?)

You can just see it....... some Thai pretty girl in a TV ad trying to tempt you to taste her 'fishy fingers'...!