LOY KRATHONG, THAI COOKING AND AN AMAZING THAILAND EXPERIENCE IN INDIA BY TAT INDIA ( TOURISM AUTHORITY OF THAILAND)

When one thinks of a fun, relaxing or a romantic getaway to a foreign destination, Thailand is the first thing that's on the travel hit-list for many of us. The Grand Palace, The Emerald Buddha, The Reclining Buddha, Floating Market, ancient temples and architecture, taking a ride in the Tuk-Tuk, extensive shopping, refined dining experiences with spectacular views to authentic street-style-food, Thailand is a county which will provide you with a sensory overload and addictive memories for a lifetime. Not just these, but it is also a tropical paradise with clear blue waters, powdery white sand, swaying coconut trees, quaint beaches, heaven like islands and more, Thailand has fast become an established favourite among the honeymoon travellers and all kind of tourists across the world. 

I know you all are missing the Amazing Thailand, but don't worry... Thailand has now opened its doors for fully vaccinated tourists and that literally turned on the charm for me and am sure for you too.

To celebrate this, Tat India (Tourism Authority of Thailand) was here at Sheraton Grand Bengaluru Whitefield Hotel & Convention Center, to host an exclusively curated Amazing Thailand experience for a select few influencers in the city and The Crumb Stash was so glad to be a part of it. 

With Khun Cholada, Director Of TAT INDIA and with Rasvin & Mayur (TAT INDIA team) 

With Yaoza Kamkara Shimray (TAT INDIA team) 

The day was filled with fun activities where I quenched my soul in Thai cooking, got a hands-on experience cooking Thai food, understood the Thai herbs & spices, learnt new cultures, got a glimpse of the traditions of Thailand, danced the Thai way and indulged in a hearty Thai dinner at InAzia curated by Chef Rungtiwa. Truly a magical experience it was and is quite difficult for me to choose which was my favourite part of the day. 

With Chef Rungtiwa, Sheraton Grand Bengaluru Whitefield Hotel & Convention Center 

We all know that Thailand is a food-obsessed city and dishes up plates that are colourful, aromatic and full of flavour. So, team TAT INDIA first decided to transport our taste-buds to Thailand with an interesting and informative Thai cooking session where Chef Rungtiwa of Sheraton Grand Whitefield introduced the five main flavours which is salt, sweet, sour, bitter and spicy that pretty much sums up Thai cuisine. 

The memorable part was we got a hands-on-experience to cook some of the authentic Thai dishes under the chef's guidance. We got into a team of three, the cooking counter was perfectly set with rains which made our moods happier. 

We tried our hands in making Chicken and Tofu Satay, Lab Gai Tod and finished the session with the most loved coconut milk-based dessert which is Tub Thim Krop. We also tasted the dishes made by other teams and trust me, felt super glad to have learnt some serious chef skills. 

The busy afternoon then rolled into a beautiful sunset and we were all set to enjoy Loy Krathong, the Festival of Lights. Can I just say that it was one of the most picturesque evenings ever! Let me take this moment to appreciate TAT INDIA for curating this visually mesmerising celebration. Excitement in our eyes seeing this tradition, we made our own Krathongs and Oh-God! it was a fabulous experience. 

The Director of TAT INDIA, Khun Cholada Siddhivarn was so kind enough to explain this holistic tradition and the importance of this celebration. Khun Cholada said, "Loy Krathong is celebrated on the 12th month based on Thai Lunar Calendar which usually falls in November. On this special day, Krathongs usually made from a slice of the trunk of a banana tree is decked up with leaves, flowers, 3 incense sticks and on the full moon day, people gather around rivers, lakes, canals and float the Krathongs in the water showing respect to the Goddess of water.  During this sacred time, people ask for forgiveness to the Water God and also float away their negative feelings like anger and grudge that they are holding on to along with the Krathongs. This was such an enchanting experience. 

Finally came the show stopper of the event. Yes! the evening ended on a beautiful note with a graceful and elegant Thai dance performance and a yummilicious Thai dinner. And oh, did I mention that we also learnt to dance the Thai way. Oh, my my my.... How much fun it was! 

The dinner had some interactive live counters like the Som Tam counter, Khow Suey and an egg omelette counter. I really fell in love with the way how the Som Tam counter was set and it was quite a crowd pleaser too. We learnt to make this 100% delicious salad and indulged in the flavourful concoction of this most wanted Thai salad. 

It was then time to grab a bowl of Khow Suey which was perfect for the showery weather. After that, I sort of went into a zone... happy zone. My heart was like, Appetisers? Yes please. Thai green curry, don't mind, serve it... Tub Thim Krob? why the hell not... that absolutely has my heart! 

Overall, the day was a beautiful medley of everything nice, great food, traditional celebration, culture and a heart full of lovely memories. No wonder why they said it is "Amazing Thailand". So grateful to have had the opportunity to experience this amazing event and loved all the sessions to every bit. 

With Mayur (TAT INDIA team) 

With Khun Cholada, The Director Of TAT INDIA, Mayur and fellow team mates. 

Thank you TAT INDIA for the most memorable day and curating such exclusive experiences. It was a well etched event and after having vowed the experience, I am now craving to bid good bye to my long pending travel plans, just pack my bags and plan a trip to Thailand. 

If you guys are also after all these bucket list experiences, then I have a good news for you, Thailand Tourism is now open. So, what are you waiting for? start packing that suitcase and plan your trip to the Amazing Thailand. 

For more information on how to plan your trip, contact TAT INDIA

Happy Touring!