Pad Thai: the Thai-ization of Chinese food and the Thai nationalism project by the Phibunsongkhram government
Issued Date
2024-01-01
Resource Type
ISSN
14608944
eISSN
14699907
Scopus ID
2-s2.0-85200953989
Journal Title
National Identities
Rights Holder(s)
SCOPUS
Bibliographic Citation
National Identities (2024)
Suggested Citation
Yao Y., Yang B., Wang X. Pad Thai: the Thai-ization of Chinese food and the Thai nationalism project by the Phibunsongkhram government. National Identities (2024). doi:10.1080/14608944.2024.2369818 Retrieved from: https://repository.li.mahidol.ac.th/handle/20.500.14594/100524
Title
Pad Thai: the Thai-ization of Chinese food and the Thai nationalism project by the Phibunsongkhram government
Author's Affiliation
Corresponding Author(s)
Other Contributor(s)
Abstract
Pad Thai, an innovation of Chinese kway teow through Thai-ization that became an iconic national dish of Thailand, played a significant role in shaping national identity and constructing the country's national image. This study explored the relationship between nationalist policies and the localization of kway teow during the Phibunsongkhram government (1938-1944), which contributed to the popularity of kway teow in Thailand's lower class in terms of both production and consumption. The examination of government policies and recipes revealed that Thais infused their emotions and the sense of national identity into the production and consumption of kway teow, thereby enhancing the bond between individuals and the nation and laying a more solid base for the implementation of nationalist policies. The innovation of Pad Thai was one such nationalist policy that was disseminated top-down by the Phibunsongkhram government, making it a national food of Thailand by highlighting its Thai characteristics and including it in its National Nutrition Project. However, Pad Thai was not purely a national Thai dish; rather, it was one that existed in Thais' imagination. In revealing the nature of national cuisine and its importance in nation-building, this study's findings contribute to the significant role of localizing Chinese food in Thai nation-building.