Besides the rapid redevelopment of Central Phuket and its large influx of investments, the tourism board of Thailand (TAT) is promoting Phuket’s exhilarating gastronomic scene. Michelin, the tire company that awards stars to fine dining locations worldwide, has announced its expansion into Thailand’s Southern Coast, Phuket and Phang Nga. Michelin deems Phuket as the ‘Pearl of the Andaman’ and the upcoming guide will explore the gastronomic scene of this UNESCO city, after the manufacturer made its debut in Thailand last year with its first guide of Bangkok.

Michelin and the Tourism of Thailand (TAT) announced at a recent press conference that the company is working on the guide of Bangkok, Phuket and Phang Nga. Michelin stated Phuket has a distinctive food scene and its flavorful cuisine is found with a wonderful blend of influences from India, Malaysia, China, and the Peranakan culture, offering an infinite realm of flavors worth discovering. Michelin inspectors will travel and unearth Phuket’s best dining and lodging experiences to ‘make travel more enjoyable’ in line with its corporate slogan, “A Better Way Forward.”

Supasorn, governor of TAT, noted that the Michelin guide will highlight Phuket’s ‘melting pot of cultural cuisine’ and the city’s ‘luxury gastronomy,’ to promote Thailand as an international gastronomic destination.  Phuket offers ultimate culinary experience of both traditional and innovative flavors, across a large price range from luxury restaurants to street vendors. Under the strict rating and inspection of Michelin, Thailand’s food and beverage sector will soon improve its services and quality.

Michelin’s expansion into Thailand’s Southern Coast, will aid the tourism board in developing its new districts and cities under Thailand’s latest tourism campaign to power forward its tourism sector into the country’s second cities.

Situated along the Andaman Sea, Phuket and Phang Nga inspire tourists worldwide with its white sanded beaches and crystal clear waters. Visitors travel for their beach-side holidays but often overlooks Phuket’s cultural scene. The island was Thailand’s major trading route for mining and was frequented by the French and Portuguese and its close proximity to Malaysia as a harbor created a gathering place for Chinese immigrants in the South Pacific, where the unique Peranakan culture arise.

In 2016, UNESCO named Phuket as the ‘City of Gastronomy.’ Beside the endless stretch of white beaches and Phuket Old Town’s architecture originated from the Sino-Portuguese culture, its gastronomy scene is truly a unique experience.

In the 1900s, to propel its automobile tire business, Michelin distributed free travel guides, with red pages featuring lodging and restaurants and green pages for tourism destinations. Since 1920, Michelin inspectors disguised as customers, visiting restaurants and lodgings repeatedly before rating it with its stars. In present days, Michelin’s guides on lodgings and restaurants has become the best-selling guides in the world.

Michelin has expanded into over 30 countries and cities: Bangkok was Michelin’s first destination in Thailand, the second in all of Southeast Asia. In 2017, more than 17 restaurants in Bangkok were featured in its Bangkok Edition. The newest edition, featuring Bangkok, as well as Phuket and Phang Nga will be released in late 2018.