Thai’s the limit: Thailand nabs third spot in Asia’s foodie rankings

Travel booking platform Agoda ranked Thailand third among the most popular destinations in Asia for foodies around the globe.

Agoda launched a campaign inviting more than 4,000 users from ten countries worldwide to respond to the platform’s survey about the top destinations for food lovers. Participants were asked to complete the survey after finishing their bookings.

The platform released the results and the ranking of the five most popular destinations chosen by users who enjoy exploring new cuisines on October 1.

South Korea topped the list, with 64% of tourists sharing that they visited the country for its food. Taiwan came in second, followed by Thailand, Japan, and Malaysia.

Popular South Korean dishes mentioned in the ranking included kimchi, Korean BBQ, and fried chicken. Bubble tea was the highlight for Taiwan, sushi was the must-try dish in Japan, and the traditional Malaysian dish, Nasi Lemak, was recommended.

For Thailand, the standout dish was none other than Pad Thai. The popular stir-fried rice noodle dish can be found almost everywhere in the country. As one of the less spicy Thai dishes, it became a recommended option for foreigners who are not accustomed to spicy food.

The platform suggested that its users visit Yaowarat Road, also known as Bangkok’s Chinatown, where visitors can try Pad Thai, deep-fried pork, oyster omelette, and mango sticky rice.

Anyone planning to visit northern Thailand should not miss the curry noodles known as Khao Soi. The recommended dish from southern Thailand is rice noodles in a Thai-style curry called Khanom Jeen, which can be paired with different types of curry depending on the region.

For South Korean foodies, Thailand is the most popular destination, while Thai food lovers enjoy visiting Japan, Vietnam, Laos, and China to experience new cuisines.

Recently, Bangkok was listed in the top five destinations among Chinese tourists during the Golden Week which started yesterday and will go on until October 7. However, the number of Chinese visitors is expected to decrease this year due to the bad weather conditions.