Thai Food in America

Thai Food in America

Pad Thai, mango sticky rice, tom yum - you have probably heard of these popular Thai dishes, or have 

even tasted it yourself. Over the past few decades, Thai food has gained traction all over the world, 

especially here in Los Angeles, home to the world’s first ever Thai Town. The three aforementioned 

dishes all originate from the central region of Thailand. However, being in Los Angeles means access 

to food from all four regions of the country. If you want a refreshing plate of papaya salad, you can head 

over to Isaan Station in Koreatown. If you want a kick of spice and burst of flavour, you can head to 

Luv2Eat on Sunset Boulevard for some southern Thai food. 

Although LA is the hot spot for Thai restaurants in the US, Thai restaurants can be found all over the 

country. Today, there are as many Thai restaurants as there are Walmarts in the United States. To get 

a better understanding of the abundance in Thai restaurants, we need to first dive into its history.

Thai Food and War - the start of an unlikely relationship

Pad Thai is arguably one of the most well known Thai dishes and has grown to be a crowd favourite. 

This dish came about during the Second World War when the Prime Minister at the time believed that 

Thailand needed a national dish. His patriotism inspired him to create a national dish in hopes to bring 

the people together and show their patriotism (Mayyasi).

The name of this noodle dish, Pad Thai, literally translates to stir fry and Thai. Pad Thai uses local 

ingredients such as tamarind, palm sugar, and peanuts (“The History of Pad Thai”). A new rice noodle,  

sen chan, was also developed for Pad Thai. The name of the noodles is derived from the province 

where the noodles were invented. At that time, the country was also facing a rice shortage as a result 

of war and natural disaster so the government tried to shift demand towards the cheap and filling 

alternative of noodles instead (Mayyasi). All these efforts were to boost a patriotic identity during a time 

of political hardship. 

Another significant event in the Thai - American Food relationship is the Cold War when Thailand was 

an ally of the US and Vietnam. The military and volunteers stationed in Thailand, were able to 

experience authentic Thai food for the first time. Many of them recorded these recipes and brought 

them back home. Some brought their Thai wives and children to the States after the war, who naturally 

brought their food over as well (Lam). After the war, the number of Thai immigrants increased to over 

60,000, this is a huge increase from just 18 Thai Americans in the 1930's. (LOS ANGELES CITYWIDE 

HISTORIC CONTEXT)

A few decades later, a new wave of Thais arrived in the US. There was a migration of Thai students 

into the United States for higher education, not only in Los Angeles but also in Texas, the Midwest, and 

other cities. Shortly after, Thai communities started to form and Thai restaurants started opening up for 

students to get a taste of home. (Lam) Later, the restaurants made some adjustments to the flavours to 

expand their business and cater to a wider American market. 

The third milestone in history is when the first Thai supermarket was opened in the 1970’s in Los 

Angeles. Prior to the establishment of a Thai supermarket, Thais were left to use Chinese ingredients 

as substitutes. For example, the flavour profiles of soy sauce and fish sauce were similar enough but 

far from a close match. With the Thai supermarket, people now had access to imported canned goods, 

produce, and key ingredients used in Thai cooking. This helped bolster the Thai restaurant scene in LA 

(Lam). 

From Organic Growth to Government Scheme

Up until the 2000’s, the number of Thai restaurants was growing steadily at a healthy rate (Frank). But 

have you ever wondered how this cuisine belonging to a small minority group became so popular and 

widely available? There are only 300,000 Thais in the United States yet they have such a 

disproportionately large footprint in the food scene. The mastermind behind the rapid expansion of Thai 

restaurants is the Thai government themselves.

Gastrodiplomacy is a form of soft power through food, this is used by governments to increase their 

cultural influence overseas. In the early 2000’s the Thai government pushed Thai food onto an 

international audience to promote its exports and tourism. The government had a joint effort across 

different ministries to achieve their goal of increasing the number of Thai restaurants worldwide (Frank). 

Since the launch of this program, the number of Thai restaurants has successfully doubled from 2,000 to 

5,000 (Karp). 

The government had culinary training facilities where Thai chefs were trained to make signature Thai 

dishes. The Department of Export Promotion also sent representatives from Thai cooking institutes to 

train foreigners. The Export-Import Bank of Thailand offered loans for Thai citizens to open up Thai 

restaurants abroad. "We want to be like the McDonald's of Thai food," says Mr. Goanpot, a member of 

their planning team, "And we want to show the world what genuine Thai food should really taste like" 

(Karp).

However, the biggest project yet was the Public Health Ministry’s creation of the Manual for Thai Chefs 

Going Abroad (Karp). The government outlined three different restaurant prototypes that potential 

restaurant owners can choose from. Each of these prototypes vary in price points and target different 

segments of the market. 

• The Golden Leaf is the most expensive option of around $25-30. They target food enthusiasts - 

  those who already enjoy Thai food and are willing to expand their palettes. The ambiance of 

  restaurants of this model should be classic, elegant, and luxurious.

• The Cool Basil is a moderate option with a price point of around $15-25. They target customers 

  who simply want good food. This model synthesises aspects of Thai cuisine with a more 

  American taste. There is a range of food served at this prototype - from family style dishes to 

  single servings. 

• The Elephant Jump is the “fast food” option with the lowest price point of the three at $5-10. 

  This prototype is intended to appeal to a larger audience and restaurant owners are able to 

  adapt it according to the location. (Thai Biz Restaurant)

This gastrodiplomacy has proven to be successful given how widely available Thai food has become, 

especially in the past two decades. Thai food went from a cuisine enjoyed during war time to now a 

global phenomenon. 

Works Cited

Frank, Robert. “Thai Government Plans 3,000 Restaurants in U.S. and Elsewhere to Promote Nation.” The Wall Street Journal, Dow Jones & Company, 6 Feb. 2001, https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB981416480713537865.

“The History of Pad Thai: How The Amazing Dish Came to Be.” Thai Ginger, 15 Oct. 2020, https://thaiginger.com/the-history-of-pad-thai-how-the-amazing-dish-came-to-be/. 

Karp, Myles. “The Surprising Reason That There Are so Many Thai Restaurants in America.” VICE, VICE Media, 29 Mar. 2018, https://www.vice.com/en/article/paxadz/the-surprising-reason-that-there-are-so-many-thai-restaurants-in-america.

Lam, Francis. “How Thai Food Took over America.” The Splendid Table, 10 Jan. 2019, https://www.splendidtable.org/story/2019/01/10/how-thai-food-took-over-america.

“LOS ANGELES CITYWIDE HISTORIC CONTEXT STATEMENT Context: Thai Americans in Los Angeles, 1950-1980.” City of Los Angeles Department of City Planning Office of Historic Resources, Aug. 2018. 

Mayyasi, Alex. “The Oddly Autocratic Roots of Pad Thai.” Atlas Obscura, Atlas Obscura, 7 Nov. 2019, https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/who-invented-pad-thai.

“Thai Biz Restaurant.” THAI SELECT A Thai Cuisine, Department of International Trade Promotion, 15 Feb. 2013, https://thailandselect.wordpress.com/thai-biz-restaurant/.