The "Sawasdee Seoul Thai Festival 2026" opened in central Seoul with large crowds from day one, where many queued to buy famous Thai dishes such as Mae Joon’s pot and Emily’s shredded chicken noodles.
On 21 June 2026 GMT+7, reporters noted that Mr. Theerakul Niyom, special representative of Mr. Sihasak Puangketkaew, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Mr. Thani Sangrat, Ambassador to Seoul, South Korea, presided over the opening ceremony. "Sawasdee Seoul Thai Festival 2026" An important annual Thai festival in South Korea, held under the concept "Land of Living Creativity" From 20-21 June 2026 GMT+7 at Cheonggye Plaza and Cheonggyecheon Stream in central Seoul, the event conveys the charm, uniqueness, and potential of Thailand through creativity, contemporary culture, and Thai Soft Power to Korean and international audiences.
Led by Ambassador Thani Sangrat, this 11th edition focuses on making the Thai festival a key part of Thailand’s rebranding strategy, presenting the country as a nation of creativity and innovation, providing a platform for all sectors of Thailand to showcase their potential, and helping Thai entrepreneurs expand from local to global markets.
Reporters added that the Thai Festival in Seoul is one of the most popular Thai events in East Asia, with potential to become a key annual event eagerly awaited by both Thai residents in South Korea and Koreans. This year, the festival area has doubled, expecting over 100,000 attendees.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ambassador Thani, together with Team Thailand and private sponsors, have devised plans to promote Thai-South Korean cooperation, focusing on proactive economic diplomacy to enhance Thailand’s global competitiveness and economic growth, as well as proactive cultural diplomacy to elevate Thai culture internationally, build on Thai creativity and wisdom, and raise the standards of Thai industries and services amid shared geopolitical and geoeconomic challenges faced by Thailand and South Korea.
Reporters also noted that within the festival, "Sawasdee Seoul Thai Festival 2026" was packed with diverse activities, including popular Thai foods such as som tam, pad thai, noodles, and tom yum goong, as well as famous social media Thai food delivery brands like Mae Joon’s pot, led by owners Joon Kasama Silachai and Ple Nakorn Silachai, who personally opened a booth attracting long queues, and Emily’s shredded chicken noodles.
Additionally, there were demonstrations of Thai arts and culture, displays and trials of wearing eight styles of royal Thai costumes using AI technology, contemporary music and arts performances, Thai costume parades and traditional dance, tourism, health and wellness activities, Muay Thai, design and lifestyle events, DIY workshops, and presentations of creative Thai products and innovations reflecting the diverse strengths of Thailand’s Soft Power industries.
Visitors experienced authentic Thai atmosphere and shopped for Thai goods and food in a contemporary-styled event space and booths along Cheonggyecheon Stream, one of Seoul’s key landmarks, with continuous performances on the main stage over the two days. "Sawasdee Seoul Thai Festival 2026" The important annual Thai festival in South Korea took place from 20-21 June 2026 GMT+7 with free admission.
