MHESI Completes Nationwide Chef Training with 400 Graduates in Bangkok
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The Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation (MHESI) organized the final Chef Graduation & Career Day 2026 for the central and eastern regions, with 400 graduates receiving professional culinary certificates at the Ratchaganistha Auditorium, Dusit Thani University, Bangkok, on Saturday, October 31, 2026 (BE 2569). This followed chef development programs in three other regions: the Northeast in Khon Kaen, the North in Chiang Mai, and the South in Songkhla, under the "One Village One Thai Chef" interdisciplinary food innovation project.
Dr. Panphum Aruni, Deputy Permanent Secretary of MHESI, presided over the opening. He highlighted that the central region's Chao Phraya basin and the eastern region's mountains and coastlines offer rich agricultural produce — rice, vegetables, fruits, and seafood — blended with long-standing culinary wisdom from folk to royal cuisine, plus multicultural influences that define globally recognized Thai food.
Dr. Panphum stressed that human capital development under the Thailand² concept must link skills and knowledge to each area's economic structure. The aim is to move beyond the plate, enabling chefs to create careers, businesses, and community income. "New-era chefs are not just cooks; they are 'Thai food value creators' who fuse local identity with creativity, technology, and market insight to meet modern consumers without losing cultural roots," he said.
The Bangkok finale connected Thai chefs from all regions with entrepreneurs and broader economic opportunities, reflecting MHESI's goal of linking "people–knowledge–technology–community–market" to turn learning into skills, skills into opportunities, and opportunities into sustainable careers and local income.
Mr. Methi Limniyom, Director of MHESI's Regional Network Coordination Group, reported the project targets 2,500 learners nationwide through over 72 training centers, with 240 hours of combined e-learning (90 hours) and hands-on practice (150 hours) covering 50 Thai dishes. The program includes skill testing and professional certification, linking graduates with employers to ensure learning translates into livelihoods.
