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How a Dictator Invented Pad Tha
Yes, Pad Thai, one of the signature dishes from Thailand is a lie, because it’s completely made up, let me explain:
Siam:
Back in the 1930s, Thailand was still Siam, and was one of the very few Asian countries to have not been colonised by Western powers. With the desire to build a strong Siamese nation capable of fending off colonialism, lieutenant general Plaek Phibunsongkram partly led the Royal Siamese Army and overthrew the royal family. Siam’s governance changed from absolute monarchy to a constitutional monarchy with Phibun becoming Prime Minister and the de facto dictator. Phibun renamed Siam to Thailand to promote a strong Thai identity to the point of ultra-nationalism. To unite this Thai identity, government mandates were created, telling people how to dress, what language to speak etc. And yes, what to eat.
What to eat:
Traditionally, the staple diet of the people was rice. However, Thailand experiences heavy floods now and then. This meant that rice supply would be critically affected. This food insecurity of rice led Phibun to start national campaigns to promote noodles. Noodles were not common in Thailand back then, they were also seen as Chinese food, not local. So, Phibun’s campaigning introduced a national dish to heavily rebrand noodles, called Pad Thai (Thai stir fry). Pad Thai was served in school canteens, recipe cards were distributed and Pad Thai hawkers were subsidised, and it worked.
Going Global:
Decades later, the new Thai generation grew up with the national dish and loves it. Although Phibun was no longer in power, the new generation continued promoting Pad Thai, but this time, globally. In the 2000s, Thailand pioneered Gastro-diplomacy, which is promoting a culture/country abroad through cuisine. The Thai government trained chefs, gave loans and strengthened export infrastructure for Thai restaurants overseas, making Pad Thai internationally recognisable. Good Thai restaurants gave Thailand a positive impression, and their food is one of the key drivers for attracting tourists. This huge win in soft power paved the way for many countries to follow suit.
Once again history repeats itself: by top-down governance, food is standardised and aggressively promoted to broadcast the constructed idea of what Thai culture is. So, the next time someone asks if a certain Thai restaurant’s food is authentic, I guess the answer is yes, it’s definitely authentic to the Thai government’s standards. I’m not hating on it and this does not diminish Thai food in any way, it’s still tasty and is just one of many versions of Thai cuisine out there.
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