It was a pleasant surprise for walkers, shoppers, casual and even regular visitors at Shatti al Qurum on Wednesday. They were greeted with Thai hospitality at the Waterfront, where a full-scale Thai Festival was in progress.
With the enthusiastic participation of Thai nationals with products and services in the Sultanate of Oman and Thailand, the venue gave the visitors a feeling of a slice of Thailand in Muscat.
The festival, which ran from Wednesday to Friday, had almost everything representing Thai culture.
It was an excellent opportunity for those who visited Thailand and wanted to revisit the ‘taste of Thailand’ or even for those with any holiday plans shortly.
The participants included hotels, hospitals, tour operators, and airlines which found the festival an opportunity to showcase their products and services.
Cosmetics, day-to-day herbal cures and fresh eatables brought from Thailand, especially for the festival, were great in demand among the Thai expatriates, while people from other nationalities were seen asking for Thai Food and products.
The participants were happy with the response from citizens and expatriates on the first day of the festival, while the second and third days evoked more crowds at the festival venue.
The event opened with a cultural show depicting the heritage and culture of Thailand. The soft music, elegant dance moves and captivating facial expressions attracted every visitor, while many others just got attracted to the dais soon after the music started before the performances.
“The Festival aimed at promoting the essence of Thainess, art and culture along with the business potentials. By walking through the mesmerising Thai bazar, embellished with countless colourful lanterns and lights, the visitors tasted delicious Thai street food from live cooking stations and enjoy various products that range from cosmetics to cooking, and fruits & vegetables freshly imported from Thailand,” said a Thai embassy official present at the festival venue.
“Besides walking through the food street, the festival brought every evening the unique experience of Thailand, presented by specially arranged cultural performances and demonstrations of traditional art and craft from local artists such as umbrella painting and fruit and vegetable craving,” the official said.
The was organised with support from Thai investment companies in Oman, PTTEP, Piyavet hospital, BPK rehabilitation and Physiotherapy centre, and Centara hotel group.
The festival also reflected how close and connected Thai companies are with the Omani society in areas like energy, health wellness, tourism and hospitality.
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