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| 52 | Tomyum kung fried rice
| 53 | From an ordinary dish, tomyum kung has inspired many fusion dishes, such as tomyum kung fried rice, tomyum kung udon, tomyum kung pasta, to punchy beverages like tomyum soda and tomyum cocktail, all of which are creations inspired by the traditional Thai dish of tomyum kung. For more than half a decade, tomyum kung has travelled through time to become a national intangible cultural heritage. Now, it is about to be inscribed on UNESCO's Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, to be another source of pride and honor for Thai people on the global stage. is more than a popular meal: it represents Thailand to the rest of the world, telling the story of a culture through the geography, environment, collaborations, and the institution of the family. Who would have thought that a bowl of tomyum kung could tell such imaginative and far-reaching stories? Today tomyum kung
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| 55 | Tomyum kung udon
| 56 | Tomyum kung penne
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| 58 | The Tomyum Kung Crisis: From Thai to Global Financial Crisis The Asian Financial Crisis, also known as the “Tomyum Kung Crisis,” began in Thailand, the first country in Southeast Asia to be hit, in July 1997. Since tomyum kung is a popular Thai dish among foreigners and is the first thing that comes to mind when thinking of Thailand, it was adopted as the name for this financial crisis, similarly to the 2001 “Hamburger Crisis” in the United States of America. The Tomyum Kung Crisis started when the Thai baht was forced to float, resulting in severe foreign debt and a chain reaction that spread to other Asian countries before it had a global economic impact. The crisis brought about the fear that the global economy would collapse, and remains one of the world's most significant economic crises.
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| 61 | Various names for river prawns and the preservation of food resources and the environment Kung gam gram, kung gam khram, kung luang, kung nang, mae kung, kung yai, and kung kam leang are variations on Thai names for freshwater prawns. The name kung luang is used for male prawns while kung nang for female. Mae kung is an example of a locally-specific name. The freshwater prawn is a marine species originating in the Indo-Pacific region and can be found in its coastal countries, including Thailand, Myanmar, Cambodia, and Indonesia. In Thailand, they are commonly found in the central and southern regions. During mating season, male and female prawns swim to mate and spawn in brackish water. When approaching maturity, a juvenile prawn will swim upstream to live in fresh water areas. The life cycle of freshwater prawns depends on conditions in rivers and canals from source to mouth. Freshwater prawns used to be found throughout many rivers, from the Chao Phraya, Tha Chin, Mae Klong, Bang Paknong to Thale Noi, and Songkhla Lake to the Tapi river in the south of Thailand. However, because of unregulated fishing methods, the problem of releasing industrial and sewage waste into natural water sources, and construction of irrigation dams, prawns are unable to travel to brackish water areas and spawn.
| 62 | When prawns are displaced from habitats which are also contaminated, these areas deteriorate to the point they can no longer be used for spawning. This is the case at the mouth of the Chao Phraya river in Samut Prakan province and other waterways along the Chao Phraya in Bangkok where brackish water has been contaminated by pesticides and turned into wastewater, which is why we now have hardly any natural freshwater prawns left for consumption. A way of conserving freshwater prawns and preventing their extinction is to seriously safeguard the environment, including prawn breeding and cultivation, which the Department of Fisheries does on a regular basis by releasing freshwater prawns into different natural water sources. However, there is little prospect for revitalizing freshwater prawn habitats unless local communities on both sides of the river banks work together. Despite the fact that we can now enjoy farmed prawns, it would be better if we could work together to protect the waterways that are home to many other marine species, since these are a natural heritage and sustainable food resource for future generations, and it also would preserve the living legacy of freshwater prawns in perpetuity.
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| 65 | The livelihood of prawn catchers in the Mae Klong river basin
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| 71 | The Department of Cultural Promotion aims to be the central organization in developing cultural assets into a creative economy. Based on awareness of the value and importance of Thai culture, the Department of Cultural Promotion is committed to passing on, preserving, and developing a creative economy, from the enhancement of cultural value and worth to the promotion of international cultural collaboration and local intangible cultural heritage on an international scale. The Department of Cultural Promotion works in collaboration with government agencies, non-governmental organizations, and the general public to instill the necessary cultural values in Thai society in order to better prepare us intellectually, morally, ethically, and spiritually to be able to adapt the changing environment. The Department of Cultural Promotion Role and Responsibility
Bibliography • Department of Irrigation. (2551 B.E.) Thai ways of life and the river. Bangkok: O.S. Printing House Co., Ltd. • Lady Prien Pasakorn-Rawong (2554 B.E.). Mae Krua Hua Bpak (7th edition) Volumes 1-2. Bangkok: Ton Chabub Press. • Simon de la Loubère. (2231 B.E.). Letters from la Loubère from The Kingdom of Siam. Translated from The Kingdom of Siam by San Thēwarak (4th edition). Bangkok: Sri Panya. • Sukanya Sujachaya. Editor. (2561 B.E.). Thai gastronomy from home kitchen to royal cuisine: Bangkok: 3 Lada Limited Partnership. • Sujit Wongted. (2560 B.E.). Where did Thai food come from?. (2nd edition). Bangkok: Na Ta Haek Press. • Sangaroon Kanokpongchai (2555 B.E., October-December). “Tomyum Kung: Reflection of Thai society in various dimensions. Journal of Culture, 51th year, (3rd edition), p. 58-65. Interviewees • Chaiyan Yoosiri Interviewed on 29 July 2020 • M.L. Parsan Svasti Interviewed on 27 January 2021 • Lalita Suksamran Interviewed on 4 February 2021 • Lek Yaidee Interviewed on 12 July 2020 • Warin Poemthep Interviewed on 11 September 2021 • Assistant Professor Srisamorn Kongpan Interviewed on 3 February 2021 • Dennapa Ngamnuch Interviewed on 10 July 2021 Websites • www.fisheries.go.th/if-suratthani/1goonggamgram.htm • http://saranukromthai.or.th/sub/book/book.php?book=13&chap=10&page=t13- 10-infodetail01.html • www.stock2morrow.com/article-detail.php?id=1034 • www.thaikasetsart.com/การเลี้้�ยงกุ้้�งก้้ามกราม/ • https://vajirayana.org/พระอภััยมณีี/ตอนที่�12-พระอภััยพบนางสุ ุ่วรรณมาลีี • https://vajirayana.org/ขุนชุ้างขุ้นแผน-ฉุบัับหอพระสมุุดวชิิรญาณ/ตอนที่-8-พ ่�ลายแก้้วถููกเกณฑ์์ทััพ
DEPARTMENT OF CULTURAL PROMOTION MINISTRY OF CULTURE OF THAILAND Culture Tastiness from Cuisine to