(Photo credit: TimeOut)
This article traces the journey of “Tom Yam restaurants” in Malaysia as a reflection of cultural adaptation, ethnic identity, and culinary migration. Suttiporn Bunmak focuses on Thai-Muslim communities, especially Oghae Nayu migrants from southern Thailand, whose Halal Thai restaurants have become embedded in Malaysia’s food culture. The “Tom Yam” brand has evolved beyond a menu item into a marker of cross-cultural belonging, allowing these communities to assert both Thai heritage and Muslim identity.
The Thailand Foundation invites you to discover how food travels across borders and reshapes itself. These restaurants exemplify Thai values respect for heritage as well as adaptability, offering nourishment not only through cuisine but also through shared understanding and cultural exchange.
Author: Suttiporn Bunmak
This article was published in the Rian Thai International Journal of Thai Studies and is being shared by the Thailand Foundation with permission from the Thai Studies Center, Chulalongkorn University, all rights reserved to the owner of the material.
