Ministry of Culture and Grab Sign 3-Year MOU on Cultural Tourism and Community Dining

The Ministry of Culture (MC) and Grab Thailand signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on cooperation in promoting Thai culture and developing the cultural economy on 26 October 2026 at the Press Conference Room, 1st Floor, Watthanatham Wisit Building, Ministry of Culture. The agreement was signed by Mr Prasop Riangngoen, Permanent Secretary for Culture, and Mr Jirakit Kwangsukstith, Executive Vice President for Delivery Business, Grab Thailand, with the Deputy Permanent Secretary for Culture and executives from both sides in attendance. This 3-year partnership aims to use technology and digital platforms as tools to sustainably distribute income from cultural capital to local communities.

The Permanent Secretary for Culture stated that the ministry is driving the Cultural NEXUS concept, connecting culture with creativity and technology to generate income for communities and provide greater opportunities for Thai people to access the global market. This collaboration with Grab is therefore an important step to help younger generations and tourists experience the stories and identity of Thai culture more widely.

The Grab Thailand executive noted that over 37% of travellers in the Asia-Pacific region prefer to plan trips in search of unique local experiences, particularly in food and culture, while Grab has more than 54 million monthly users across 8 countries in Southeast Asia. Previously, both parties collaborated to promote Tom Yum Kung, The Lost Taste project, and travel to Wat Phra Mahathat Woramahawihan in Nakhon Si Thammarat province, which was recently inscribed as a new Cultural World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

4 Areas of Cooperation, from Temple Visits to Community Restaurants

The 3-year partnership covers 4 main areas of work. The first area is promoting travel to cultural attractions such as temples, museums, and historical sites, as well as supporting major festivals nationwide such as Songkran, Loy Krathong, and Bun Bang Fai. It also includes installing benches and umbrella stands at pick-up and drop-off points in tourist attractions across Bangkok, Chiang Mai, and Ayutthaya, where tourists can scan a QR code on the benches to view travel maps recommended by locals.

The second area is expanding distribution channels for community products through digital platforms by onboarding Cultural Product of Thailand (CPOT) stores selected by the Ministry of Culture onto GrabMart to increase income for entrepreneurs and communities. The third area is elevating Thai cuisine to further cultural tourism by promoting more than 150 restaurants under The Lost Taste project via GrabFood. The final area is developing digital skills for local entrepreneurs through the GrabAcademy programme by organising training sessions and workshops so entrepreneurs can use technology to add value to their products and generate continuous income.

Partnership Details

This news is of interest to restaurant and community product entrepreneurs looking for new distribution channels via GrabMart and GrabFood, festival and cultural event organisers seeking technology partners, as well as hotel and tourism professionals following the direction of cultural tourism promotion in Bangkok, Chiang Mai, and Ayutthaya.