The Koktail Thailand Charity Dinner at Gaysorn Urban Resort marked an unforgettable evening for those who attended.

The gala charity dinner “From the Farms, Fields and Waters of Thailand” hosted on 16 November at Gaysorn Urban Resort concluded an extraordinary evening, uniting remarkable cuisine, inspiring chefs and generous spirit. Held exclusively for 100 VIP guests, the night gathered 12 distinguished chefs from rising talents to celebrated culinary figures who presented a course each and led a charity auction in support of the Issarachon Foundation, reflecting the abundance of Thailand while helping those in need.  

Celebrating Thailand’s Finest Cuisine and Charity

The event invited Nigel Oakins, Founder and Chairman of MediaMagination and publisher of Koktail Magazine, Koktail’s Restaurant Guide and Time Out Thailand, to take the stage and open the evening. 

“This is the third event of three that we’ve done in partnership with Gaysorn. And tonight it culminates with this dinner, where we try to give a little bit back. Thailand is probably the best food destination in the world. And tonight we’re also going to be eating only produce from Thailand.We partnered this year with the Issarachon Foundation. They do some great work with the homeless in Bangkok, so we hope that some of what we do tonight will go some way towards that.”

He opened the night with a joyful celebration of Thailand’s culinary scene, highlighting the country’s finest chefs, local produce and the spirit of giving through the partnership with the Issarachon Foundation.

Exciting Partnership Announced

He continued: 

“This week we made an announcement. It said something like, ‘Thairath invests in Mediamagination’. Mediamagination is really happy that we’re now partnering with the biggest, most powerful media player in Thailand as we try to take our ambition to the next level. So we’re thrilled with that. We’ve got Thairath here tonight. We’re going to do some great things together in the media space next year around the Time Out and Koktail brands. So a little bit of news here tonight on that.” 

Thailand’s Charity Gala Opens with Gaysorn’s Welcome

As the speech concluded, Patrick Martens, Director of Food & Beverage at Ratchaprasong Food Services, was invited to say a few words to the audience.

“Welcome to Gaysorn Urban Resort at Gaysorn Village as well. I’m honoured to welcome you tonight and have you with us. This is the second time in just as many years that we are the venue and host for the Thailand Favourite Restaurant Charity Gala Dinner, and it’s a great pleasure for us.”

“Riedel Restaurant and Wine Bar is proud that we can present 12 wines tonight. We have the vineyards of the world in our house tonight and together with the team from Riedel we’ll be pouring and explaining as we go along. A wonderful evening and bon appétit. Thank you.”

A Pre-dinner Reception and an 11-Course Culinary Journey by 12 of Thailand’s Most Acclaimed Chefs

Pre-dinner course by Chef Ice from Tengoku at InterContinental, Phuket 

• The Natsu and home-made miso, charred eggplant, walnut miso, sesame, tartlet
• Wine: NV Yannick Prevoteau, Heritage Brut, Champagne (France)

The first course by Chef Grace from Khao San Sek Bangkok. 

• Catch of the day/ Sato Crudo
• Vegan option: Wing bean/ lime/ coconut
• Wine: Riesling “Rosacker” grand cru calcaire 2023 – Julian Schaal, Alsace (France)

The second course by Chef Alessandro from Acqua, Bangkok. 

• Yum woon sen with seafood/cold pasta.
• Vegan option: Yum woon sen giardiniera with pickled vegetables/ cold pasta
• Wine: Montlouis “Les Grenouillères” demi-sec 2020 – La Grange Tiphaine, Loire Valley (France) 

The third course by Chef Thierry from Signature at Vie Hotel, Bangkok.

• Hot and cold scallop, amaranth and lemon basil oil in a dashi beurre blanc
• Vegan: leeks, amaranth, and lemon basil oil in a dashi beurre blanc
• Wine: Petit chablis, Eleonore Peregrine 2022, Burgundy (France)

The fourth course by Chef Arnaud from Maison Dunand, Bangkok

• Inspired by pad Thai – hot tiger prawn ravioli, lemon grass, peanut
• Vegan: mushroom ravioli, lemongrass, and peanut
• Wine: Zidarich green bianco 2-2-, Friuli (Italy)

The fifth course by Chef Pop from ADHOC, Bangkok.

• Saeng wa – dry-aged giant trevally
• Vegan: longan, seaweed, water bamboo, and seville orange granita
• Wine: Fume blanc “Numen” 2021 – Johannes Zillinger, Wabi Sabi (Austria)

The sixth course by Chef Sachin from INDDEE, Bangkok

• Crab pad cha
• Vegan: vegetable pad cha
• Wine: Rafael Palacios Louro 2023, Valdeorras (Spain)

The seventh course by Chef Kannika from Phra Nakhon at Cappella Bangkok

• Pla tom kamin – pan-fried wild caught sea bass with Phuket graciana and mushrooms 
• Vegan: seasonal vegetables and turmeric soup with herbs 
• Wine: R. Denogent Macon les Sardines 2022, Burgundy (France)

The eighth course by Chef Tan from GOAT, Bangkok

• Moo hong
• Vegan: Melinjo, duck egg, chive
• Wine: Chianti classico 2019 – Castell’ in Villa, Tuscany (Italy)

The ninth course by Chef Eak from Ekachan, Chiang Mai

• Duck breast in solos curry with jasmine-coconut rice and fleur de sel
• Vegan: Mushroom in solos curry with jasmine-coconut rice and fleur de sel
• Wine: Bourgogne rouge, Trapet Rochelandet 2022, Burgundy (France)

The tenth course by Chef Brian from Sirocco by lebua, Bangkok

• Brian’s take on Thailand – mango sticky rice 
• Wine: Valdespino moscatel romesa NV, Jerez (Spain)

Final course by Chef Olivier from COBA, Bangkok

• Kanom bueang mille-feuille 
• Wine: R. rabl gruner veltiner Sweet Dreams 2022, Kamptal (Austria)

As the course ended, coffee from PANA, our exclusive coffee partner and a proud member of Koktail’s Future List, was offered featuring award-winning shade-grown Arabica from Cloudy Hill Estate. 

Charitable Contributions

This evening was also an opportunity to give back. Alongside the meal, a special auction raised funds for the Issarachon Foundation, a nonprofit organisation dedicated to supporting homeless people in Thailand. The foundation works directly with individuals to restore mental well-being while uplifting families, communities and society.

Through the auction Koktail raised 239,000 THB to be donated to the Issarachon Foundation. This impressive sum reflects both the generosity of the guests and the deep commitment of Thailand’s culinary community to helping those in need.

Supported by Leading Sponsors and Media Partners

The gala dinner was made possible with the generous support of our sponsoring partners including Gaysorn Village, Riedel Restaurant & Wine Cellar, Wine Garage, PANA Coffee, Vittel, TPN Group and the Issarachon Foundation. Our media partners who helped share the event with a wider audience included Thairath Online, Thairath Plus, Mirror, CNN and Gastrofilm.

Gaysorn Urban Resort

The event made its return to Gaysorn Urban Resort for the second year, offering an elegant setting befitting a prestigious occasion. Situated in the heart of Ratchaprasong district, the place provided an ideal backdrop for celebrating culinary excellence with a view of city lights, supported by modern facilities and a seasoned event team. Enhancing the experience, AG Siamese performed traditional Thai xylophone (ranad ek) music throughout the courses, lending the evening a graceful, cultural ambience.