Tom Yam Restaurants: An Ethnic Interplay in a Malaysian Context

Abstract

     The existence of Tom Yam restaurants as Thai halal food restaurants in Peninsula Malaysian society was examined. Tom Yam restaurants have operated in Malaysia since the early 1970s to serve mostly Malaysian Muslim consumers. These businesses are run by Malay-Thai Muslims from the southern border region of Thailand and sell to Thai national identities in Malaysian society. Tom Yam restaurants are a part of Malaysian society and have become a representative Thai food eaten in restaurants by Malaysian society as a Muslim society. Malaysian Muslims can easily access Thai dishes which represent ethnic food that is both exotic and cheap in Malaysian society. The expansion of the Tom Yam restaurant business is a part of the process of globalization in the border crossing of Thai food culture.