Culinary Science and Technology students from Khon Kaen University advance as one of the top ten national finalists to compete for the prestigious culinary title.
On 23 July 2026, culinary students representing Khon Kaen University (KKU) under the team name “Playground” attended the official press conference for the “Gourmet & Cuisine Young Chef 2026” competition, held at Eden Zone, First Floor, CentralWorld, Bangkok. As one of the ten teams advancing to the national final round, the team gathered to receive detailed briefings on the competition format, rules, evaluation criteria, and mandatory ingredients ahead of the final round.
Team Playground, representing the Culinary Science and Technology Programme within the Faculty of Technology at Khon Kaen University, comprises third-year undergraduate students Mr. Krittaphon Phaiboon and Ms. Prathairat Tanasin, under the advisement of Dr. Phakhanun Chareonsri. The team secured a place in the top ten finalists out of more than 75 tertiary institution teams submitted from across the nation by integrating scientific principles and culinary technology into their creative dish concepts.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Supawan Thawornchinsombat, Executive Committee Member of the Culinary Science and Technology Programme, attended the event to provide close support to the students. “Securing a place among the top ten finalist teams out of more than 75 competing entries nationwide is a source of immense pride for our academic programme and Khon Kaen University,” Assoc. Prof. Dr. Thawornchinsombat remarked. “I encourage all students to apply the full scope of knowledge, technical abilities, and experience accumulated throughout their preparation to perform at their highest potential during the final round. We stand fully prepared to support Team Playground in creating exceptional culinary works and bringing further recognition to our institution.”
The remaining schedule for the final preparation phases and championship round is as follows:
- 8 August 2026: The ten finalist teams will participate in an intensive Master Class workshop to refine their culinary skills at IMPACT Culinova.
- 19 September 2026: The final national culinary competition, followed by the official results announcement and awards presentation ceremony, will culminate at IMPACT Culinova.
The Faculty of Technology at Khon Kaen University invites the university community and the public to send words of encouragement and follow the team’s progress via the official Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/CSTKKU
