that the quality of Thai food, at least in the US, is declining with its increased popularity, a state of affairs that Thai Delicious aims to fix. In August 2018, Thailand's Ministry of Commerce kicked off a project called "Thai Select". It issues certificates in three grades to domestic Thai restaurants: gold (five stars); red (four stars); and orange (three stars). The goal is to enable tourists to Thailand to choose a worthy restaurant. Culture Minister Vira Rojpojchanarat announced in 2018 that between 2020 and 2024, his ministry will investigate ways to preserve authentic Thai cuisine from the increasing influence of foreign dishes. "Unique in its preparation with recipes handed down for generations, Thai culinary art needs better protection against foreign influences which are now changing the look and taste of certain local dishes," he warned. The plan will conform to the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, initiated by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO). The 2003 convention intends to protect the "uses, representations, expressions, knowledge and techniques that communities, groups and, in some cases, individuals, recognised as an integral part of their cultural heritage". Salt reduction efforts On average, Thai people consume 4,300 mg of sodium per day, twice the WHO's recommended maximum. Thai street food is one of the top three contributors to high salt intake. The Public Health Ministry has embarked on a program to reduce the population's salt consumption by 30 percent. See also List of Thai dishes (includes names in Thai script) List of Thai ingredients (includes names in Thai script) List of Thai khanom List of Thai restaurants List of Thai desserts and snacks Tourism in Thailand Culture of Thailand Thai curry Thai salads Filipino cuisine Indonesian cuisine References Further reading David Thompson, Classic Thai Cuisine, 145 pages, Berkeley: Ten Speed Press, 1993, Vatcharin Bhumichitr, The Essential Thai Cookbook, 192 pages, New York: Clarkson N. Potter Inc., 1994, Joe Cummings, Lonely Planet World Food Thailand, 288 pages, Lonely Planet Publications, 2000, Andy Ricker, Pok Pok: Food and Stories from the Streets, Homes, and Roadside Restaurants of Thailand, 304 pages, Berkeley: Ten Speed Press, 2013, ML Sirichalerm Svasti (Chef McDang), The Principles of Thai Cookery, 304 pages, McDang dot Com Company, Limited, 2010, Leela Punyaratabandhu, Simple Thai Food: Classic Recipes from the Thai Home Kitchen, 236 pages, Berkeley: Ten Speed Press, 2014, External links Thaifoodmaster – Step by