A post by the Swedish Embassy in Thailand showing one of its diplomats enjoying a classic Thai street ice cream has gone viral, drawing praise for the diplomat's embrace of local culture and Thailand's popular street dessert.
The embassy posted an image of First Secretary Emanuel Lundin eating coconut ice cream from a roadside cart outside the embassy, accompanied by a caption praising the dessert as both delicious and great value.
The Facebook post, which quickly went viral, read: "Thai ice cream hits different."
According to the embassy, Lundin recently sampled a traditional Thai coconut ice cream served from a street cart. The post also highlighted the generous toppings of peanuts, palm seeds and sweet corn, describing them as making the dessert "even better."
It added that the treat cost just 40 baht (US$1.19), calling it "a wonderful experience" at such an affordable price.
The embassy concluded by saying it was "nice to see diplomats enjoying authentic Thai life, just like the locals."
The ice cream cart featured in the post is located in front of the Two Pacific Place building, next to BTS Nana station in central Bangkok.
The post has attracted widespread attention online, with many Thai social media users praising the embassy for embracing local culture and highlighting one of Thailand's favourite street treats.
The embassy's post came as Thai social media was abuzz with discussions about ice cream following an online controversy involving an Italian gelato brand.
The debate was fuelled by comments from one of the brand's representatives, who described himself as the brand's "chef," remarks that many Thai internet users viewed as dismissive of local ice cream.
The controversy prompted a wave of online comparisons between imported premium gelato and Thailand's traditional street-vendor ice cream, with many users defending the latter for its distinctive coconut flavour, generous toppings and affordability.
Many social media users also noted the contrast between the 40-baht street ice cream featured in the embassy's post and the Italian gelato, whose prices were reportedly significantly higher.
