Gelato and Gelato Entrepreneurship in Bangkok, Thailand - Food, Fashion or just Happiness?

Sep 13, 2026

Current gelato entrepreneurship in Bangkok, Thailand is examined through qualitative inquiry focusing on entrepreneurs’ early motivations and attitudes and on the cultural placement of gelato within contemporary city life. The study addresses how founders perceive their businesses relative to broader lifestyles, the city’s cultural “vibe,” and the historical waves of food importation. Semi-structured interviews, observation, and informal discussions show alignment with artisanal entrepreneurship ideals, while cultural and commercial on-trend positioning remains only loosely felt.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryGeneral

FormatPDF

Pages12

Reading Time4 min

AccessFree to download

ABSTRACT

Introduction

Food importation waves into Thailand

Chinese influence on gastronomy

Portuguese influence on Thai desserts

Italian influence across different periods

Article information

Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences Studies ISSN: 2663-7197 DOI: 10.32996/jhsss Journal Homepage: [www.al-kindipublisher.com/index.php/jhsss](www.al-kindipublisher.com/index.php/jhsss) JHSSS AL-KINDI CENTER FOR RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT | RESEARCH ARTICLE
Gelato and Gelato Entrepreneurship in Bangkok, Thailand – Food, Fashion or just Happiness?
Dr Mark Azavedo
Associate Fellow, The Institute of Ethnic Studies (KITA), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (The National University of Malaysia ), Selangor, Malaysia
Corresponding Author: Dr Mark Azavedo, E-mail: [markazavedo@yahoo.co. uk](markazavedo@yahoo.co. uk) | | --- | | ABSTRACT
This is a study at many levels of very current and seemingly expansive gelato entrepreneurship in Bangkok. Thailand is a country of many waves of food importation over the years. Countries of origin perhaps most obviously include Portugal and China, but also Italy. This study particularly focuses on the motivations and attitudes of current gelato entrepreneurs, especially in the early years of their businesses at and shortly after start-up. All started the businesses they run. However, the study had a further aim, to place gelato culturally in contemporary Bangkok society. Is its currency part of what cultural anthropologists label a culture “vibe”, culturally highly on-trend and what associations might that bring with other product categories? Out of such a mixture of aims came the simple research questions of 1 . What are the attitudes and motivations of entrepreneurs within the contemporary gelato Industry of Bangkok, Thailand. 2. What sense do entrepreneurs within the contemporary gelato industry of Bangkok have of the place of their businesses in broader contemporary lifestylesand culture of the city and of the history of food in Thailand. These were to be researched in greater Bangkok, through qualitative inquiry, mainly based on formal semi-structured interviews of gelato business owners but also including observation and lengthy informal discussion with owners. The research revealed that the entrepreneurs were very much aligned with descriptors of artisanal entrepreneurship, such as lack of concern to maximise income or profit and a positive concern to educate customers. Relative to seeing their product and themselves as placed within contemporary society there was only a vague sense of being culturally and commercially on-trend and that as part of their choosing gelato entrepreneurship. However, when specific connections were mentioned, the strongest responses appeared lukewarm, and referring to the generality of social media as a necessary presence for start-up and young businesses at this time.
KEYWORDS
Gelato, food, Italian, Bangkok, Thailand, snack, ice-cream, lifestyle, contemporary, entrepreneurship
ARTICLE INFORMATION
ACCEPTED: 19 March 2025 PUBLISHED: 17 April 2025 DOI: 10. 32996/jhsss.2025.7.4.8 | 1. Introduction There are numerous arrival stories for many different foodstuffs into Thailand from overseas. Perhaps the most obvious to consider arose out of Chinese migration into Thailand or Siam as it was until 1939 . The Chinese contribution toward Thailand’s gastronomy included both cooking techniques and new kitchen products. The latter included noodles to act as a staple alongside rice. New cooking techniques included stir-frying, deep-frying and steaming (Stuart-Fox, 2003) . Particularly the first two were enablers of the rise of street-based cooking and eating. Chinese coolies’ rented rooms had neither cooking facilities nor leisure space. Chinese presence in Siam goes back to the thirteenth century. Early on it was associated with the multi-ethnic trading city of Ayutthaya, also an early capital of Siam. There was a surge in Chinese migration to Siam in the closing years of the Nineteenth Century and early Twentieth Century. Probably the next most important place to consider is Portugal (Bush, 2006) . There had been a strong Portug

FAQs

What is the main focus of this study on gelato entrepreneurship in Bangkok?

The study analyzes motivations and attitudes of gelato entrepreneurs, especially around start-up, and considers how gelato is culturally situated in contemporary Bangkok society.

How did the researchers collect data for the study?

Data were gathered in greater Bangkok using qualitative methods, mainly formal semi-structured interviews with gelato business owners, supplemented by observation and lengthy informal discussions.

What did the study find about entrepreneurs’ views and marketing positioning?

Entrepreneurs largely aligned with artisanal entrepreneurship descriptors, including limited focus on maximizing income or profit and an emphasis on educating customers, while only a vague sense of being culturally and commercially on-trend was reported.

Sep 13, 2026

Uploaded by Bill Black