A recent video post on food-focused Instagram account ppgallery showing how to make the Thai classic of mango and sticky rice racked up around 30,000 views in only one day. For a simple dish to whip up -- a matter of peeling and slicing a mango, then soaking it in coconut milk -- the clip nonetheless drew mass appeal.
The owner of ppgallery is Piyada Punnakitikasem, a 34-year-old businesswoman and foodie. She's an attractive, designer clothes-donning urbanite, but she never shows her face or fashion choices on Instagram. Instead, she uses her signature panda doll icon to mark her brand.
Video by Jetjaras Na Ranong
Her followers, numbering in the hundreds of thousands, flock to her page for its mouth-watering photos and video clips of food ranging from Thai culinary staples to foreign selections like sushi and spaghetti. She's not a traditional food critic, refusing to write lengthy descriptions of the food she eats -- she simply shows it.
Diners have long relied on food critics to help them decide where they should dine next. If a critic approves of a restaurant, they give it a five-star rating, which the business can then boast outside their establishment.
HUNGRY FOR MORE: The ppgallery food-focused Instagram account run by Piyada Punnakitikasem has gathered a following of 458,000 for her delicious dining adventures. Photos: Piyada Punnakitikasem
But Piyada is ushering in a new generation of food critics whose preferred platform for influence is Instagram. By pairing tasteful photos of her gastronomic discoveries with short captions, she's managed to stir up a strong following.
"I think people follow my Instagram because we share similar lifestyles," said Piyada, whose Thai dining adventures show off the diversity of the country's culinary scene.
HUNGRY FOR MORE: The ppgallery food-focused Instagram account run by Piyada Punnakitikasem has gathered a following of 458,000 for her delicious dining adventures. Photos: Piyada Punnakitikasem
Piyada, who goes by the nickname Pam, might have one of the best jobs around these days.
"I'm lucky that I can do what I like," she says. "I like doing three things -- sightseeing, dining and working." She has incorporated all three into her daily work routine.
Piyada earned a marketing degree at Assumption University. She had a brief stint working at a security company before deciding to study finance at Exeter University in England.
HUNGRY FOR MORE: The ppgallery food-focused Instagram account run by Piyada Punnakitikasem has gathered a following of 458,000 for her delicious dining adventures. Photos: Piyada Punnakitikasem
After graduating, she got a job as an investment banker. Then she switched gears again, opening her own security system company, which she continues to operate to this day.
She also has experience serving in political office, working in Yingluck Shinawatra's cabinet as the deputy spokesperson for the Education Ministry, as well as the Labour Ministry.
To top off her dynamic resume, she's also served as a special lecturer at the Panyapiwat Institute of Management, sharing her knowledge of modern retailing with students.
The businesswoman says she was not always interested in social media. "I thought that social network platforms just served to expose our private life to others."
Photo: Jetjaras Na Ranong
Five years ago, her sister convinced her to try it, helping her set up Facebook and Instagram accounts, and showing her how to adjust her settings to limit who could view her pages.
"Initially, I didn't know what type of things I should post," she said. "My sister told me to post pictures of the places I go to or the restaurants I dine at so that she could follow my life online."
Piyada's friends enjoy trying out new places to dine too. A steadfast urbanite, she never cooks at home.
"I often dine with my friends and they love trying out new places. I then record my own clips. I never borrow anyone else's footage for my Instagram," she said.
"I'm interested in photography and I always select the best photos with the best angles for my account."
In the first two years of being up and running, Piyada's Instagram account gained 10,000 followers. As she began posting videos explaining how to cook certain dishes, her clips became more popular, drawing in more views.
Photo: Jetjaras Na Ranong
As her posts gained viral status, Piyada began stamping watermarks on them to ensure she gets credit for her work. From thereon in, ppgallery became a fully fledged brand.
"People began to recognise who I am and follow me on social media. I think the people who follow me have the same interests. They have the same taste as me," she said.
To date, her Instagram account has 458,000 followers, while her Facebook page has around 198,000 followers. "I think my videos are different from other Instagrammers' because I always try to look for new places to dine. I also don't describe or criticise the taste of the food. People's dining experience depends on the individual's taste. Finally, the lighting and angles I use make the viewers feel like they are dining with me, only they cannot see our faces.
"If I write that the food is good but others argue that the same food is horrible, people will think I am deceiving my followers."
Photo: Jetjaras Na Ranong
At the end of the day, she sums up her success to her followers, who believe that what she has to share with them is interesting: "They think whatever I share is worth a try."
Piyada says she never gets paid to dine at restaurants, but she occasionally works with companies for side-gigs. For example, Piyada has been a Citibank food influencer since 2015. Once every three weeks, she visits restaurants with special sales promotions and reports back to Citibank customers about her experience of the restaurants she goes to.
In October last year, a CNN camera crew came to Thailand to do a one-minute video titled "#MyBangkok" to give viewers a glance at the Thai food scene. Piyada helped escort the crew around the city, showing off Thai restaurants and street food, including the Yaowarat area.
"I chose a restaurant by the Chao Phraya River with the backdrop of Wat Arun," said Piyada.
"I thought international audiences would love seeing Wat Arun and Thai food, such a graceful ensemble to reflect the Thai character."
