The Organisation to Promote Japanese Restaurants Abroad (JRO) expects Japanese eateries in Thailand to jump to 3,000 within three to four years, up 50% from this year.
Mitsugu Saito (centre) and Yasumasa Asai (right) display platters of Japanese eats at a press briefing yesterday.
Yasumasa Asai, branch manager of JRO Bangkok, said regardless of politics, about 200 new Japanese restaurants are expected to open here, bringing the total to 2,000 by April.
No Japanese restaurants have cancelled their expansion here, but if the situation worsens, some companies may reconsider, he said.
JRO, a non-profit organisation that set up an office in Thailand in 2007, reports Thailand is the world's seventh-largest market for Japanese food. The US is No.1 with 15,000 eateries, while China and Taiwan are second and third with 4,000 and 3,000 branches.
Thailand could take the No.5 slot if the country's economy grows at a faster pace and the government finds a compromise solution, he said.
Other factors driving the industry include the rising number of foreign tourists and foreign investors well as the implementation of the Asean Economic Community.
To promote authentic Japanese cuisine in Thailand, JRO is organising a food fair from Feb 1-28. The event will be held at 73 restaurants in Bangkok such as Yamazato, Nippon Tei, Ume no Sato, ZUMA, Sakuragawa, Tsukiji, Gyu Gyu Tei and Hachiban Ramen.
The fair will go ahead despite the political tension, which has raised concerns among Japanese living in Thailand.
Mitsugu Saito, deputy chief of mission, said Japanese investors care about local politics and their investment in Thailand may decline in the future.