In decades past, it would be shocking if doctors, engineers and lawyers were seduced into giving up promising careers to delve into gastronomy.
Ms Suchada says about 10,000 new food companies and restaurants open nationwide each year.
But that perception has changed, with professionals from other career paths becoming common in the culinary business and even applying for culinary courses.
"Influenced by celebrities and food programmes on various media channels, these new entrants have passion for food and love affairs with cooking," says Suchada Sthapitanonda, executive director at Le Cordon Bleu Dusit Culinary School.
"The advent of digital technology that allows customers to order food online or via apps such as Grab Food, Line Man and Foodpanda has changed student profiles at culinary schools. We see doctors, engineers and lawyers, traditional careers that last a lifetime, enrolling in the hopes of operating a restaurant."
The age of students at Le Cordon Bleu Dusit has also dropped. Some 30% of students at the school in the past two years were aged 20-25, whereas a similar percentage was aged 25-50 in previous years.
The youngest student for a short course was eight years old.
Ms Suchada says the strength of the tourism industry has also lured younger people to start their own business rather than working for companies.
A growing number of young people who are health-conscious and appreciate sustainable and natural food sources have created a demand for special culinary skills.
Ms Suchada says about 10,000 new food companies and restaurants open nationwide each year. Up to 60% of them close within a year, rising to 80% within five years of operations.
"We have never stopped introducing new offerings," Ms Suchada says, citing the recent introduction of the Advanced Culinary Management Programme in response to the growing demand for entrepreneurial skills in the culinary industry.
Chanin Donavanik, vice-chairman and chairman of the executive committee at Dusit International, says Thailand's restaurant industry in 2019 will face intensified competition because economic prospects remain murky.
"Only experts in the field could survive under these conditions," he says. "Cost control and consistency in terms of product quality and customer service, together with a good understanding of business administration, are the keys to determining whether a restaurant will survive."
Mr Chanin says the Advanced Culinary Management Programme will teach students business planning and administration, cost control, menu design, marketing and kitchen management practices that are a solid foundation for young people who aspire to enter the industry.
The company will also promote the Professional Thai Cuisine Programme among international students this year.
"We expect this programme to draw the interest of international students, now that Thai cuisine ranks in the top five among international cuisines," Ms Suchada says. "We aim to increase international student proportions, particularly from Asean, to 30% by 2020, up from 20% last year, and for the number of overall students this year to grow by 20% to 1,200 people."
In a move to accommodate the growing number of students, the company has invested 300 million baht to open Le Cordon Bleu Dusit Culinary School, replacing the existing one on Rama IV Road.
The new culinary school, opened last Friday, has a space of 3,000 square metres and is located on the 17th to 19th floors of Zen Tower, CentralWorld Complex.