The induction of six local restaurants onto The World's 50 Best's Asia's 50 Best Restaurants 2021 list was announced in Bangkok on Monday.
Awards were given to these restaurants during a virtual ceremony at Le Du restaurant in Bangkok on Monday.
The World's 50 Best is an organisation that ranks restaurants and bars around the world. Every year it surveys the top restaurants and bars in Asia to be placed on the list.
Six restaurants in Bangkok made it onto the Asia top 50 list this year, with Le Du taking the No 4 spot, and one-year-old Nusara debuting at No 20.
"I'm very grateful that we can have [our] Thai restaurants -- each with its own style -- accepted, especially by locals, since the awards were more localised this year, Thitid "Ton" Tassanakajohn, chief patron of Le Du and Nusara, said.
Gaggan Anand Restaurant, owned by Kolkata-born chef Gaggan Anand, debuted at No 5.
Chef Anand closed his first Bangkok restaurant -- previously voted No 1 for a record four times in a row from 2015–2018 -- to open Gaggan Anand Restaurant, a reincarnation of the eatery with a subtle name difference in 2019.
"I feel amazing because it's good -- especially in Covid times -- that we are surviving with fine dining on a day-to-day basis," he said.
"This is the biggest motivation we have when we have no work," Chef Anand added.
"I'm very grateful and thankful to all my fans, friends and whoever thought we could be here, and support us in this new restaurant that we created from nothing."
The other local restaurants that made the list are Sühring at No 6; Sorn at No 11; and Gaa at No 46.
Legendary Bangkok street food chef Supinya "Jay Fai" Junsuta, whose restaurant received a Michelin star in 2018, was the recipient of the Icon Award -- Asia 2021.
Chef Supinya has been cooking at her open-air shophouse for more than 40 years, turning her modest restaurant into a coveted destination.
The Icon Award honours culinary art figures making contributions to their community and the broader restaurant industry.
More than 300 members of the Asia's 50 Best Restaurants Academy are said to survey potential recipients every year.
The No 1 spot went to The Chairman in Hong Kong, while No 2 and 3 went to Odette in Singapore and Den in Tokyo, respectively.
The organisation also unveiled restaurants that were ranked below No 50. Japan and Thailand took nine placements each, while China took eight and South Korea took four.
The restaurants in Thailand are: 80/20 at No 55; Samrub For Thai at No 59; Raan Jay Fai at No 62; Paste at No 70; Le Normandie at No 74; Bo.Lan at No 78; Baan Tepa at No 79; Nahm at No 80; and Quince at No 97.
Over 300 members of the academy, including chefs and culinary experts, voted to include these restaurants on this year's list.