🇹🇭 Foreign ownership of Thai brands
14.6% of the 82 Thai brands with a controlling owner (12) are owned by a company headquartered outside Thailand, most often in China, Hong Kong and Japan. That ranks 52 of 94 countries analysed.
Which countries own them
| Owner headquartered in | Brands | Share of foreign-owned | Bar |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🇨🇳 China | 3 | 25% | |
| 🇭🇰 Hong Kong | 2 | 16.7% | |
| 🇯🇵 Japan | 2 | 16.7% | |
| 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | 1 | 8.3% | |
| 🇰🇷 South Korea | 1 | 8.3% | |
| 🇲🇾 Malaysia | 1 | 8.3% | |
| 🇸🇬 Singapore | 1 | 8.3% | |
| 🇻🇳 Vietnam | 1 | 8.3% |
Largest foreign owners
| Owner | Headquarters | Thai brands owned |
|---|---|---|
| AIA | 🇭🇰 Hong Kong | 1 |
| AirAsia X | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | 1 |
| BOCHK | 🇭🇰 Hong Kong | 1 |
| ICBC | 🇨🇳 China | 1 |
| IHG | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | 1 |
| KOSÉ | 🇯🇵 Japan | 1 |
| MUFG | 🇯🇵 Japan | 1 |
| Samsung Life | 🇰🇷 South Korea | 1 |
| SF Holding | 🇨🇳 China | 1 |
| UOB | 🇸🇬 Singapore | 1 |
Where foreign ownership is highest
Top-level categories with at least 5 Thai brands that have a controlling owner.
| Category | Brands | Foreign-owned | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Finance & insurance | 6 | 6 | 100% |
| Travel & transport | 18 | 4 | 22.2% |
| Food | 18 | 1 | 5.6% |
| Beverages | 15 | 0 | 0% |
| Retail | 8 | 0 | 0% |
| Restaurants & foodservice | 6 | 0 | 0% |
Examples
- AIA Thailand owned by AIA
- Bank of Ayudhya owned by MUFG
- Bank of China (Thai) owned by BOCHK
- Cremo owned by Yili
- ICBC (Thai) owned by ICBC
- KEX Express owned by SF Holding
- PAÑPURI owned by KOSÉ
- Samsung Life Insurance (Thailand) owned by Samsung Life
- Six Senses owned by IHG
- Thai AirAsia owned by AirAsia X
- Thai Vietjet owned by Vietjet
- UOB Thailand owned by UOB
How this is computed
Of 87 Thai brands recorded, 82 have a current controlling owner (outright or a stake of 50% or more, followed up to the ultimate parent). The other 5 are licensed, part-owned or lack a current owner and are left out. A brand is foreign-owned when that ultimate parent is headquartered in a different country from the brand's origin. Data as of . Method and ranking for all countries.
Coverage caveat. The brands tracked skew towards those held by large filing companies, so this overstates foreign ownership relative to every brand in the country. See also the Thailand country page.