Thai businesses are rapidly adapting to the changing tides of consumer preference, particularly with the surge of specialty delivery services. A recent report by LINE MAN revealed impressive statistics about the growth of specialty Thai tea, emphasizing its rising popularity among consumers.
Within the span of just three years, the number of specialty Thai tea shops has increased by 205%. This boom reflects not only the growing demand for high-quality beverages but also the broader focus on specialty items comparable to the thriving coffee industry. By 2024, the Thai market is poised to see delivery orders for specialty Thai tea soar to 400,000 cups, marking an astonishing 81% growth from previous years, according to LINE MAN.
Bangkok remains the heart of this specialty tea revolution, accounting for 46% of the total shops across the nation. Following closely are Nonthaburi and Chonburi, illustrating the geographical spread of this trend. With specialty coffee currently leading the overall beverage market, specialty Thai tea shows remarkable growth potential. The growth rate for specialty Thai tea has surged over 3.3 times compared to the 2.7 times increase observed for specialty coffee during the same period.
Prae Minchaya Booranaseetakul, the owner of KHIRI Thai Tea, exemplifies this trend, noting, “Thai tea has been part of Thai culture for ages. Recently, with consumers leaning more toward specialty beverages from the coffee market, the specialty Thai tea market has emerged.” She emphasized the importance of utilizing quality tea sourced from local Thai farmers, ensuring authenticity and unique taste profiles reflective of different regions such as Chiang Rai, Mae Hong Son, and Pattani.
The 'Thai Tea Lisa' phenomenon, jointly created by Lisa Manoban from BLACKPINK and Erewhon, has also sparked mainstream interest. This new premium Thai tea creation has encouraged shops like KHIRI Thai Tea to introduce specialty menus, highlighting the interconnectedness of quality, sourcing, and innovation.
BUZZEBEES, another key player, is recognizing the rapid digital transformation of business operations and consumer interactions. Nathida Sa-nguanin, Managing Director and co-founder of BUZZEBEES, stated, “Our aim for 2025 is to achieve revenue of 3.4 billion baht, anticipating growth of 30%. We will continue to expand our customer base and advance our services to meet the swiftly changing consumer behavior of the digital age.”
To support this drive, BUZZEBEES is enhancing its Customer Relationship Management (CRM) strategy, making it faster and more efficient, with installation times reduced from several months to just ten days. Their goal is to achieve even shorter installation times, significantly boosting ROI for clients by 3-4 times. This strategic emphasis reflects BUZZEBEES' commitment to sustainable business growth.
Significantly, the company also identified TikTok as a rapidly growing platform. Since mid-2023, BUZZEBEES has launched services enabling clients to sell through TikTok, resulting in impressive sales figures of 500 million baht for the year 2023—a staggering increase of 530% from the previous year.
“TikTok is incredibly popular, and we’re seizing the opportunity to help our clients generate sales on this platform,” Nathida stated, recognizing the upward trend of other platforms such as Shopee and Lazada as well.
BUZZEBEES’ ambitions extend beyond Thailand, aiming to capture international markets, which currently account for 10% of their total revenue. They are also exploring inorganic growth opportunities through mergers and acquisitions to scale their operations. Currently, they operate across six countries, including Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, the Philippines, Indonesia, and Cambodia, with over 1,200 platform partners and 170 million user accounts.
With substantial aspirations to be integral to Thailand’s digital economy, BUZZEBEES is preparing to continue addressing challenges head-on. The firm is committed to incessantly innovizing its services and adapting to the demands of digital consumers, thereby setting the stage for long-term growth.