Can Thai skincare brands ever compete with Korean, Japanese beauty or global names like L’Oreal and Estée Lauder?

In spite of a thriving wellness sector, Thailand’s skincare market is dominated by foreign companies, while few of its home-grown brands are exported

A Thai actress is hoping to shake things up with her skincare brand that combines South Korean ingredients such as red ginseng with Thai beauty principles

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Published: 12:14pm, 1 Jun 2021Updated: 7:02pm, 1 Jun 2021

If you have ever travelled to Thailand, you know how pervasive the beauty industry is in the country.

Billboard ads for whitening creams, sunscreen lotions and snail masks are everywhere in cities like Bangkok, where department stores and pharmacies sell a wide variety of products catering to the locals’ obsession with skincare.

According to market researcher Euromonitor, the retail value of the skincare category in Thailand, Southeast Asia’s second largest economy, was US$2.65 billion in 2020. That number does not include make-up and personal care products.

If you look into the data, however, you’ll see that in spite of a thriving home-grown wellness sector – spas and massage parlours are a big part of Thailand’s culture and a major draw for international tourists – the country’s skincare market is dominated by global corporations such as L’Oreal, Beiersdorf, Estée Lauder, Procter & Gamble, Unilever and Shiseido.

Skincare adverts targeting both women and men at Siam train station in Bangkok. Photo: Shutterstock

While other Asian countries such as South Korea and Japan have become key global players in the field – think of the worldwide success of K-beauty and J-beauty – Thailand has only made small progress in exporting its home-grown brands.