Market Opportunities and Accessibility for Consumers of Thai Tea: Trends, Trade, Consumer Behaviors, and Marketing Strategy in ASEAN

Abstract

The research entitled ‘Market Opportunities and Accessibility for Consumers of Thai Tea: Trends, Trade, Consumer Behavior, and Marketing Strategy in ASEAN’ aims to study business opportunities and trade barriers for Thai tea products (dried tea leaf and tea products) in the ASEAN market. Moreover, this research also specifically aims to study ASEAN consumer behavior regarding tea and tea products. This research adopted a qualitative approach as this allows researchers to acquire in-depth information from key informants. A literature review was conducted to collect general information and extant knowledge about tea, tea production, and the trade situation in the cultivated tea area in Thailand. Researchers used data from databases from the Office of Agricultural Economics, Thai Customs, and Global Trade Atlas, along with field surveys and in-depth interviews to analyze trends in tea trading. The results revealed that Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia, Indonesia, the USA, the Netherlands, China, and Vietnam were the main export markets for Thai tea and tea products. Overall, the import value of black tea leaf and green tea leaf imported by Thailand was worth in value rather than to export. However, Thailand received a positive trade balance for tea products (other than tea leaves). This study revealed that there was a limitation of cultivated tea area as tea could only be grown in the northern part of Thailand, reflecting the low quantity of tea leaf. On the other hand, Thailand has value-added potential by processing just dried tea leaf into new products such as various types of beverages. Concerning consumer behavior, ASEAN consumers consume black tea more than green tea, yet consumer demand for green tea has increased significantly recently. Consumers drink tea on average approximately three times per week. The consumers were divided into two groups, general consumers and health-concerned consumers. The young age group tends to be satisfied with ready-to-drink tea. When considering purchasing factors, the young-age group places importance on colorful packaging and television commercials, while the working-age group and the older-age group give precedence to the sugar quantity in tea products.