Thailand’s beverage service market is continuing to outperform much of the country’s broader consumer economy, with cafés, tea shops and health-focused drink outlets maintaining steady growth despite weakening purchasing power, intense competition and mounting pressure on smaller operators.
According to the Trade Policy and Strategy Office (TPSO) under the Ministry of Commerce, the beverage service sector is becoming an increasingly important contributor to Thailand’s food and beverage industry. Growth is being fuelled by changing consumer lifestyles, rising health awareness, strong social media influence and rapid branch expansion by major beverage chains.
However, the sector’s outlook is becoming increasingly uneven. While medium-sized and large operators are well positioned to benefit from continued market expansion, smaller businesses face shrinking profit margins, evolving consumer preferences and stronger competition from both domestic and international brands.
Global beverage trends support growth
Drawing on Euromonitor data, TPSO said the global restaurant and beverage service industry was valued at US$3.357 trillion in 2025 and is projected to grow by an average of 4% annually between 2025 and 2030.
Within the industry, beverage-related businesses continue to outperform the broader market. Cafés and bars alone generated US$505 billion in sales in 2025, representing 15.04% of the global restaurant service sector.
Tea, milk tea and coffee chains have also experienced rapid international expansion. Chinese beverage brands including Luckin, Chagee, Mixue and GoodMe now operate a combined network of more than 73,000 outlets across China, highlighting the strong global demand for specialty beverages.
Thai market continues to expand
In Thailand, the beverage service market was valued at 56.9 billion baht in 2025, representing annual growth of 5%.
TPSO expects the market to continue expanding in 2026, although at a more moderate pace of around 2%, reflecting softer consumer spending and a more challenging economic environment.
Despite the slower outlook, entrepreneurs continue to enter the market. Thailand recorded 3,204 registered corporate entities operating in the beverage service sector in 2025, up 14.96% from the previous year. Between 2023 and 2025, the number of operators increased by an average of 15.47% annually.
The figures suggest that confidence in the sector remains strong, even as competition continues to intensify.
Non-alcoholic beverages dominate
Non-alcoholic beverage outlets remained the dominant segment of Thailand’s beverage service industry in 2025, accounting for 70.32% of all businesses.
Shops primarily serving alcoholic beverages represented 28.68% of the market, while mobile beverage vendors accounted for 0.59% and beverage stalls and market operators made up the remaining 0.41%.
TPSO said the strong dominance of non-alcoholic beverage businesses reflects changing consumer preferences, with demand continuing to grow for coffee, tea, fruit drinks, smoothies and wellness-focused beverages.
Health-conscious consumption is also becoming a key driver of the market, as consumers increasingly choose beverages that align with their lifestyles rather than making purchasing decisions based solely on price or flavour.