Vietnamese businesses explore ways to expand footprint in Thai market

The opportunities are being offered through Vietnam Week in Thailand 2026, held from Thursday to Sunday at centralwOrld, the largest lifestyle shopping destination in Bangkok, where Vietnamese businesses can meet Thai buyers and showcase their products to local consumers and international visitors.

Organized by Thailand's Central Group and its Vietnam retail operation, Central Retail Vietnam, in coordination with the ministry, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Vietnam-Thailand diplomatic relations, the event includes a business-matching program connecting Vietnamese companies directly with Central Group's purchasing team.

Wallaya Chirathivat, president of Central Group, said the event not only brings Vietnamese products closer to Thai consumers but also creates opportunities for Vietnamese businesses to work directly with Central Group’s purchasing division.

“We are proud to play a role in connecting Vietnamese products and destinations with Thai consumers, while turning the close relationship between the two countries into tangible opportunities for the business community,” Chirathivat noted.

For Vietnamese companies seeking to enter or expand in modern retail channels, the direct meetings provide an opportunity to better understand requirements for product quality, specifications, packaging, and pricing in Thailand and the region, according to the organizers.

Vo Tuan Anh, deputy director of trade promotion at Ban Me Gold, a coffee brand from Vietnam's Central Highlands, said direct connections with buyers might not immediately result in contracts or orders, but they allow businesses to receive practical feedback on areas that need improvement and pursue longer-term opportunities.

“We already have partners in Thailand, but we have not yet had an opportunity to enter Central Group’s Central Retail network. This time, the company has also brought many new product lines, including attractive gift and presentation boxes that suit consumer preferences,” he said.

Ai Nhu, a representative of Viana Services & Trading Manufacture Company Limited from Da Nang City, central Vietnam said this was the company's first time participating in a business-matching program in Thailand.

Viana produces traditional products such as black glutinous rice wine, milk glutinous rice wine, and various types of preserves.

The company has exported its products to Laos and China and received positive consumer feedback, she said.

To expand into the Thai market, Viana will have to consider factors including prices and consumer purchasing power, but the event provides a convenient opportunity to connect with a wide range of partners and pursue other business objectives, Nhu said.

Chutipanyaporn, who represented a Thai buyer, said product quality and packaging were important, while competitive pricing was also a key consideration.

"Thailand already has a very diverse range of products. Vietnamese businesses will also need to pay attention to offering competitive prices," she said.

Thailand is an important market for Vietnamese exports, with bilateral trade reaching a record US$22.1 billion in 2025 and a target of $25 billion in the coming period, according to the industry and trade ministry.

Vo Hong Anh, deputy director of the Department of Foreign Market Development and Multilateral Trade under the industry and trade ministry, said Thailand is an important market for Vietnamese agricultural exports, particularly coffee, vegetables, and processed agricultural products.

Opportunities in Thailand extend beyond exports and access to distribution networks to cooperation in processing, logistics, packaging, and related services, Anh said.

Cooperation between Vietnamese and Thai businesses can help the former strengthen their capabilities, add value to exported products, meet market standards, and gain access to distribution systems in Thailand and globally, she added.