Thailand Market Entry & International Expansion
HundredEast, an independent advisory firm in Bangkok, advises companies entering Thailand and Asian companies expanding into Europe and North America.
Where this usually starts
An attractive market can still produce a poor investment. Demand assumptions may not survive local competition. A distribution agreement can surrender too much commercial control, while the proposed operation requires more capital or management attention than the owners intended to commit.
Before you accept those commitments, HundredEast tests the demand and cost assumptions in the commercial case, assesses prospective partners or acquisition targets, and helps negotiate the route to market. For a manufacturer, that includes whether to produce locally at all. The scope covers foreign businesses entering Thailand, and Thai and other Asian businesses expanding into Europe and North America. Decisions about what to establish locally and what to deliver through partners need to reflect both the economics and the control you intend to retain.
The work continues into partner discussions and the arrangements needed to carry out the entry decision. Legal and tax specialists advise on matters within their remit, such as BOI promotion and the Foreign Business Act for an entry into Thailand. You should have a clear basis for proceeding, changing the approach, or declining the opportunity before significant capital is committed.
What gets decided
- Target markets and customer segments, based on demand, competition and achievable margins
- The entry model: exporting, local production, partnership, acquisition or a wholly owned operation
- Sales channels, pricing and the distribution coverage required to reach target customers
- Partner and distributor selection, including commercial terms, performance obligations and control
- Commercial due diligence on whether an acquisition target's customers, earnings and market position support the investment case
- Capital requirements, management commitments and commercial milestones for proceeding with entry
Market entry and international expansion experience
A European technology company had no entity in Asia when HundredEast's founder joined it to assess the region and recommend an entry strategy to its owners. With little existing information to work from, he mapped the region country by country, then built the first distributorships and partnerships.
That business development led to a €25 million national government program, won against an incumbent that had held the position for twenty years. The contract became the company's anchor in Asia-Pacific, from which it opened an office, established a legal entity and expanded across the region.
At a Thai technology company serving global manufacturers, he led sales, marketing and customer application engineering. This included establishing commercial KPIs and go-to-market strategies for Europe, China and the United States, as well as leading global contract negotiations and developing strategic partnerships.
How an engagement runs
- 01
A first conversation carries no fee and no obligation.
- 02
What follows is an independent review, a health check of the business case for entry, scoped in working days against a fixed fee agreed before it starts, ending in a written report that carries the diagnosis and the proposal for a mandate.
- 03
Mandate fees are then structured around the number of entities, countries, sites and people the work has to cover.
Hourly rates are excluded.
Coordinated specialists
Legal and intellectual property, audit and tax, customs, data protection, product registration and executive search. Each is handled by a specialist you engage directly, so you see their fees and contract with the people carrying the professional liability.
After the entry decision
Setting Up in Thailand
Premises, staffing, permits and capital planned as one operating plan.
China Plus One
The business case and transfer when a manufacturer adds a Thai site.
Subsidiary Governance
Authority and reporting between headquarters and the subsidiary you set up.
Deciding on a new market, and how to get into it?
Most engagements start with somebody describing a situation that looks a lot like the one above.
References are available on request. Introductions can be arranged, in advance.