Overview: Thailand’s Chocolate Confectionery Industry [2025]
Thailand’s chocolate confectionery market in late 2025 continues its steady expansion, fuelled by urbanisation, rising disposable incomes among younger demographics, and the enduring power of seasonal gifting. Per-capita consumption, though still modest at well under one kilogram annually, is on an upward trajectory, signalling chocolate’s evolution from occasional luxury to routine treat for a broadening consumer base.
The market remains sharply bifurcated: high-volume everyday impulse purchases coexist with pronounced premium spikes during Chinese New Year, Valentine’s Day, Christmas, and Songkran. Limited-edition packaging and culturally resonant flavours continue to be the most reliable drivers of incremental sales across all price tiers.
Market Structure And Segmentation
Milk chocolate comfortably holds the largest share by variant, followed by dark chocolate and a much smaller white chocolate segment. Bars are the favored packaging format, followed by pouches and boxes. Private-label penetration is negligible, with branded players continuing to own virtually the entire category, even at entry-level price points.
Mid-range pricing leads overall sales, followed by a robust premium tier. Upper-mid and budget offerings trail behind. Better-for-you claims (vegan, no-sugar-added, organic) remain a tiny but increasingly visible niche, largely confined to affluent urban consumers.
In flavour preferences, almond retains the top position, followed by strawberry, cookie, hazelnut, and a growing appreciation for salted-caramel combinations.
Consumer Trends
Several distinct consumption drivers shape the Thai market in 2025.
Festive gifting is the clearest volume accelerator each year. Elegantly packaged premium boxes from premium brands such as Lindt, and Toblerone fly off shelves during year-end and lunar new year periods, while local hero Siamaya has carved out a strong position with culturally attuned limited editions such as Vanilla Jasmine Milk Chocolate for Songkran and prosperity-themed dark chocolate with walnut and jujube for Chinese New Year.
Japanese brands maintain an almost unrivalled premium aura. ROYCE’ Nama and Potatochip chocolates, Meiji’s Meltykiss and Macadamia lines, and Morinaga Dars command price premiums of 3–10 times comparable Western products, driven by flawless execution, refined taste profiles, and irresistible “kawaii” packaging. Matcha extensions across these ranges are especially coveted by Gen Z and younger millennials.
At the accessible end, everyday impulse items under THB 50—led by KitKat, Hershey’s, Snickers, Mars, Twix, and Milo—continue to power the overwhelming majority of monthly volume, particularly through supermarket chains as well as convenience channels.
Nut inclusions, especially almond and macadamia, instantly elevate perceived value and add a subtle health halo; Meiji Almond, Lotte Almond & Macadamia, and Van Houten Cocoa Almonds are standout performers.
Dark chocolate at 70%+ cocoa has transitioned from niche to mainstream sophistication, with strong showings from Lindt Excellence, Ritter Sport dark variants, and a rising cohort of Indochinese bean-to-bar labels including Paradai, Siamaya, and Kad Kokoa.
Sharing formats such as M&M’s and Maltesers fun-size pouches and larger Celebrations boxes remain staples for movie nights and sharing occasions with friends and colleagues, while a small but growing segment of fitness-focused and health-conscious consumers is exploring zero- and low-sugar options from Whole Earth, Lotte Zero, and Paradai sugar-free lines.
Competitive Landscape
The market is moderately concentrated at the very top yet remarkably diverse overall.
KitKat and Hershey’s are tied for leadership, each capturing around a tenth of the market, followed closely by Lindt and Ritter Sport. Meiji’s consistent strength further highlights the enduring appeal of Japanese brands.
By country of origin, the United States, United Kingdom, and Switzerland occupy the top tier, with Japan a solid fourth. Domestic Thai brands collectively hold only a tiny fraction, though artisanal bean-to-bar producers are rapidly building loyal urban followings via DTC and speciality channels.
Segment leadership is well defined: Hershey’s is a top player in milk and white chocolate, Lindt owns the dark chocolate category by a considerable margin, KitKat and Hershey’s hold major shares in the pouches format and the broader supermarket channel, while ROYCE’ remains the clear frontrunner in direct-to-consumer premium sales.
Innovation continues to revolve around festive calendars, with recent standout launches including KitKat Pineapple Tart for Chinese New Year, and Siamaya’s culturally themed limited editions.
In 2025, Thailand’s chocolate confectionery market elegantly balances mass-market accessibility with sophisticated premium aspiration. Everyday impulse and festive gifting remain the twin engines of volume, yet the swift rise of Japanese luxury, nut-enriched indulgence, high-cocoa dark, and proudly Thai bean-to-bar offerings reveals a category that is quietly maturing.
For the complete dataset, detailed brand shares by channel, pricing benchmarks, and other data, refer the full report.