Dairy products and alternatives in 2025: The big picture
The Thai dairy sector is entering a period of transformation, shaped by regulatory pressures and shifting consumer priorities. The Thai Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has tightened the requirements for products qualifying for the “Healthier Choice” logo, with more stringent thresholds on sugar and fat content. This has pushed manufacturers to reformulate their offerings and launch healthier variants to remain competitive. In 2025, for example, Dutch Mill Co Ltd introduced a 4-in-1 drinking yoghurt with 40% less sugar, aligning with the regulatory environment whilst appealing to consumers seeking indulgence with fewer health risks. This kind of adaptation illustrates how legislation is directly influencing product pipelines and marketing strategies in the dairy sector.
Key trends in 2025
One of the most visible shifts in the Thai dairy landscape is the growing number of snacking occasions, particularly through the incorporation of cheese into daily diets. Once considered foreign or reserved for Western-style dining, cheese is now widely available and has adapted to local tastes. Hard cheeses and string cheeses are sold in portion-controlled packs at 7-Eleven and other convenience chains, making them affordable and accessible as casual snacks. Meanwhile, soft cheeses are being positioned alongside Thai food, marketed as complements to local dishes, bridging Western dairy with Thai culinary traditions. This repositioning is normalising cheese as part of everyday consumption, rather than just for special-occasions, and reinforces the trend of dairy being integrated into quick, on-the-go eating moments.
Competitive Landscape
Lactasoy Co Ltd has continued to perform strongly in dairy products and alternatives, with its namesake brand positioned as both affordable and functional, and garnering high levels of consumer trust. As one of the first soy milk brands to appear in Thailand, the brand has established a strong and loyal consumer base and consistently offers plant-based protein at an accessible price to the mass market. In 2025, Lactasoy has reinforced its leadership through product innovation, such as fortified soy milks with added vitamins and minerals, while maintaining its wide range of classic flavours like chocolate and black sesame that resonate with everyday Thai consumers. In marketing, Lactasoy excels at broad-based campaigns on TV, digital, and via convenience retail tie-ins, making its products highly visible in both urban and rural areas. The brand’s strong distribution through 7-Eleven and supermarkets ensures daily accessibility, while its consistent alignment with themes of health and family care positions it as a trustworthy choice. These combined factors explain why Lactasoy remains a top player, managing to balance mass appeal with functional health benefits in an increasingly competitive landscape.
Channel developments
Supermarkets and hypermarkets remain the most important channels for dairy in Thailand because they offer scale, variety, and are trusted by the end consumer for both basic and premium dairy purchases. These outlets offer the widest assortment of dairy products, from mainstream drinking yoghurts like Dutch Mill 4-in-1 with reduced sugar, to niche premium products such as Yolida Greek-style yoghurt or imported cheeses. Shoppers have convenient access to a broad range of formats, brands, and price points, which is especially important in a maturing dairy market, where consumers are experimenting with plant-based alternatives, functional products, and premium yoghurts.
What next for dairy products and alternatives?
In the forecast period, dairy products and alternatives in Thailand will undergo a shift where some categories accelerate faster than others, reflecting evolving food culture and consumer preferences. Cheese and butter, once seen as peripheral, are now becoming mainstream choices, particularly among younger consumers. Cheese has become a key element in modern Thai dining, not just in Western dishes but as a topping in local street foods, quick-service menus, and even hotpot or snack items. The expansion of hard and string cheese products in 7-Eleven outlets illustrates how dairy snacking has entered everyday life in Thailand, while restaurants and cafés increasingly incorporate cheese into fusion dishes that appeal to younger palates. Similarly, butter is gaining traction as a staple in home baking and café culture, reflecting how urban consumers are integrating these products into both leisure and culinary habits. This evolution in Thai food culture is expected to drive sustained growth in these categories, elevating their importance within the wider dairy landscape.
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Overview:
Understand the latest market trends and future growth opportunities for the Dairy Products and Alternatives industry in Thailand with research from Euromonitor International's team of in-country analysts – experts by industry and geographic specialisation.
Key trends are clearly and succinctly summarised alongside the most current research data available. Understand and assess competitive threats and plan corporate strategy with our qualitative analysis, insight and confident growth projections.
Data and analysis in this report provides further detailed coverage dedicated to a comprehensive range of core packaged food categories.
If you're in the Dairy Products and Alternatives industry in Thailand, our research will help you to make informed, intelligent decisions; to recognise and profit from opportunity, or to offer resilience amidst market uncertainty.
The Dairy Products and Alternatives in Thailand report includes:
- Analysis of key supply-side and demand trends
- Detailed segmentation of international and local products
- Historic volume and value sizes, company and brand market shares
- Five year forecasts of market trends and market growth
- Robust and transparent research methodology, conducted in-country
This report answers:
- What is the market size of Dairy Products and Alternatives in Thailand?
- Which are the leading brands in Dairy Products and Alternatives in Thailand?
- How are products distributed in Dairy Products and Alternatives in Thailand?
- How is the rise of e-commerce and/or the expansion of modern grocery retail impacting traditional retail?
- What are the key health and wellness concerns driving, or challenging, sales in Dairy Products and Alternatives?
- How significant are vegan and vegetarian dietary requirements in determining sales growth in Thailand?
- How has COVID-19 impacted consumer demand? To what extent have lockdown, home seclusion and stockpiling boosted sales? Will the longer term economic repercussions of the pandemic stimulate or suppress future growth?
- Where is future growth expected to be most dynamic?
- How significant will values-based claims, such as sustainability and ethical labelling, be in supporting future growth and brand equity?
Dairy Products and Alternatives in Thailand
Dairy products and alternatives in 2025: The big picture
Key trends in 2025
Competitive Landscape
Channel developments
What next for dairy products and alternatives?
DISCLAIMER
Baby Food in Thailand
KEY DATA FINDINGS
New parents are increasingly drawn to premium functional baby food
More government regulations imposed within processed baby food
Hypermarkets and supermarkets are the preferred distribution channel
Lower birth rates creates a challenging climate
Parents are becoming more health-conscious
Push to promote breastfeeding creates challenge for milk formula brands
Butter and Spreads in Thailand
KEY DATA FINDINGS
Premiumisation trend evolves as consumers seek products with higher quality and flavour
Margarine brands adopt very different strategies
Supermarkets and hypermarkets dominate whilst butter gains traction via e-commerce retailers
Private label opportunities at opposite polars to the premiumisation trend
Rising health consciousness calls for innovation
Convenience store retailers can help encourage butter consumption
Cheese in Thailand
KEY DATA FINDINGS
Rising popularity of cheese in Thai culture
KCG Corp Co achieves growth with multi-tiered portfolio as niche brands gain a foothold
Supermarkets and retail e-commerce are both appealing channels
Price polarisation in cheese meets the needs of diverging income groups
Players will pivot to meet the health concerns of Thai consumers
New packaging formats and distribution to expand
Drinking Milk Products in Thailand
KEY DATA FINDINGS
Value growth slows as lower-priced milk products are imported from New Zealand and Australia
New players emerge in concentrated landscape
Physical retailers take the lead as e-commerce is driven by increased visibility
Lower growth in value sales as dairy alternatives gain appeal
Health consciousness drives demand for functional products within drinking milk products
Changes in regulations regarding healthier choice products
Yoghurt and Sour Milk Products in Thailand
KEY DATA FINDINGS
Yoghurt remains a staple in Thai households
Dutch Mill continues to dominate as Yolida shows dynamic growth
Distribution channels are skewed towards the modern trade
Potential for expansion of product ranges
Evolving need for functional products supports category development
The continued rise of retail e-commerce
Other Dairy in Thailand
KEY DATA FINDINGS
Other dairy is a core product in Thai diet and foodservice
Mali Group 1962 Co Ltd gains further traction
Increasing popularity of e-commerce platforms
Promising growth as products are embedded in local Thai culture
Thai consumers are looking for healthier variants
Packaging innovations enable better access and storage of products
Plant-Based Dairy in Thailand
KEY DATA FINDINGS
Rapid growth of plant-based milk
The rise of other plant-based milk brands
Convenience of retail e-commerce platforms attracts shoppers
Brands target younger generations as category expands
Various approaches to enhance functional benefits in plant-based milk
Brands will find new ways to appeal to consumers
The following categories and subcategories are included:
Dairy Products and Alternatives
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- Dried Baby Food
- Prepared Baby Food
- Other Baby Food
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- Liquid Standard Milk Formula
- Powder Standard Milk Formula
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- Liquid Follow-on Milk Formula
- Powder Follow-on Milk Formula
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- Liquid Growing-Up Milk Formula
- Powder Growing-Up Milk Formula
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- Liquid Special Baby Milk Formula
- Powder Special Baby Milk Formula
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- Butter
- Cooking Fats
- Margarine and Spreads
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- Spreadable Cheese
- Processed Cheese excl Spreadable
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- Packaged Hard Cheese
- Unpackaged Hard Cheese
- Soft Cheese
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- Dairy Only Flavoured Milk Drinks
- Flavoured Milk Drinks with Fruit Juice
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- Fat-free Fresh Milk
- Semi Skimmed Fresh Milk
- Full Fat Fresh Milk
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- Fat-free Shelf Stable Milk
- Semi Skimmed Shelf Stable Milk
- Full Fat Shelf Stable Milk
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- Goat Milk
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- Powder Milk
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- Sour Milk Products
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- Drinking Yoghurt
- Flavoured Yoghurt
- Plain Yoghurt
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- Chilled Dairy Desserts
- Shelf Stable Dairy Desserts
- Chilled Snacks
- Coffee Whiteners
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- Flavoured Condensed Milk
- Plain Condensed Milk
- Evaporated Milk
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- Cream
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- Flavoured Fromage Frais and Quark
- Plain Fromage Frais and Quark
- Savoury Fromage Frais and Quark
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- Soy Drinks
- Other Plant-based Milk
- Plant-based Yoghurt
- Plant-based Cheese
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This report originates from Passport, our Dairy Products and Alternatives research and analysis database.
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