Global interest in health products presents opportunity for Thai companies that understand their market.
Demand for products boosting wellness is on the rise with the current trend leaning more towards health consciousness. Thailand has successfully established itself as a medical and wellness hub due to its high-quality services and products combined with professional skills, providing great opportunities for entrepreneurs in this sector.
Chatchawan Santadkornkarn, Managing Director at Asriti, producer of AKALIKO aromatherapy and spa products believes that in-depth knowledge is essential to business success.
“You must know what you have to offer and how your customers could benefit from using your products,” he says. “When I started this business with my sister in 2003, we weren’t experts then but out mission has always been to deliver safe and truly beneficial products so we did a lot of study and research about essential oil, which is one of the main ingredients in AKALIKO products.
“Our products are manufactured using premium but affordable ingredients so customers can fully take advantage of what we offer. I am pleased to say that we have loyal customers who have been buying from us for years, while the majority of our customers are tourists, the trend of using healthy products has raised interests from local consumers too.”
The AKALIKO brand has also proved popular in overseas markets.
“Taiwan was the first country that we exported to and is still our main international market. Our products have gained consumer trust and we have had tremendous success there. We also have exported to Japan and South Korea in the past. Our next export market will be Vietnam as the contract has already been signed. We are waiting for businesses to reopen post COVID-19 and we should be able to export right away,” he says.
According to Santadkornkarn there are regulations governing which ingredients you can put in products in Thailand.
“At AKALIKO our product safety policy is applied to the entire product lifecycle from sourcing raw materials to packaging. We are committed to offer products that are free from unhealthy chemical substances, be it aromatherapy products or skincare,” he says, adding that this is governed by Thai law. “This gives Thai products credibility and acceptance all over the world.”
Nonetheless, Santadkornkarn believes that there is a room for improvement in certain areas, such as packaging.
“I think packaging producers can do much better in terms of the use of glass containers, caps and lids,” he says. “This would help minimise the cost of production for Thai entrepreneurs and generate more income for local people.”
For more information, visit www.akaliko.net
Words by Manisa Phromsiripranee
Photo courtesy of Asriti Co.,Ltd.