MADE IN THAILAND

Tourists’ taste in souvenirs is a powerful driver of marketing strategies

What seems ordinary to some may hold special values to others. What’s mundane to a local may be seen as precious by a visitor.

What souvenirs tourists take back from Thailand are often things that locals see as unexceptional — think of orchids, Thai boxing shorts, Red Bull T-shirts, fishermen’s pants, silk products and dried fruits to name a few popular takeaways.

For Chinese tourists, making up a large chunk of visitors to Thailand, shopping is a big part of travelling.

On an average evening at the riverfront mall the Asiatique in Bangkok, the sight of Chinese tourists crowded into medicine shops and tucked into snack stalls is a familiar one. They like to buy medicinal balm, liniment, cough-relief tablets and nasal inhalers, often in large quantities. As for snacks, they tend to go for the crispy snack Bento, Ko Kae peanuts and Mama instant noodles.

Most Thais would view these as quality products, but nothing worth swooning over. But for tourists, especially those from China, these products are seen as treasures.

As key customers in the Thai economy, the consumption patterns of the Chinese are increasingly redefining the retail industry — a trend observable in many popular shopping malls and outdoor markets.

According to a survey by the Tourism Authority of Thailand, Chinese tourists use 41% of their travel budget for shopping, while reserving only 4% for food — although, as we will see, they won’t hesitate to dole out money on tropical fruits.

Bangkok was voted the world’s most popular city for tourists in the Mastercard Global Destinations Cities Index last year. The city was visited by nearly 20 million tourists in 2016.

The Thai capital was also ranked in the top five cities where tourists spent the most money, with over US$14.08 million found to have been spent last year.

It’s safe to assume a sizable slice of that was spent on purchasing souvenirs.

The behaviour and preferences of tourists are worth studying as they play an important role in the economy. Think of when Thai tourists cleared out the shelves of the Green Tea Kit-Kat in Japan, leading the product to be supplied in Thailand. If this shows anything, it is that being attentive to tourists’ taste pays off.

Here are some products that rank as favourites among Asian tourists in Thailand.