Tourist demand drives wine industry to new heights in Thailand

The wine importing business is flourishing because Bangkok has continued to be the number one tourist destination and Thailand will receive 37 million visitors this year, said Joe Sriwarin, president of Wine Professionals’ Services Limited.
With the 11th Bangkok Grand Wine Tasting fast approaching Sriwarin noted the event remains the biggest and most elaborate wine professional get-together in the country. The annual event attracts overseas boutique wine producers and importers, who exhibit their wines and offer tastings to 1,000 wine professionals – sommeliers; F&B professionals; owners of restaurants, wine bars, and wineshop owners – along with high-end wine lovers.
“We’ve seen the volume of wine [sales] increasing year after year with more wine importers, fine dining and Michelin Star restaurants, more wine bars, wine shops and duty-free shops opening at border crossings as well as international airports all over Thailand,” Sriwarin said.
Tourism is becoming the number one industry in Thailand, due to its location in the centre of mainland Southeast Asia he said.
“Wine is an important part of the luxury lifestyle among local and foreign visitors. With wine consumption increasingly popular among younger Thai executives, with more international restaurants and eateries than all the neighbouring countries combined – this is helping to grow the wine trade.”
Bangkok has firmly established itself as the wine hub of mainland Southeast Asia, he added.
“From [Bangkok] we can travel to Malaysia’s capital in the south, Myanmar in the north, Laos in the Northeast, Cambodia and Vietnam in the East, all within one hour of air-time And with borders connected to four countries (Malaysia, Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia), it helps make wins transporting easier and faster," he said.
The 11th Bangkok Grand Wine Tasting will be held on June 29 in the grand ballroom of the Grand Hyatt Erawan Bangkok.