The Thai milk alternatives market is slowly becoming crowded as brands diversify with new base types. Building a competitive edge will be key, and opportunities exist to introduce novel plant-protein ingredients that offer both health and sustainability advantages.
Though traditionally seen as the most versatile, cow’s milk is losing its edge as a standalone health drink. Meanwhile, the potential uses of modern milk alternatives like almond and oat milk remain somewhat unclear. These alternative milk brands have the opportunity to educate consumers about their versatility and expand their presence in growing markets such as tea, coffee, smoothies and meal replacements.
Health benefits from milk and milk alternatives are increasingly valued. While maintaining bone and brain health is crucial, there is a rising demand for energy support, offering opportunities for comprehensive brain and body benefits.
Read the Report to understand the new spaces regarding ingredients, applications and health benefits that milk and milk alternative brands can tap into to increase competitiveness.
This report looks at the following areas:
- Consumption of different types of milk and milk alternatives
- Consumption shift of milk and milk alternatives
- Associations of different types of milk and milk alternatives with various usage applications
- Attitudes towards milk and milk alternatives
- Health benefits of interest in milk and milk alternatives – trend changes from 2022
Key opportunities lie in expanding applications, building competitiveness with healthy, sustainable ingredients and driving appeal with brain and energy support.
Rashmika Khanijou, Senior Analyst
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executive summary
- Mintel's perspective
- Key issues covered in this Report
- Overview
- The outlook for milk and milk alternatives in Thailand
- Adoption of plant-based diets and growing scrutiny of processing methods reshapes the milk and milk alternatives market
- Explore opportunities to go beyond traditional product applications
- Stand out in the milk alternatives market with sustainable, healthy ingredients
- Bone health remains imperative, but cognitive and energy boost benefits gain rank in interests
- Graph 1: health benefits of interest in milk products, 2024
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key trends
- What you need to know
- Growing adoption of plant-based diets and scrutiny of food processing
- Thais are increasingly adopting a plant-based diet
- Graph 2: change in dietary preference, 2021-24
- Thais are prioritising whole foods and naturalness
- Graph 3: most important factors when shopping for food*, 2024
- Processing will factor into food and drink decisions
- Global milk alternative brands are reassuring consumers about their processing methods
- Fermentation is a processing method becoming known for its benefits
- Ageing population drives needs for senior care and longevity
- Thai consumers are embracing ageing
- Extended healthspan becomes the new focus
- Thai market giants are expanding into senior care
- Growing concerns regarding climate change drive sustainability solutions
- Along with health and finance, climate change is becoming a prominent worry among Thai consumers
- Graph 4: biggest concerns in the past six months, 2023
- Strong efforts are being made by milk alternative brands in communicating sustainable resources
- Graph 5: share of product launches in the plant-based drinks and dairy milk categories, by claims, 2021-24
- Global milk brands are innovating with newer plant-protein sources to meet the sustainability agenda: hemp and millets
- Global dairy milk brands are looking for a sustainability solution over offsetting the problem
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What consumers want and why
- What you need to know
- Both dairy milk and milk alternatives are frequently consumed, though they fall short in daily consumption
- Graph 6: consumption frequency of dairy milk and milk alternatives in the past six months, 2024
- Most Thais are adaptable in their milk preferences, often consuming a combination of dairy milk and milk alternatives
- Graph 7: consumption frequency of dairy milk/milk alternatives in the past six months, among consumers who drink milk alternatives or dairy milk daily, 2024
- Soy milk and plain cow's milk are most popular among Thais
- Graph 8: types of milk/milk alternatives consumed in the past six months, 2024
- Opportunities exist beyond traditional product applications
- Cow's milk is perceived as the most versatile milk option
- Cow's milk holds strongest loyalty among Gen Z but falls short with Gen X
- Graph 9: consumption of plain cow's milk in the past six months, by generation, 2024
- Although the Gen Z are loyal to dairy cow's milk, they are less likely than older Thais to see it as a standalone drink
- Graph 10: association of cow's milk with select application, by generation, 2024
- Dairy milk's health edge is fading: reclaim its position
- Reposition cow's milk as an 'essential' part of a healthy diet
- Thais are unclear about the usage of new-age milk alternatives
- Increase consumption of plant-based milks among younger Thais by going hybrid; strengthen associations with 'smoothies'
- Graph 11: interest in purchasing packaged juice/juice drinks that contain yogurt or milk, by generation, 2024
- Graph 12: purchase of smoothies in the past six months, by generation, 2024
- Enhance almond milk's connection with smoothies by offering on-pack recipe suggestions and highlighting its competitive health advantages
- Expand almond milk smoothies into a plant-based yogurt hybrid with mixed fruits
- The tea/coffee opportunity: boost the appeal of almond milk among younger Thais and educate the market on oat milk's natural suitability
- Graph 13: association of almond and oat milk with 'being suitable for coffee/tea', by generation, 2024
- Create easy-to-use barista variants for new-age milk alternatives
- Increase competitiveness of oat milk through innovative blends
- Combine oat and almond milks to leverage their unique strengths for enhancing competitiveness and positioning
- Meal replacements and protein shakes are a growing market upon which milk types can build an identity on
- Graph 14: share of nutritional and meal replacement drink launches in food and drinks, 2019-24
- Leverage the growing market of meal replacements and protein shakes
- Older Thais predominantly consume soy milk as a standalone beverage, yet often overlook its potential uses beyond that
- Graph 15: association of soy milk with select application, by generation, 2024
- Potential exists to position soy milk as the go-to for meal replacements, filling in the association gap among younger Thais
- Graph 16: association of soy milk with select application, by generation, 2024
- Develop soy milk’s value proposition for today’s generation: how Soylent is bringing plant-based meal replacements into the future
- Coconut milk needs a revamp: break into new applications beyond cooking, leveraging its MCT benefits
- Coconut milk can enhance the benefits of protein shakes
- Build ingredient competitiveness for milk alternatives
- Milk alternatives continue to gain stronger traction, especially among affluent, city-dwelling Millennials
- Graph 17: consumers who are consuming more milk alternatives now compared to six months ago, by generation, region and personal income level, 2024
- Build a competitive edge with inclusion of novel ingredients that hold value in both health and sustainability
- Graph 18: agreement to 'I would be willing to try milk alternatives made of new ingredients that are both healthy and sustainable', by consumers that have been consuming more milk alternatives now compared to six months ago vs total, 2024
- Many milk alternative brands are already diversifying with new base types to stand out on crowded shelves
- Pea protein: the rising star protein choice in milk alternatives
- Milk alternatives of different bases can include pea protein for enhanced value
- Building the case: the health and sustainability value of pea protein
- Is the Thai market ready for pea protein?
- Pea protein can offer unique health and sustainability appeal
- Grow functional spaces
- The demand: bone health remains crucial, while interest in cognitive enhancement and energy-boosting benefits is on the rise
- Graph 19: health benefits of interest in milk products, 2024
- Graph 20: health benefits of interest in milk products, 2022
- The market gap: high use of vitamin/mineral fortification claims, but not enough linkage to health functionalities
- Graph 21: share of product launches in milk alternatives and dairy milk categories with vitamin/mineral fortified claims, by category, 2021-24
- Milk alternatives lag behind dairy milk across all functional areas
- Graph 22: share of product launches in the plant-based drinks and dairy milk categories, by top 15 functional claims, 2021-24
- The untapped space: integrate sleep support for enhancing recovery
- New wave in Thai milk: B vitamins, vitamin D and novel micronutrients are fuelling market growth
- Ingredient watch: leverage trending vitamins/minerals in the global market that meet emerging functionalities of interest in milk products
- Boost energy and sleep quality with trending magnesium and other cutting-edge active ingredients
- Active Consumers represent a new frontier for both dairy milk and milk alternatives
- Graph 23: interest in trying milk/milk alternatives with select benefits, by Active Consumers vs Sedentary Consumers, 2024
- Graph 24: change in consumption of dairy milk and milk alternatives compared to six months ago, by Active Consumers vs Sedentary Consumers, 2024
- Leverage b vitamins and zinc to support the brain, body and mind for active lifestyles
- Niche opportunity targeting Active Consumers: performance nutrition
- Graph 25: interest in trying milk/milk alternatives that can help improve 'athletic performance', by Active Consumers vs Sedentary Consumers, 2024
- Enhance performance, tailor to various activity levels and address post-workout requirements of Active Consumers
- Extend milk and milk alternatives into the space of healthy ageing
- Graph 26: select benefits of interest in milk products, by generation, 2024
- Tap into the gut-immunity axis with added fibre
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appendix
- Consumer research methodology
- TURF analysis
- Correspondence analysis
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